indoor + lifestyle sessions

Something new I’m going into 2025 with are lifestyle sessions. Love or hate them, there will likely be a time where, as a photographer, you’ll be asked to capture an indoor session of some kind. While I am far from an expert at this, here are a few tips I’ve learned this past year that I thought would be fun to share.

Ask the client to help you determine the best time of day for the session. This tip, which I learned from Jordan and Amy Demos, has helped me immensely. Unlike outdoor shooting, where the hour prior to sunset is one of the best times to photograph, prime indoor shooting hours vary from house to house, season to season. In the weeks before the shoot, I generally ask my client to send me a few photos of the rooms they want to be photographed in at various times of the day (e.g. 10 AM, 12 PM, 2 PM, 4 PM). Based on these photos, I can then determine when the lighting will be most ideal for that room.

Encourage natural day-to-day activities. While the goal is always to have beautifully captured moments, these lifestyle sessions are often less about staging and posing, and more about photographing candid interactions and daily life. While connecting with your client before the shoot, get a feel for their vision. Some may want a more clean, staged session, while others may simply want their normal activities romantically captured.

As always, keep things light and fun. Look out for little unexpected, unposed moments. Leverage the natural flexibility of the indoor shoot to help mix things up for little kids. If they’re getting restless in the living room, transition to a fun activity in the kitchen or get everyone to pile onto the bed and have a tickle fight. There are so many fun options, so let the sky be the limit!