Lifestyle photography can have many different meanings and its definition often changes depending on who you ask. However, most photographers would agree that lifestyle photography is about telling a story through the lens. It is a kind of photography that captures its subjects in real-life situations or moments.
Different photographers have mixed opinions on what lifestyle photography actually is, For instance, Slim Aarons, one of the best lifestyle photographers, reflected that he was just “photographing good-looking people, doing attractive things in beautiful places.” He photographed wealthy families and celebrities without disturbing their activities. He was invited to occasions, parties, and reunions as one of them. He never used a makeup artist or a stylist, although his photographs were printed in the most famous magazines.
Currently, Dixie Dixon, a lifestyle photographer, says that lifestyle photography is about making a mood. She believes that lifestyle photography should build an environment where people would love to be. This involves using lights, models, makeup artists, and a big team of stylists in a well-organized photograph session.
A large number of photographers in Toronto consider that life is best described by family photos. This similarly has a historical meaning. In the initial phase of photography, people used family portraits as a way of showcasing their living standard. These family photographs have documentary value both on an ethnographic level and for the past of photography. In case you’re about to enter the world of lifestyle photography, you should keep in mind the following popular types:
Family photography generally means a family photoshoot, where candid photography is diversified with family portraits. These are family photographs as a memory for the family dynamic or milestone happening at that time. Remember that family portraits will most likely be printed, so they have to be high resolution and have top-of-the-line quality. Printing also needs different editing techniques.
A family photo exhibits care, love, and the personality of the whole family. It has to be memorable for the family and capture the present moment of their lives. Come up with scenarios, games, and props, and involve the whole family..It is important to give your subjects some direction that will inspire a natural response without ‘posing’ them too much.
In a similar category, you’ll find portraits of children, newborn pictures, and photographs of children doing activities. This is similarly a type of family photoshoot, but the children stay in focus. For this sort of photography, you need a child-friendly space, a lot of props and toys, the skill to photograph subjects in motion, and a lot of tolerance. Lifestyle photographer Toronto similarly needs to be fast, especially if they are taking toddler pictures Shoot children and parents in everyday scenarios that allow them to interact organically, such as: reading a story, going for a walk, playing outside, etc.
Commercial photography is extremely related to lifestyle photography. As Dixie Dixon stated, people are attracted by lifestyle and surroundings. And this is widely utilized in marketing and promotions. In almost every fashion campaign, the environment is more crucial than the poses. Fashion is not merely about clothing anymore. It’s about how and where to wear the clothing and who sees you wearing them.
Commercial photography also refers to interior design, the city lifestyle, and tourism photography. You purchase not just a product but a feeling, a mood, and the opportunity to enhance your lifestyle. In commercial photography, the emphasis isn’t just on individuals as in family photography. It’s similarly on the background, environment, objects, and general atmosphere. Always remember that commercial photography, in some cases, needs outdoor shooting, working with real people in place of models, and techniques for taking candid images.
Lifestyle photography has always belonged to the history of photography. Simply the means were different. Nowadays, the demand for lifestyle photography is more than ever and compels high-quality standards and an eye for authenticity. It’s not sufficient to have aesthetically pleasing pictures. You have to deliver creativity and originality. You have to distance yourself from all the other lifestyle photographer Toronto.
The trick is gently directing your subjects or altering your settings without having it look too forced. Train your eye to look for the moments in between poses, where your subjects are naturally engaging with one another and looking candid. This is what makes lifestyle photography so magical.
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