Every family is unique. Some families are formal while some are more casual. Some are small and some are large. Some love the outdoors and some are more comfortable at home. You can probably think some different ways to describe the character of your family.
That uniqueness is what we try to capture in each family portrait we create and having a pre-session consultation is a great way to figure out what would be the perfect style for that family's portrait. During the consultation we show them examples of past families we have photographed that illustrate the following basic portrait styles to help them visualize what is going to be the best fit for their family:
Storytelling - In a storytelling style portrait, the family members are typically interacting with each other or participating in a fun activity together. Other characteristics of this style are the people are typically not looking at the camera and the overall portrait has more casual feel to it. This results in images that have a more relaxed look that give a more painterly impression. This style is the ideal choice for a family that wants a portrait to decorate their home that has a more artistic feeling to it.
Lifestyle - This style shares a lot of similarities to a storytelling style portrait. Typically, this style of image has a fun and spontaneous feel but the people are looking at the camera. Many times the portrait is based around a favorite activity the family shares. This makes it a great choice for a family that wants a portrait in their home that has a more painterly feel along with the enjoyment of being able to see everyone's expressions.
The Classic Look - When most people think of a family portrait this is the style they envision. A family creatively posed in a close knit grouping. The main focus is to make everyone's faces and expressions the most important part of the portrait. This makes the choice of clothing and location very important so they don't draw attention away from everyone in the image. This is a perfect choice for a family wanting a more classic look that shows everyone at their very best.
2 Comments
Sep 15, 2017, 8:25:55 PM
Kevin Richtik - Thank you for checking out and commenting on my first post!
Sep 15, 2017, 6:58:58 AM
Kathleen - Great information and examples