Vancouver Wedding Photographer

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What Is Lifestyle Photography?

Let's be honest, you're booking a family session to remember this EXACT moment in time. Whether it’s a big life moment or you’re updating your family photos, you want to document exactly how your family members look, act, and feel to you right now at this age. You want to document the love that makes your family so unique—and that makes you all shine! In other words? You want lifestyle photography. 

And you’re in luck, because capturing all of you at your most natural and true (AKA your best!), just happens to be one of the things I love MOST about my job. Keep reading to learn all about what lifestyle photography is, examples of what it looks like, why it’s the bomb.com!

P.S. The photos in this blog post are some of my favourite recent lifestyle photos! Hope you love ‘em.

So...What The Heck Is Lifestyle Photography?

Lifestyle Photography is all about capturing natural, comfortable, real-life moments. It’s about documenting me, as the photographer, being a fly on the wall as you live your (relatively) normal life together, so I can document you and your family in your element. 

It means we love authentic moments, movement, and silly smiles over stiff, cheesy, overly posed, Sears-style portraits. And it means that when you look back on your photos, you’ll remember exactly how your family life felt, looked, and lived back then.

And while we still do always get those classic family shots worthy of Grandma and Grandpa’s mantle, it focuses more on the not-so-perfect moments.

Lifestyle Photography Is All About:

  • Authentic moments

  • Your kids being themselves

  • Looking at your family more than me (or the camera)

  • Capturing the in-between moments

Lifestyle Photography Avoids:

  • Forced smiles

  • Awkward poses

  • Stressy-ness

  • Trying to get everyone to act perfectly for the session

3 Reasons To Choose Lifestyle Photography

#1 It Gives Your Family Freedom

You probably don’t love the idea of forcing your untamable, future CEO of a toddler to act like someone she’s not during the shoot. Or figure out how you’re going to get your kids to stand still while taking photos near their favourite playground! Or begging your hubby to wear something he secretly (or not-so-secretly) dislikes. And that makes sense! I mean, why would you want photos of your family acting like people they’re just...not? 

Lifestyle photography gives you the freedom to let everyone feel how they feel—and act how they act—on the day of the session. Trust me, your photographer will turn that real-life messiness into memory magic. It works every single time!

#2 It’s Authentic & Real

Kids don't want to smile? No stress! Let's capture their current moods and ALL the accompanying expressions. I know that might sound daunting. (We want smiling, happy toddler photos! Not meltdown photos!) But the beauty of lifestyle photography is that we always end up with a mix of all the feelings—not just one type. Plus, the big feelings—the belly laughs, the toddler tears, the laugh-out-loud antics of your family pet—are the ones that are sure to have you smiling the biggest when you look back on them in the future.

#3 It Makes Moments Relivable

The photos we create through lifestyle photography sessions capture super real memories. Memories of moments you can almost feel when you look back on them! Your lifestyle photos are sure to remind you how much you love each other, and of all the things you felt on the day they were taken. (Especially if we turn them into an album or frame them as wall art!) 

Examples of Lifestyle Photography

Lifestyle photography just hits different, ya know? It doesn’t just look good, it feels good. I love this style so much because when you look at the photos, you always get caught up in the moment.

These are a few of my fav examples of lifestyle photography from my portfolio. I love them because they’re not your typical, “perfect” shots—they’re better! They’re full of movement, hugs, connection, laughter, silliness, and real life moments. And they all have a certain energy that just pops off the screen!

Get Lifestyle Photography On The Regular. At Happy Hour Prices.

How good does that sound?!

If you love lifestyle photography, but your plate is so full that remembering to book photos is literally never gonna be a thing 😅 then you’d love my Beer Club membership!

Beer Club is my exclusive, set-it-and-forget-it membership for families who love taking regular photos but want them at a discount, and pre-scheduled throughout the year. As a member, you’ll enjoy discounted prices, special perks, priority scheduling, and lots more!

Beer Club only opens once or twice a year! Click the link below to learn more or join the waitlist.