In-home photo sessions offer a cozy and intimate setting for capturing precious moments. Whether you're planning a maternity session, a newborn session, or just want to document your everyday life, these tips will help you make the most of your in-home photography experience.
Declutter and Clean Before your photographer arrives, take some time to declutter and tidy up the space where you'll be shooting. A clutter-free environment will not only look better in photos, but will also provide more space to do some creative work.
Choose Natural Light Natural light is your best friend when it comes to indoor photography. Open up curtains and blinds to let in as much light as possible. Harsh overhead lighting can create unwanted shadows, and the lamps you have on your tables are a different color temperature than window (natural) light, and you can end up with both blue and orange tones in your images - which isn't easy to fix - so keep those lamps off and let all that outside light come flooding in.
Choose a Meaningful Setting Take a look around your home for spaces that have sentimental value, or maybe just makes an interesting backdrop. This could be anything from a cozy reading nook to that spot in the kitchen where you love to cook together, or your children's play area.
Coordinate Outfits To get the most cohesive look from your photos, choose colors and styles that complement each other without being too matchy. Also consider the setting and the mood you want to convey (e.g. romantic, playful, etc.). If you're still unsure how to style yourself and your partner or family, reach out to your photographer - he or she likely has a style guide they can share with you and will be more than happy to talk you through your outfit selections.
5. Incorporate Personal Touches You can add a personal touch to your photo session by including meaningful props or activities that reflect your personality and interests. Show us your favorite books, bring your pet (or pets) into the photos, play a musical instrument together, or cook something fun in the kitchen. It's all about making memories doing what you love to do.
6. Relax and Have Fun The biggest key to getting great pictures is to relax and enjoy the moment. Let go of any expectations for perfection and focus on having fun with your loved ones. Pay attention to each other, connect with each other, and enjoy each other. That connection is what's doing to show through in your pictures, and that is what makes them beautiful.
7. Capture Candid Moments The best part of a lifestyle photo session is that the goal is to document you and your partner or family being yourselves and doing what you love to do - those candid moments while you cook together, play a game together, or just sit at the table and enjoy a cup of tea are little pockets of perfection that, when captured on camera, tell a story - your story - that you get to keep forever. And you can't put a price on that.
8. Communicate With Your Photographer The only way to ensure that you and your photographer are on the same page when it comes to your vision and preferences for this in-home session is to communicate with them. That might mean meeting them in person to talk about who you are, what you're interested in, and what you want to capture; it might mean a phone or zoom call to go over the details. However you communicate, just make sure you are clear in what you're hoping to capture, that you ask questions and voice any concerns you might have. Then, on the day of your session, all you have to do is relax and enjoy yourself!
In-home photo sessions are all about capturing the beauty of your everyday life in a comfortable and familiar environment. Embrace the imperfections, cherish the moments, and trust your photographer to freeze those precious moments in time.