3 of my Favorite Lifestyle Poses for Families

I’ll be celebrating 5 years in business this year (wow wow WOW!), and I wanted to share a few of my favorite family poses/prompts!

1) Play telephone

I love this one for families with at least 2 kids, especially when the kids are a little older.

2) Run up and surprise mom & dad!

This is great for 1 or more kids who are reaching a playful and mischievous age. I tell them I have a job for them, and then I tell them we’re going to surprise mom and dad with a hug on the count of 3. I have the kids stand off to the side (opposite sides, if more than 1 kid), and I pose the parents sitting down. Then I tell the parents (with a wink to the kids) that this will be a picture of JUST mom and dad. I count to 3 slowly and then say GO!!! The kids usually want to do this a few times, even though it’s no longer a surprise. I think the key to this one is making it sound super fun and super silly when you present the idea to the kids. If 1 of the siblings is under 2 or just shy, you might have that child sit with mom & dad. And if you have slightly older kids, mention that they should surprise the parents with a gentle hug (not a tackle…)

3) Swing your child

This is ideal for families with just 1, younger child (1-2 years). If there’s another sibling, version 1 can still be done by having that child hold mom/dad’s other hand. (And they’ll typically also want a turn at swinging.)

Note: This is a pick-your-own-adventure for the parents. I offer up both of the pose options you see below, because not all parents feel comfortable swinging a child by the arms. I want the decision to be completely in their hands!

Maternity Leave

If things are quiet for a while, it’s because I’m having a baby! Please be patient as it may take a while for me to respond to emails. I’m due in late April, and I’ll be taking at least 4 weeks off from photography. Can’t wait to photograph your sweet family when I return!

3 of my Favorite Lifestyle Poses for Newborn Sessions

As a lifestyle newborn photographer, you may (or may not) be surprised to learn that there is still posing involved! You have heavily posed newborn photography on one side of the photography spectrum (think of a sleeping baby dressed in an intricately tied wrap and hat, 2 hands under her chin, laying on a bean bag, perhaps with a prop beside her, in a studio) and documentary style photography on the other side of the spectrum (completely unscripted moments taken by a fly-on-the-wall photographer). Lifestyle newborn photography involves direction on the part of the photographer to create moments that are true but perhaps a bit more glamorous than everyday life. For instance, I imagine you don’t typically put on makeup and real clothes while you take care of your newborn in those early weeks… but perhaps you might for photos. And I might suggest that you stand facing the window or kiss your newborn, but these aren’t things that are outside of the realm of normalcy for you. My goal is to help foster real moments and then capture those on camera!

So, yes, there is some posing involved! And here are a few of my favorites:

1) Family admiring baby (typically a sitting shot taken from above or side)

2) A sibling (or multiple siblings) laying next to the newborn on the parents’ bed (with multiple perspectives)

3) A peek at the newborn baby in the crib (through the crib slats)

Oh man, it was really hard picking just 3! But there you have it. Best of luck to all of my photographer friends!