Is there even anything better than a baby at Christmas?

Even though the majority of the portraits I take are now in my new Georgetown photography studio on the square, I still relish the chance to do a lovely “Lifestyle” shoot with a family or newborn. 

What makes a lifestyle shoot different from a studio shoot? A few things:

1) Lifestyle is much less posed. We are not looking to capture one image that tells a story: we are creating a series of images to tell a story – in this case, bringing a new little one into a young family. 

2) Lifestyle is almost always on-location, which means instead of you coming to me (at my studio) I go to you (incurs a nominal travel fee). In this case, the location was at a Georgetown home of the mother of my young mom. 

3) The images are taken with a different goal in mind.  While a studio portrait might be for the purpose of several large prints around the home, or a series of smaller matted images, a lifestyle series is photographed with the intention of creating an album so that all of the lifestyle portraits can be viewed at one time. The Folio box is also a great option for a lifestyle shoot, because it allows you either view the photos at once or spread them out around your home in 11×14 frames. (Not to say you can’t also get a 30×40″ of your lifestyle session! That would be amazing!)

4) Lifestyle portraits are great for newborn photoshoots and engagement sessions! (You could also think of a wedding as one GIANT lifestyle shoot!) More posed portraits are great for a more styled session, such as a beautiful mother-and-child portrait, a painted portrait, timeless family portrait, a personal branding session, or a couple’s session!

This is one of my favorite sessions that I’ve done in a while. I adore a neutral palette with a hint of color here and there – in this case, a denim blue with cream and greys. My wonderful makeup artist did a beautiful job of treating this mommy-of-two to a a full makeup-makeover, complete with lashes. We were going for a soft, pretty, fresh look, and I love how the makeup turned out. So sweet to watch the new big brother interact with his baby brother – so many heart melting moments in this one!