Lifestyle Photography (5 Tips to Capture Everyday Moments)

5 Tips for Better Lifestyle Photography

I cannot say that I have fully mastered the lifestyle secrets for photographing my clients, but I have figured out how to create beautiful everyday lifestyle photos and self-portraits.

Those moments when you are cooking with your kids and think, “I would love someone to photograph this.”  Maybe you're reading a story to your children, laughing with them, enjoying a quiet book, or watching your children joyfully enjoying a beautiful day.  Lifestyle photography brings out the beauty in the everyday, mundane things.  That is why I LOVE it.  And guess what?  It is possible.

When you catch yourself in those moments, grab your camera and use these 5 lifestyle photography tips to bring out the beauty of every day:

1. Capture Simple Moments

If you are not in the picture, this is easy.  When your kids are doing something camera-worthy or just being silly, reading a book, laughing together, even fighting...get your camera.  Sneak a photo.  They are always best when the kids don't know you are there.  But even if they catch you, tell them to continue.  The photos still turn out amazing.

2. Use Bokeh

When you use a bokeh effect in your photos, the objects closest to you will be blurred, while your subject will remain in focus.  This is a lovely photography technique that will make your subject pop!

For example, your kids are reading a book and you are taking a photo of them from behind a doorway.  Include part of the doorway in your photo so that it is blurred, and set the focus on your children.

Or, if there is a vase of flowers on the table, put your camera by the flowers, focus on your children and have that pretty, blurred bokeh effect of the flowers in the foreground of your image.  Try it!

3. Get into the Shot

Get into your own photos!  This requires more work, but you will thank me later.

Set up your camera, get out your remote and keep doing what you are doing while clicking the remote.

Here are some examples: Keep cooking, keep laughing, keep reading, keep playing.  Then make it a game.  Tell your kids to freeze randomly and then click your remote shutter button so there won't be any blurred movement in the photo.  Do this several times and you will get a good photo.

Here are some additional tips for photographing children.

4. Experiment

Get creative with your lifestyle photography!

• Find a new perspective.
• Look for different angles.
• Try using a different types of lighting (sometimes the most unexpected places will provide the coolest lighting effects).

Don't be afraid to break the normal “photography rules”.

5. Practice, Practice, Practice

If at first, you don't achieve the type of lifestyle photos you want then keep trying.  Trust me!  The more you do it, the easier it gets and the better you will be at it.  I try to photograph some type of lifestyle shot several times a week.

Do you have any questions or comments about Lifestyle Photography?  Leave us a comment below - we would LOVE to hear from you!  And PLEASE SHARE this post using the social sharing buttons (we really appreciate it)!