Differences between Lifestyle and documentary photography sessions • MD family photographer

LIFESTYLE VS DOCUMENTARY photography

If you’ve ever been looking for a MD family photographer, you’ve certainly discovered that the task is not that easy given the myriad of photographers out there and the different genres. At some point, you’ve figured out that there are 2 main photography styles: lifestyle and documentary family photography. The 2 approaches look similar and the line might be blurry between the 2 but they are distinct. Let’s see how.

Lifestyle sessions: a curated version of your life

I’m sure you’ve seen those “perfectly imperfect” family photos where the whole family is candidly reading a book on the master bed, in beautiful natural light with furniture coming out of the last West Elm ad, in perfectly coordinated clothing.

See what I am talking about?

What the photo doesn’t show is the backend that is not always as happy as the smiles lead you to think.

Lifestyle sessions are “augmented reality”

We might feel a bit of envy or even jealousy in front of those Pinterest families bursting with joy and happiness. I sure did. I even hired photographers and got caught up in the perfectionism, the high prep to get everyone on board and ready to smile. But when I look back at some photos, what I remember is the bribery, the warnings, the ultimatum and eventually the threat…

This is definitely NOT what I want to recall!

What those perfect shots don’t tell is that more often than not, dad doesn’t want to be here, parents probably fought on the way to the new location, they rushed to pack the kids in the car on time, prayed for no fights/ no nap/ no stains until they get there. Upon arriving, kids refuse to cooperate and will remove the new scratchy sweater or new shoes.

Yet, what will transpire from the photos is just happy smiles showing off to the world how they have their s* together. We’ll erase the “bad” feelings, cries, and tantrums and show off a curated version of our life. And because a session happens at home, doesn't mean it is a documentary session.

And THIS my friend, is the major difference between Lifestyle and Documentary photography.

Lifestyle photography is all about capturing the idea of a PERFECT life.

In lifestyle images, you try to get everything to look as nice and perfect as possible. Lifestyle sessions are usually styled, set up and directed by the photographer. Usually, you will be prompted to stand in beautiful light, to do something you might not typically do (like read stories on your bed with the whole fam in fancy clothes). The photos can be taken in a studio that mimics a cozy interior, with artificial or natural light.

Documentary photography is celebrating the idea of REAL life.

The number one goal for a documentary session is to make people remember how their life is, to get the bigger picture where the environment actually plays a big role in telling this stage in your life. They are the kind of photos that take more value over the years and spark conversations years from now.

The interactions, the way you handle meltdowns, the eating habits, the clothes you wear, the cup you drink from... are what makes you unique. No two families are alike. The photos are not a sanitized version of what family life SHOULD look like. Your hard work as a parent and unconditional love shine through.

I don’t want you to refrain from hiring a photographer because your house is not perfect enough/ you need to lose weight/ your kids are too rambunctious/ your house is not airy and bright…

Raising a family is not all rainbows and unicorns and we should normalize how families look like.

There is so much more embedded in family life than what we see in the little squares on social media. Let’s show the whole gamut of emotions and moments that happen so you’ll have a visual record over the years.

Documentary sessions include happiness, love and joy but also chaos, tantrums, and tears.

The family is spontaneous, there is little to no posing, no props or manipulation of the settings. The session takes place in and around the family's home or at places that are meaningful to them. It portrays the ups and downs that go into parenting and celebrates the stage they’re in.