Portrait Photography FAQ

WHY LIFESTYLE PORTRAITS?

There are as many styles of portrait photography as there are colors in the rainbow. Why should you choose a lifestyle family portrait session? What does the term lifestyle even mean? Read on to find out why I specialize in documenting real life moments with your family.

I am a firm believer that the interactions between you and the ones you love are more important than any smile you could flash at my camera. Your goofy grin, your squinty-eyed belly laugh, your gentle gaze at your little one’s face. These are the things that make you a family. I want to sit on the floor and play with your kids. I want them to show me their favorite toys, read me their favorite book and wear their favorite sneakers. In 10 years I want the images that I provide you to be a record of what your real life was like at this moment in time.

WHERE SHOULD OUR PORTRAIT SESSION TAKE PLACE?

My favorite location for lifestyle portrait sessions is in your own home. I am honored when my clients allow me to glimpse a bit of their everyday routine, a morning breakfast, a nap time snuggle. I would love to follow you around and just watch you being you. If for some reason your home is not available as an option for our session, my second choice would be an outdoor location that means something to your family – do you have a favorite park? A route you always go for a walk along the beach? A picnic spot you go to every week? Locations that are important to you and your kids are the perfect spot to capture you in an authentic way.

BUT MY HOUSE ISN’T BEAUTIFUL…

A lot of my clients worry that their home won’t be a photogenic setting for a portrait session. Your house is beautiful because it’s a home to your family. Not everyone lives in a model home and no two homes are the same. I want to see the way that your family lives, and show you how beautiful your life and love are through my eyes and lens. I promise you, your house IS beautiful.

WHAT IS THE BEST TIME OF DAY FOR A PORTRAIT SESSION?

The two times of day with the most beautiful light for portrait sessions here in San Diego (and all over southern California for that matter) are early morning and just before sunset. The last hour before the sun goes down is known to photographers as the “magic hour” and as long as there aren’t clouds in the sky, images taken at this time will be dreamy, glowy and gorgeous. I love to shoot during the magic hour but I also realize that it happens to coincide with a lot of small children and baby dinner or bedtimes. My number one goal when scheduling is keep the kids happy! If you know that your little ones will be grumpy the last hour before sunset we can always shoot in the morning. If they’re grumpy in the morning as well we can schedule it for whenever they will be at their brightest. We can always find shade if the timing isn’t ideal.

WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR FOR FAMILY PORTRAITS?

Unless you and your family are in the habit of wearing matching outfits, please do not arrive for your session wearing them. I love color and think that the best representation of you and your family is an honest one. If you love stripes please feel free to wear them, if you’re most comfortable in flip flops by all means keep ‘em on. There is no reason to dress formally and it will only make your family feel stiff and out of place. There are only a few things I’d like you to keep in mind when choosing outfits

• While I am sure your children LOVE their character apparel (my son is obsessed with Lightning McQueen), large character images can detract from your child’s beautiful face
• If it makes you feel like a million bucks – wear it! You will be more comfortable in something that makes you feel like YOU than something a shop owner told you was designed to flatter
• Coordinating is ok, matching is not – think “same page in a catalog” rather than “school uniform”
• There are very few colors that DON’T go together, if you think things are clashing more often than not it’s a problem with the shade or saturation of your colors. When in doubt, brights go with brights, pastels with pastels and so on. Of course rules are meant to be broken but if you’re feeling unsure, keeping your colors all in the same shade range can be an easy way to make sure everything works together.

If you need help selecting outfits for your family’s session or just want input on whether what you’ve selected will be a good choice please feel free to ask me questions. I am always here to help!

HAVE A QUESTION I HAVEN’T ANSWERED?

Please feel free to get in touch with any additional questions! I am always happy to answer an email or phone call and make sure that you have all the information you need. I can’t wait to hear from you!