In this article, I will share essential lifestyle photography tips that helped me dive into the world of capturing everyday moments. From fashion photography to candid shots, I’ll explain why I got into lifestyle photography and how you can take lifestyle photos that truly resonate. You’ll discover the key considerations for shooting in various settings and the necessary preparations to improve your lifestyle photography. Whether you’re a beginner or looking to refine your skills, these insights will guide you in creating impactful and beautiful images.
Lifestyle photography is a photographic genre that aims to capture spontaneous and authentic moments of people’s everyday lives. Rather than posing subjects in controlled environments, as in studio photography, the lifestyle photographer seeks to document real life, relationships, emotions, and activities of people in a natural and real environment.
Why I do lifestyle photography
My name is Andrea Piacquadio. As one of the world’s leading Microstock photographers, I’ve sold over 750,000 image licenses worldwide per year. My portfolio has graced the campaigns of renowned brands like Coca-Cola, McDonald’s, and Time Magazine.
One of the formulas that allowed me to achieve these results is my particular way of capturing images and post-processing them – which is not lifestyle photography. Around 2009, I started blending landscapes (always taken by me of course) and various backgrounds with subjects or people photographed in the studio against a grey backdrop, experimenting with lifestyle and documentary photography techniques.
This method allowed me to have more control during the photography stage of the subjects, using the studio and lights, without having to wait for good weather conditions or to use third-party locations. Doing the same outdoors would have cost much more, logistically speaking, and wouldn’t have had the same flavor.
The photo below, for example, was taken in four different moments.
- The sky, the boat, the terrain, and the sand were captured on completely different days and stored for possible creations.
- The terrain was photographed by focusing on the spot where the person was later positioned.
- The picture of the businessman was taken in the studio against a gray backdrop while pulling a rope tied to some other object or held by an assistant.
- And finally, the sand is indeed from a beach in Malta.
The subject was manually cut out using the Paint Shop Pro program, after that, I combined the different elements with Photoshop, creating a seamless lifestyle portrait.
This stylistic trend in my images lasted for several years until I began to perceive a style that was gaining more ground, namely lifestyle photography. Always experiment with different styles if your goal is to remain relevant or current in the photography world – you may be able to catch trends as they emerge.
Identifying this shift in the market, and out of personal interest, around 2014 I began to capture more natural images, utilizing natural light and working less and less in the studio.
Why this trend in lifestyle session photography? There are several reasons, but an important one is that everyone has been dabbling in photography for many years. More recently, and even more disruptively, thanks to smartphones and social media. This ocean of online images has made us accustomed to natural photos, which in turn makes us experience photography as closely as possible to a real image seen with our own eyes.
Even today in 2024, I see that natural images are the most downloaded, used, and appreciated; great light, good composition, and balance.
That said, continue reading this article if you want to learn:
- How to create lifestyle photos for fun or to monetize in the digital photography world.
- Learn to capture friends, family, and people in general without editing being a main part of the image.
- If you are just starting in photography and have been advised (as I would do) to start with lifestyle photography.
Equipment tips for Capturing Authentic Photos
To create high-quality candid photos, I recommend the following:
- A mid-level camera, such as a Canon 5D Mark III full frame. I use the EOS 5DS for high-quality results.
- A prime lens with a 50mm focal length, preferably with an aperture of f/1.4. There are several 50mm lenses available on the market. The one I use the most and prefer is the Sigma 50mm f/1.4. It costs roughly twice as much as the Canon 50mm f/1.4, but the difference is noticeable. Even though you can start with the latter, in addition to the optical quality, the Sigma also has much faster autofocus.
I recommend this combination because you will have the ability to blur the background more and focus only on the main subject by using the maximum aperture to achieve that perfect lifestyle portrait. Additionally, a lens of this kind is very bright, and even in low light conditions, it can be used without losing quality by using too high ISO values. (It’s better to try to keep ISO values at 100 or 200 to maintain a sharp and clean image, free of too much grain).
Note from Darlene: While that is true, I do not consider it a hard and fast rule. I would rather have noise/grain in my image than have it be blurry because the shutter speed is too slow. That is a common issue when using low ISO and no tripod. So be aware.
You will rarely need a tripod for lifestyle photography. Images that are too static don’t work well for this genre. Unless you are in a place with very poor light and therefore cannot do without it, try to work handheld. That allows you to move around the subject easily, and take multiple versions of the same subject for a cool-headed decision post-photoshoot.
Naturally, use the camera in Manual Mode to have more control over exposure and aperture. I advise against using standard camera settings/presets with icons like Portrait or Landscape. These are mostly useless functions even for a beginner photographer who wants to learn photography.
In the following photo, for example, there’s a representation of a multicultural family (the mother is Hispanic, and the father is Brazilian) singing karaoke with their son, sitting on a couch in the living room. The light is coming from the window behind them on the left. There are no other sources of illumination. The scene is entirely natural, I would say almost plain.
How to capture natural light
Use natural light – you’re not a whole team of technicians and photographers! Take advantage of naturally occurring light from windows, for example, if you’re indoors. If you decide to use artificial lights, you can easily do without studio lights, using lamps that you find on set or wherever you are, perhaps positioning them near the subject to be photographed.
Low lights, like floor lamps, are preferable to chandeliers, which usually don’t create good light on people’s faces. If you’re outdoors, don’t use direct sunlight; instead, try to put the main subject between a backlight and sidelight position. This will give more volume to the shape of your subject’s face, especially for portraits. The use of sunset light remains among my favorites for capturing real-life moments.
Finding a model
You have to put a lot of effort into researching and be able to recognize the right subjects from those that do not work as well. That doesn’t just mean looking for beautiful people/models, but interesting people suitable for a particular role. Look among your friends, contacts, or through social media for models for your images.
Note from Darlene: Always practice safety, especially if you are a woman, when meeting new people. Never go alone to meet a stranger, take your partners, spouse, or friend along to the photoshoot. They can also act as your helper or assistant!
Knowing how to choose the right subject is part of your job as a photographer, even if you just do it for fun. It’s not something isolated from the photographer’s work. Many photographers focus their efforts solely on the technical side of photography and their images lose much of the message that they want to convey. It’s a mistake to rely completely on others, even though there are experts who can bring you the right models for a photoshoot – don’t rely entirely on them, especially when aiming for candid lifestyle shots.
I’ve found and asked people to model in various situations. For example, a vendor at the market had a very expressive face so I photographed him. I think those are the most beautiful expression portraits I’ve ever taken, and they sold very well on stock sites.
Location, location, location
Of course, the location is also important. Be creative, don’t let common barriers stop you from finding the most beautiful locations – aspire to be able to shoot even in high-end locations for an authentic lifestyle session.
Given that you can get help from people who do location and model research, if you start to have a good portfolio of images, you can more easily find locations that offer their space for free or in exchange for images, without charging you. This is frequent for models too.
Living by the sea (in Malta), many models from European cities are always eager to come for a paid work/vacation week, where we would only photograph early in the morning or late afternoon, for a maximum of 3-4 hours per day!
Post-production to refine image style
Post-processing of lifestyle photos requires less time compared to the work I mentioned earlier on studio photography, or that of compositing, but it’s still essential! It remains an important part due to the characteristics of light and the position of light in relation to the photographer and model.
Don’t limit yourself to the unwritten rules everyone talks about, like never photographing against or into the light – play and experiment. With a touch of editing to enhance the natural feel of lifestyle shots, which is part of your toolkit as a photographer, you can create fantastic images!
In the following photo, for example, is a picture taken on the beach with a group of people almost completely backlit, capturing a candid lifestyle shoot.
During post-production, I accentuated the sunlight, which was barely noticeable in the original, increased the saturation values, raised the temperature (making the image warmer), and significantly increased the contrast. I also used another filter called Clarity, which is similar to Contrast but plays more with the subjects’ volumes.
Experiment and constantly keep learning
Having a good visual culture will be of great help. I’ve flipped through thousands of photography books and watched thousands of films before refining my taste to achieve certain results.
I often recommend using cinema (films) as a source of inspiration because of the quality and the different photographic styles present. Of course, the films should be of quality. For example, a director whose images are among my favorites is Stanley Kubrick, but there are many others.
Note from Darlene: My favorite film of all-time is Casablanca. Not just for the story and the characters but for the cinematography and the lighting. It’s a masterclass in both. Just watch it if you haven’t seen it!
The images you see in quality movies are often superb, partly because they have a very large budget at their disposal. Pause and notice the shadows, the color of light; everything is meticulously chosen, from the subject to the costumes, and the set lighting to the location.
So, experiment with photographic style, but also study and align yourself with current trends. For example, photographing sustainability themes with a focus on portrait photography has often yielded better results in terms of sales in recent years. These are shots that, for example, were not as popular 10 years ago.
Conclusion
In conclusion, photography is a journey of continuous exploration and growth. By embracing experimentation, honing your skills, and staying true to your vision, you’ll carve out a niche in the vast landscape of visual storytelling.
So, grab your camera, venture forth, and capture the world through your unique lens!
So, as you embark on your photographic journey, remember that every image captured is a brushstroke in the grand masterpiece of visual storytelling. A powerful medium through which to communicate, connect, and inspire.
If you’re interested in stock photography or have any questions, feel free to reach out to me. Helping photographers is my mission, and I’m always up for a chat. Additionally, I’ve recently built Tiltsnap, a platform revolutionizing the digital photography world. Tiltsnap offers high-quality images for free without the need for attribution, and in exchange for commercial licenses, users simply follow the photographer’s social media profiles. Through these follows, Tiltsnap aims to support deserving photographers and creatives, allowing them to attract a large audience, build direct communication channels, and increase commissioned work.
