Here in Washington, the busiest parts of the Wedding Season are May through October. That doesn’t mean us wedding photographers slow down much during the other months. Instead, we tend to book engagements, family sessions and even boudoir (Markie, not Jake) during the “slow” months. While many of the tips we give for engagements also apply to all of these sessions, I’m here to talk today about the Lifestyle Session part of our business! 

What is a lifestyle session? 

The term “Lifestyle Session” varies from business to business and person to person. It’s likely you’ve heard this phrase, but maybe pictured a tall tan woman on a beach with “mimosas please” on her wide brimmed hat. Here lifestyle sessions are anything that represents YOUR lifestyle, not necessarily those you’d see in magazines. 

We offer quite a few different lifestyle sessions to suit your needs. Whether you’re looking for a family photographer, business photographer or a boudoir photographer, it’s likely we’ve done the session before. While weddings definitely have my heart, I’m a sucker for the boudoir session. 

Tips for all types of sessions

These next tips are my all time (any session!) tips. They’ll help you figure out the best timing, what to wear and a few “don’t do this” items for your session! 

Your outfits

For every lifestyle session type, it helps to have a color palette (Pinterest is my favorite resource for this) and general idea of what you’re comfortable in. No matter how cute the Pinterest/instagram photos you see are, if you are not comfortable in what you’re wearing, you WILL look uncomfortable. For family sessions, you don’t want family members in outfits they’re uncomfortable in either; this results in screaming, crying toddlers or cranky teenagers (ask me how I know). If you’re ordering outfits, be sure to try them on when they arrive and order in advance so you’re not scrambling the day before. 

A few outfit tips: 

Darker colors suit a moodier vibe, which is great in the fall or winter but a little heavy during the spring and summer. 

Lighter pastel colors are just the opposite. They lend towards a lighter style and are best suited for Spring and Summer. 

Stick to ONE patterned piece in the whole ensemble. Even if the patterns match between family members, the photos can get a bit too busy. For single person sessions (seniors, headshots, boudoir, etc), one patterned piece will give you plenty of variations during your session. 

Hair + Makeup

Most of us are not professional Hair + Makeup artists. While I encourage everyone to consider splurging, I understand sometimes it feels a little too much when we have kids or other bills to pay. There are tons of ways to look your best without spending a ton of money. I’ve spent hours scouring Pinterest for the best tips on doing stunning hair and makeup without spending a dime! 

My Pinterest Board: Beautiful Me

Of course, if you’re ready to book a hair + makeup artist, I have some recommendations for them too! Below you’ll find links to all my favorite gals and I made sure to meet a variety of budgets with them. Be sure to let them know that Markie sent you! 

Dawn @ Seattle Bride Hair

Korrine @ Korrine C

Brooke @ On Site Beauty by Brooke

ToshaRae HMU

Ivonne Mendoza

Those pesky Tan Lines

Even if you’re having your session in the winter, there are things we don’t typically think about until the day of our sessions. (I know, because I’ve done it). Most of us wear smart watches now (or some sort of watch) and because of this we end up with some ugly tan lines. If you’re in this category, you have two options: Pick a pretty band for your watch or wear something else. I highly recommend wearing something else, and making it a chunky bracelet. The chunkier the better! This way it covers most of your tan line without looking fake. 

Speaking of tan lines if you have them and don’t want them to show, you’ll want to make sure your outfits cover them or find another way to conceal them. If your outfits don’t cover them, you can find “tattoo coverup tape” that matches your skin tone, or use a concealer. I recommend searching for one that will cover tattoos so you can get the most coverage. Personally, I find it’s easier to just cover them with your clothing. 

We all want beautiful sessions without having to spend thousands on a “look”. Sometimes it just takes a little extra planning and you’ll be on your way to a gorgeous lifestyle session. Oh, and before I forget, take the hair tie off your wrist.