Decoding Photography Styles: Which is Right for Your Next Family Session?

Have you ever heard photographers use terms like “Fine Art” & "Lifestyle" and "Day-in-The-Life?” Maybe you’re vaguely familiar, but also not too sure what exactly these terms mean? Allow me to clear things up. By the end of this blog, you'll be able to identify each photography style and select the one (or combo) that will best preserve your family's memories.

STUDIO PHOTOGRAPHY

First up, let's talk about the Classic Style also known as Portrait Photography.
Classic Photography is timeless, a little more formal and almost always heavily posed. This style usually has a lot of emphasis on the pose, so you would expect to see more rules than creativity.

Picture your grandma's vintage photo hanging on the wall - that's a perfect example of traditional portrait photography.
Generally this is the “holiday card photo.” You can clearly see everyone’s face and everyone is looking at the camera and smiling.

*This is a photo of my beautiful mom. I wish I could give proper photo credit, but she can’t recall the studio.*

LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHY

Next, we have Lifestyle Photography or some call this Candid Photography (but I really hate using this term for Lifestyle Photography, and if you want to know why send me a message :)

It’s all about capturing spontaneous appearing moments - the giggles, the funny faces, the sudden burst of dancing. Usually this is done on-location or in studio, but your photographer will use more casual prompts and poses in order to get laughs and reactions from those being photographed.

This style is perfect if your family loves a more casual look to their photos, but still want to be in a curated location with curated outfit choices and generally smiling happy family photos. You still rely on the photographer for guidance with lighting, location and poses (or prompted poses / directions) just as in portrait photography, but the location and prompts can be much more casual.

FINE ART PHOTOGRAPHY

One you might not hear too often is Fine art photography. This is a style that emphasizes beauty, creativity, and artistic expression. It's a genre of photography that's often compared to a fine painting or sculpture, with each image carefully composed and thoughtfully designed.The photographer may use lighting techniques to create a certain mood or emotion, and the subjects may be posed in a way that highlights their form and beauty.

The goal of fine art photography is to create a work of art. If you’re looking for a unique image to display, this style is perfect for you! While it may not capture the spontaneous moments of candid photography, it offers a different kind of beauty and depth.

DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY

Finally, for those who love real authentic candid moments, Documentary Photography or “Day-in-the-life” Photography could be your perfect match. This style aims to capture real-life events or milestones or activities in a storytelling manner, often set in - home and personal spaces.

With documentary photography, there is generally no posing or prompting at all. The photographer really is a fly on the wall while your family participates in activities you all love doing together. Documentary photography values authentic true-life moments over everything else. It’s about documenting what life looks like at this moment in time to create a photographic time capsule.

I particularly love day-in-the-life photography for families with toddlers because it’s so much more fun to do an activity they love than trying to ask them to sit still and smile for a more classic type of photography session. It also embraces all the MANY MANY moods of a toddler, not just the smiling happy ones :) And often captures how hard parents are working during these years. This style is for the parents that do not want to forget all those morning routines, teeth brushing, favorite lovies / books / tv shows that they’ve likely endured countless times.

Note : Birth photography definitely falls into Day-in-the-life photography! It’s capturing one of the biggest days of your life, right? The day you meet your baby!

Now, here's the fun part: deciding on the best style for your family!
This isn't about choosing 'the best' style out there, but rather what's best for your family (and this might change depending on the season of life your family is in or the goal for your session).

If your family is a lively bunch that's constantly on the move, candid or lifestyle photography might work best. For families that love tradition and formality, portrait photography or fine art photography could be the way to go.

But hey, who says you have to stick to one style? Now that you know the terms photographers use for these types of sessions, feel free to ask your photographer how they would describe their style. Often photographers do a mix of styles, leaning strongly one way or the other.

For example, I generally include both “documentary” and “lifestyle” in my family sessions. While the majority of the session time I’m photographing documentary, I still generally take at least 15 minutes to do some lifestyle portraits of the my families (usually on the couch or in front of the home).

As you plan your next family photo session, let these styles play in your mind.

I can't wait to see you and your family in front of my lens if you decide documentary is your preference, capturing those moments that will become family treasures.