Photographic Styles

A photographer will generally tell on their website what kind of photography they specialize in. Here’s a cheat sheet for what it all means!

Lifestyle - Candid

“Lifestyle” photographs are natural and unposed, documenting small, intimate moments throughout your time in front of the camera. Lifestyle images should look free and easy, focusing mostly on the personality and interaction of the portrait subjects in a relaxed setting.  A lifestyle with have a blend of modern day lighting and posing.

Posed

Posed images are a more traditional approach to portrait photography. The photographer will direct you throughout your photo shoot in a variety of poses that bring out your best features while hiding the rest. Great posed images should not look stiff or stoic, but have a definitive “I’m being photographed” style. 

Natural Light

“Natural Light” photographers use only light from the sun in their work. Great natural light portraits are radiant and have a special warm glow about them that illuminates their subjects. Natural Light photographers generally only work during certain times of the day when the light is at its best (around sunrise and sunset), so be prepared to schedule your day around the photoshoot.

In Studio

Studio lit portraits are taken in a controlled environment with professional lighting set-ups. The best studio photographers masterfully use their lights to create creamy, soft skin tones and accent your very best features. Studio portraits are carefully composed and have a deliberate look to them. Most photos you see of beautiful models in magazines are taken in studios, where the photographer has control over every element in the image.