The Difference Between Studio and Lifestyle Photography

I often get asked why I don’t have a studio for my newborn and maternity photography. While studio photos can be stunning, clean, and beautifully simple, I always find myself leaning towards in-home sessions. There are a lot of reasons why.

Growing up my Dad always had cameras so much so the child of a family friend thought he worked in a camera shop. My Dad was a Surgeon (he’s retired now). Birthdays, Christmases, holidays... they all got documented. He was really into it. We still take photos of family occasions. And what I love about all those pictures is how real and rooted they are. The ageing of myself, my siblings, my parent it’s all visible in real spaces: the houses we lived in, the places we visited.

My Dad, Brother & Me

We only ever did one studio shoot that I can remember. I was maybe 12 or 13. We went to get family portraits done, and I remember my dad even brought his own camera along. He took a photo too which he printed but unfortunately the studio lost the official pictures and they got a refund. So, we never saw them and never went to another studio. Apart from that one time, it’s always just been at home or out in the world with a camera.

When I look at those photos, I can ask my parents things like “Where was this taken?” or “Who are these people?” and there’s a whole story behind the photo. That’s something a studio can’t really give you. Studios are beautiful, no doubt. If that’s the look you want, absolutely go for it. But the reason I love shooting in people’s homes is that’s where life happens. That’s where you brought your baby home for the first time. That’s where your family eats, sleeps, laughs, cries, grows.

Family photo. My Mother was pregnant with me. In her words I was “In the tummy”. Not sure that’s the official scientific term!

In 20 years, your child might look at the photos and ask, “Where was this taken?” and you can say, “That was our first home. We only lived there for a month before we moved countries, but that was the home we brought you home to.”

Some people might feel unsure about having a stranger in their home and I get that. But at the same time, it’s your space. It’s where you feel most comfortable. And that comfort and that familiarity? I aim to capture that in the photos I take.

As a lifestyle photographer, my aim is to blend into your space. I want the feeling of my photos to be that I was just a friend who came by, happened to bring a camera, and captured your family as you were. Of course, there’s a little bit more structure to my sessions than that, but that’s the energy I want the photos to carry.

That’s also how this all started for me. A friend of mine was pregnant. I had been taking loads of film portraits at the time, and I just said, “Hey, I could take a few photos for you before the baby comes.” I had no idea I was doing what they call a bump to baby package. . . It was just me wanting to do something for a friend. After their baby was born, I came back and took more photos. People liked them. More people asked me to take theirs. And that’s how my newborn & maternity photography career began.

First newborn shoot

So my whole approach comes from that spirit. I’m just someone who loves taking photos, showing up with my camera, capturing honest, beautiful moments. They’re not overly posed. Sometimes your baby cries & I capture it, or the photo’s a little blurry, but they’re raw, they’re natural and they feel real.

When you think about your own session, think about what kind of story you want to tell. Do you want to say, “This was the studio where we took our first family photos”? Or do you want to be able to say, “This was the home we lived in when we first became parents. This is where we fed you, where you slept. This was the garden we played in. ”

At home lifestyle shoot

For me, those details matter. That connection between the photo and the memory. That’s why I love in-home sessions so much.

I’ll be honest my offering is quite niche. I’m a portrait photographer who comes to your home. I keep it candid, lifestyle-focused. The niche being that I shoot on 35mm film. I know that’s not for everyone. Some people want digital, or prefer the studio look, and that’s completely okay. But the people who find me usually do so because they love the feel of film and because they want that story, that connection to their space.

I recently did a shoot for a couple who were moving out of the apartment where they brought their baby home. They chose me because I shoot on film and because I come to their home. Now, years from now, they’ll be able to show their son where he first lived as a newborn.

Think about what story you want to tell your kids one day. Think about how you want your photos to feel. I have albums full of old family photos, some from before I was born. My Dad took a lot of them. There’s this one where he had a creative way to take a photo as he had no self-timer, and my brother’s looking confused while my parents are laughing at the whole setup. It’s chaotic and funny and it tells a story.

I’m still not sure how this worked! My Dad claims it’s genius!

That’s what I want my photos to do. I want them to be something you can talk about with your kids. Something you can look at and feel something. See how your life and the space you inhabited changed. Those little details make the photo feel real.

So if you’re deciding between a studio photography shoot and an in-home lifestyle session, think about what story do you want the photos to tell?

If you want someone who’ll come to your home, shoot on film, and capture your life as it’s happening... well, that’s what I do.

Reach out and let’s tell your story on film