Jump Start Your Lifestyle Session | Indianapolis Family Photographer
I might be able to guess your opinion on lifestyle photography. I’ve had these conversations with plenty of friends. You love the look of the photos, you love the meaning and emotion behind them, you love the connection in each image, BUT… (There’s always a but.) But what would my family DO during a lifestyle session? Don’t worry! I’ll help you figure that out. Very quickly, I looked at photos I’ve taken of my own family from the last three years and came up with some ideas that might just jump start your thinking and help you realize what makes your family unique. That’s the key. Lifestyle photography should be about what makes your family YOU at this very moment in your life.
Scroll down to see some images of my kids and my family. This is what makes us us. This is what we spend our days doing. Maybe it’ll spark something in your mind for your next family session. And if not, that’s ok! When you book a lifestyle session with me, I’ll send you a questionnaire and together we’ll set up the perfect session for your family.
First up, bath time. Easy! Every family has bath time. Maybe you typically throw the kiddos in the shower, or you do special Saturday morning bubble baths, maybe you bathe that new baby in the sink a few times a week, or your favorite part of bath time is the snuggling up in warm towels afterwards. There is nothing cuter than bath time, babies, and little kids!
What’s your family’s hobby? Our summertime hobby is a garden plot we have a few blocks from our home in a community garden. We walk over a few times a week to check to see what’s growing, water the plants, pull weeds, and eat a cherry tomato or two. (My kids are your typical picky eaters, but I find that growing our own food does get them to at least try a vegetable from time to time.) The great thing about family hobbies is that there’s usually a process. Like working in the garden, picking flowers and creating a bouquet at home, cutting up the vegetables and sharing the food in the kitchen. Photographing your family’s hobby allows for lots of variety to your pictures during your lifestyle session.
A popular reason for booking an in-home lifestyle session is to celebrate some sort of milestone. Most of my lifestyle sessions revolve around welcoming your newborn to the family or commemorating a special birthday, both milestones that every family can relate to.
Does your family have any traditions? Maybe it’s something you’ve done every year for the past fifteen years. Or maybe it’s something you’ve done twice but know you’ve started something special that will continue for a long time. My husband and I go back to the Indianapolis Art Center where we got married every year on our anniversary. It obviously started just the two of us, and there was usually wine and a dessert involved on a picnic blanket. But over the past nine years as our family has grown it’s turned into a whole family visit! Usually with a baby bottle in hand, maybe a breakfast sandwich or a Jimmy John’s sub, and at times a cookie cake. And we always take the time to photograph the visit. We also have a tradition of walking around the corner to our local hardware store every holiday season to select a Christmas tree. We tow the kids in a wagon, play around in the greenhouse, then carry (or drag!) our special tree the two blocks home. These are some of what my kids’ childhood memories will be made of and I’m so thankful to have quality photographs for me and for them in the years to come. What will YOUR kids’ memories be? I would LOVE to give you the gift of photographing these times.
Camping anyone? I know, camping isn’t for everyone. But what type of family outings are your thing?
Incorporating family heirlooms is one way to make your lifestyle session unique to your family. How about spending some time around grandma’s piano that now calls your living room home? Or what about reading from that box of children’s books that once belonged to your husband when he was little?
As I mentioned before, when you book a lifestyle session, I’ll send you a questionnaire so that I can get to know your family. One question I’ll ask is what is your family’s favorite way to spend a Saturday morning? This can help me get a sense of what’s important to your family. We’ve certainly frequented local farmer’s markets on some Saturday mornings, and I know it’s our neighbors favorite weekend outing. I’ll spend some time reading through your questionnaire and together we’ll come up with the perfect idea for your family’s lifestyle session.
Have questions for me, or interested in booking a lifestyle session? Email me at tarastrohlphotography@yahoo.com or fill out the Contact form!
Jump Start Your Lifestyle Session | Indianapolis Family Photographer