Lifestyle Photoshoot: What it is & Why You Need One

Spring is almost here, & I’m here to tell you why you need one of these shoots in your life this season. The weather is pristine for those light & airy photos of your kids frolicking in the grass or you & your sweetie pie cuddled up on the back porch sipping Rose’. These dreamy shoots in spring are basically as big a craze as pumpkin spice latte’s for Fall, & for good reason, ya’ll! If you haven’t heard the term “lifestyle photos” you’re either living under a rock or are one of those apocalyptic crazed individuals too busy stock piling canned goods & pimping out your bomb shelter to notice what’s going on outside. But just in case you missed it, let me tell you that this is a bandwagon you most definitely want to jump on!

Lifestyle sessions are all about capturing the beauty in the everyday reality of your life. That means you should be in a familiar place doing things you typically do. For you, this could mean cuddling up on the couch in a cozy blanket with the family dog, reading story books on the playroom floor, giving the little ones a fun bubble bath (double score for checking off family photos & tackling the tiny humans personal hygiene 😉), playing soccer in the backyard, or even walking down to your families favorite donut shop for a sweet treat. Whatever “it” is, make sure it has a meaningful purpose to you for two reasons.

One-once your amazing photographer (Michelle Holloway Photography 😉) edits the moments you shared for capturing; the true beauty will be revealed, & you’ll be able to look back getting all the feels no matter how many days pass. These are the photos that will become the most precious ones in your home, because they aren’t just pretty pictures for the wall or Christmas card. No, these are so much more. They will evoke a feeling of happiness & fullness when you pass by them. I’m sure you can take a quick glance around & locate a family picture. Now think about that photo shoot. What comes to mind? I can tell you that the first photo I see is a beautiful family photo. We’re all smiling, the scenery is breathtaking, & guests always comment how lovely it is. Here’s the thing though…every time I look at it, I remember being stressed to get to get the park that was over 40 mins away, because we were of course running late with having to get 4 people out the door & looking decent. I also remember getting irritated with my husband for not understanding why we couldn’t just go to “our” park down the street that wasn’t nearly as pretty & always packed with people. And lastly, I cannot forget the struggle of begging, bribing, gritted teeth threatening my toddler to stand next to us & smile just once. Beautiful photo, yes, beautiful memory, hell to the NO folks! Of course everyone is miserable, we made them wiggle into new, uncomfortable clothes (mom’s included, in those awful spanx trying to hide the extra 5lb baby #2 left), sat them in the car wrinkling the new clothes, denied snacks to them for fear of stains, & demanded they sit or stand still saying cheeeeeeese thirty six times. I’m pretty sure “Family Photos” is a station in hell, most likely right next to “Family Road Trip” & “Swim Diaper Disasters.”

But I digress, because Michelle Holloway Photography is here to bring the fun into capturing your MEMORIES, not just pretty pictures. Imagine instead, pulling your comfortable, everyday clothes on, & chasing your kids around the house as they giggle real smiles right onto your forever prints, or maybe cracking up with real laughter on the kitchen floor as your husband pops the champagne cork a little too much. Do something fun people! Real happiness will translate to your photos so much more beautifully than the fake, forced smiles, & being in your own space or a special, familiar place will be much more comfortable for everyone.

That brings us to reason number two for choosing a meaningful spot & activity…comfort. Gone is your husband’s awkward stance, because he’s overthinking what to do with his hands or feet. Gone is the annoyed look on your toddler’s face, because they no longer buy into the lollypop promise & they’ve heard “last one” for the last 15 minutes. And gone is the crying baby longing to get down to explore the very unbaby proofed surroundings. The more comfortable you are in the space, & fun the activity is- the better the photos because everyone’s relaxed. Throw on some pretty robes & watch your daughter light up when you tell her you’re having a spa day. Believe me, you will both forget all about the camera when you’re hysterically laughing at each other’s faces covered in mud masks. Or maybe your favorite family memories are baking your favorite cookies. If so whip out the ingredients & get a little messy, letting the chaos of cooking with kids take over & enjoying every minute of it. Just close your eyes & think about when you are the happiest with your loved ones. That’s what you should do for your next shoot.

My daughter honestly looked at me in this moment & said, “This is so fun! You’re the best mommy ever. I love you.”

“Lifetsyle” means real life, or else it ain’t a lifestyle shoot people! A photographer sitting you down in a pile of leaves saying having a tickle fight or handing you empty coffee mugs & telling you to cuddle isn’t real life for everyone, so don’t do that if its’ not you or your family. Now if these are things you typically do with your family, it is definitely okay, rather, encouraged that you set these things up to happen. Of course there is going to be a little setting up & maybe some uptight, not as natural moments in the beginning, after all there is photographer in the room watching you, but if you do it right, things will start to flow organically & everyone will ease up, allowing for some very special photos. I chose a lifestyle shoot, because I wanted a physical image of my favorite memory with my favorite people. Most nights we cook as a family while listening to music. We dance & chase the little ones around the kitchen. This is a real part of our life that I wanted to capture. So even though it took a little while for us to get fully comfortable & forget about Michelle in the background; we had fun & got an incredible collection of photos to show our children as they get older. A physical momentum to bring back those happy memories of every night we did this, not just the time there was someone shooting it. It made for a great, natural & meaningful moment because it was our home & something we do often.

Lifestyle photos are so incredibly special, because they’re not just pretty photos for the built ins or scrapbook. These are those photos that bring back sweet memories the way a certain smell or song can stir up emotions in you; putting you right back to a place & time of happiness that you want to hold onto forever. Michelle aims to capture real-life events, situations, & milestones in an artistic manner that will allow you to document your most precious everyday moments with the ones you get to do life with.  So “spring” into lifestyle shoots this season & give yourself something to cherish for years to come. So don’t wait! Book your session with my sweet momma friend, Michelle, who will make it a memory as fun & beautiful as the photos she’ll capture.