In the Photography network, photographers refer to types of photography with the terms documentary or lifestyle… but for the average mom or dad out there looking to hire a photographer, they may not know what all of these terms mean.
Documentary Photography tends to be a photographer who comes to your home and acts as a fly on the wall. This photographer is highly skilled at anticipating moments and predicting what is going to happen.
They know how to be subtle and get into a moment, grab it on camera, and get back out… they are careful to not intervene in the scene unfolding before them. This captures REAL life. REAL emotions. TRUE personalities. Documentary Photography tells a story…
I remember the first time my own family was documented for a film and photo session. I could not WAIT to get the video back. But I got the photos first…
I felt meh about getting them, but opened the gallery. It was the FIRST time as a mom I had been moved to tears with photos of my own family. I have hired several famous photographers from out of state. The best of the best. But this experience blew me away. I instantly felt sad too. Because for so many years, I chased perfect images robbing myself of the beautiful real story unfolding before me on a daily basis.
Lifestyle Photography is a modern term that refers to capturing families – usually in their home – with light posing. instead of smiling at the camera for every photo, the family is cued on how to interact… and that is what is captured.
It is set up in a certain room or place in the home (or outside at sunset) and the outfits are coordinated and the work is very very polished. Often times, well meaning lifestyle photographers will call themselves storytellers. But if we creating the story we are telling, are we really story tellers?
I think Lifestyle Photography emerged as a rebellion to the Olin Mills of the 90s. However, I think that even though our generation sees this as modern and unique and so different than the 90s… we aren’t realizing that in 20 years, it will be our own version of Olin Mills photos. Because everyone looks the same in all of their photos. Photographers show up to a session with a “shot list” and plan to get through that shot list for every family.
All of the photos are similar. I remember in 2017, as I was awakening to this, I would scroll social media and… I could not tell one photographer from another. This has been true of posed newborn photography (where they put little newborns tucked into poses) and of Lifestyle Family Photography.
To be clear, I see value in ALL of it. Truthfully, I would rather a family be photographed than not. This blog I am writing is simply to discuss the sociology of our decisions in photography. It’s a deep dive into culture and trends and why we make the decisions we do. (can you tell I have a degree in psychology with a minor in sociology?) I love analyzing everything, it geeks me out.
I am not opposed to lifestyle work. In fact, I find lifestyle is better for newborn sessions and tend to lean more lifestyle in them. I really adjust to each family. It just depends on their uniqueness. But most often, families are SO new to having a newborn that they don’t yet have a groove that leads to documentary work. Families don’t usually want me to be a fly on the wall and capture them simply nursing, sleeping and changing diapers. I am open to it though!
If you want your family captured, let’s chat!!!
