Lifestyle Photography — Not just a pretty picture

As an on-location, natural light photographer I learn to work around a lot of things such as weather, lighting, confined spaces and personalities to capture great images. Not every subject may feel comfortable having his or her photos taken. That is why lifestyle photography is a great method of creating not only fun images, but memorable ones, too.

Have you ever tried taking a photograph of a family member that is less than enthusiastic about having their picture taken? Sure, we have all been there before. What can truly be a game changer is when the person being photographed has a distraction...something that takes their mind off of the task at hand — to capture of picture of them. Think about this as you approach your next photography session. Get your subject talking and telling you about themselves, the love of their life, their favorite activities and watch their expressions and demeanor change.

Sometimes talking just isn’t enough and it takes mixing things up to truly relax your subject(s) and get them into their comfort zone. No, this doesn't require yoga, meditation, or a glass of wine (although that has been known to help ;). You just have to work with your surroundings and bring along a few props to break the ice.

So what makes a good icebreaker? Simply think back to when you were a child and the things you loved to do that were carefree and fun, and let your creativity and imagination flow. Do, however, keep in mind that you don’t want to get the people dirty or too messy for their portraits unless you have mutually decided ahead of time that they are more interested in a lifestyle portrait than in having any formal posed ones. If they want the posed ones, too, then shoot those first.

You know how most people save the “silly shot” for last? That crazy fun one with tongues sticking out, bunny ear fingers behind someone’s head and other outrageous behaviors. Well, ask them to do that first. Break the ice and loosen them up. Bring out the real personality in a subject and it will most likely continue through the remainder of your shoot. In the example above, I brought along some bubbles for the family to play with while sitting on an outdoor swing. Granted, these may not be the selected best shots from the shoot, but it got to show a spirited side of the family having fun together and brought out a very lighthearted playful side.

Try this technique at your next photo session to bring the fun of lifestyle photography into your portrait experience. You may just discover more natural smiles, a more relaxed setting where both you AND the people being photographed are enjoying the photo shoot. Discover lifestyle photography — photos that tell a story and create memories.

Be sure to visit for more photography tips and inspiration. In my next Discover Lifestyle Photography post, I will discuss how to work with your surroundings to break up the monotony. In the meantime, pick up your camera and go beyond the pretty picture — capture true memories!

All about Sharing

Today is all about sharing...sharing inspiration, sharing tips and sharing news!


Sharing Inspiration...Sometimes certain paper collections inspire me by their colors, the mood they convey or the wonderful designs and embellishments in the set. When this happens, I just can’t seem to stop using items from these in my cardmaking, even long after their debut release. One of these collections is Cosmo Cricket’s DeLovely collection. It has some of my favorite bright colors combined together with some super cute chipboard elements. Another is Crate &; Company’s Recollections collection. Love the warm, vintage feel of this collection along with the amazing color combinations. Another amazing line of papers and accessories is Little Yellow Bicycle’s Cupcake Collection. The colors and cute embellishments can’t help but bring an immediate smile the second that you look at them.


For these assorted handmade cards, I used two of my favorite collections and a few of my digi art designs, but one thing that these cards have in common are that they are all bright and cheerful. Two of these are hybrid cards (they mix traditional cardmaking elements with digitally produced & printed art) and the other two are traditional cards made using stamps and other embellishments.

The Hybrid Cards

Caring Owl Card

This hybrid card was created using a printout of the night owl from my Owl Love U 4ever clip art set. I trimmed around the image and mounted onto cardstock from the Cosmo Cricket DeLovely collection and added a flower, button and ribbon as embellishments.

https://picasaweb.google.com/110695546779084486087/CheriWengerDigitalDesignProducts#5702296605428644450

Hummingbird & Flowerpot Card

Hybrid card created using my Ain't Love Tweet digital stamps collection with 

Cosmo Cricket’s DeLovely collection papers. Can be used as a sweet 

everyday greeting or a special get well card for a friend.

https://picasaweb.google.com/110695546779084486087/CheriWengerDigitalDesignProducts#5696772910695400018

The Traditionally Made Cards

Little Late Turtle Card

Used a chipboard image mounted onto squares of Coordinations cardstock. 

Stamped verses added with stamps from Stampin Up!®. A cute cupcake from 

Little Yellow Bicycle's Sweet Shop Collection of Fabric Favorites was added 

with a ribbon to dress up this cheery, belated Birthday card.

Birthday Sweetness Card

For this traditionally handcrafted card, I used an adorable felt embellishment mounted 

onto a tied ribbon and scallop floral diecut from yellow Coordinations cardstock. 

Stamped an old birthday verse with a stamp from Stampin Up!®. 

Sharing Tips...Since this post is getting longer than anticipated, I will keep this tip short. It is a tip on how to integrate digital artwork into traditional cardmaking; something that I used on one of the cards above. TIP: Use Selective Matt Cutouts of Clip Art to add to your cards. Can you guess which card uses this tip? If you guessed the Caring Owl Card, you are correct! The easiest way of doing this is to place your print out onto a cutting mat, and use a sharp cutting knife (like an Xacto knife) to selectively cut around the contour of the image/design. You can leave as much of a white border as you like. Printouts can be done on cardstock or paper, although beginners may find it easier to cut through paper rather than heavier weight cardstock. Don't own or fear a cutting knife? You can do this with a pair of short blade paper snips.

Sharing News...Just couldn’t resist sharing news of a cool blog giveaway! My super talented friend and fellow crafter, Melissa Bove has a blog giveaway. For complete rules and instructions, check her Giveaway Time blog post on this event. You can win a $50 gift card and goodies from the Echo Park Graceful This and That collection! Here is a peek of just one of the items you can win! Be sure and mention that you heard about the giveaway here! (The neat thing about this collection is that it reminds me of a blend of Crate & Company’s Recollections collection with a mix of my favorite softer color hues!) Good Luck!

Tips for a Successful Photo Shoot

TIPS FOR A SUCCESFUL PHOTO SHOOT

by Cheri Wenger

1.     Discuss your goals & expectations with your photographer.

Successful photo shoots start with setting clear goals as well as taking time to share your ideas beforehand. This helps the photographer to brainstorm ideas, gather necessary props and/or make their own comments & suggestions.

2.     Make it Personal.

Lifestyle portraiture works best when the model(s) are doing things or are surrounded by things

they love & enjoy. So if you have favorite articles of clothing, jewelry or a personal possession that means a lot to you, bring it to the shoot. Whether it is a goofy hat, a treasured heirloom from your grandmother, a favorite snuggly or a piece of sports gear, it will help to capture the essence of you in photos.

3.     Show up prepared — rely on a checklist.

Nothing can spoil a shoot more than running late or forgetting something important. You will leave the shoot feeling disappointed & having regrets. So make a checklist of things you intend to bring, and set a goal to arrive early so if there are some last minute things to discuss or set up, it will ensure starting on time. In not rushing, both you and your photographer will be more relaxed and less stressed…resulting in a better photo session.

4.     Discuss weather, lighting & the possibilities of rescheduling.

Natural lit portraits require planning to achieve the right lighting and scenery. Photographers can do their best to work around non-ideal lighting conditions, unexpected interruptions such as other people at the same location, and even make the best of the weather; however, there may be some circumstances that simply won’t work for the time or day of your shoot. Discuss in advance plans for reshooting and possibly pencil in a back up date especially if you need the images within a certain time frame.

5.     Create the look you want to capture in your photos.

Consider your goals. Do you want these photos to express the real you, the fairytale you or somewhere in between? If a glamorous photo is what you are after, you need to dress the part. If you would like the photos to be representative of your everyday family life, then everyone dressing alike may not be the best wardrobe choice. These are things to discuss with your photographer so that they can make suggestions as to the style and colors you should consider wearing, as well as what not to wear. In general, busy stripes and plaids or very bold, patterned prints can be distracting, and should be avoided. For beach shots, combinations of white or black with khaki or denim are often recommended. My personal belief is that you can use a variety of pastel colors, too, with white, denim or khaki to avoid everyone looking too ”matchy“. For example, mom in a white shirt, dad and the boys in baby blue and the girls in pastel dress with each of those colors in the pattern or print. If you want to wear a bright or bold patterned dress, then the background should be rather neutral. Keep in mind whether you want people to notice you or your clothing in the portrait. The key is that the style of clothing should be representative of you. Always experiment with your hair and make up beforehand, and not the day of your shoot. Avoid getting your hair cut just days before the shoot. Give yourself time to learn to work with the new cut unless your goal is to portray yourself in a different light or create a whole new image. Stay clear of heavy, glossy or metallic make-up when taking natural lit, outdoor portraits. Those work best for studio lit photos and will not result in beautiful, natural-looking portraits. Remember, the photographer can work their magic, but you need to show up looking the part.

© 2012 Cheri Wenger Design Photography