Side Note….

Ok, I am posting this on my personal blog HERE but thought I would post it on this blog as well.

I am in need of some inspiration…. blog inspiration. I have a pretty hefty list of photography blogs that I visit regularly… but I am feeling the need of some diversity. So here is a short list of some of my interests and I would love to get a list from you as to what the top 5 blogs are that you visit on a semi-regular basis that may overlap with my interests. Cool? Cool.

My interests…. GREEN LIVING/COOKING/CLEANING etc., healthy cooking, trendy crafts (especially easy sewing projects), simple living, toddler/kids stuff (crafts, education, fun stuff, etc…), health/exercise, of course photography, and last but not least, my guilty pleasure – celeb gossip. 🙂

So here is a short list of some of my daily blog visits:

Friends’ personal blogs, photography blogs (many of which are listed to the right on this page), www.people.com, www.babycenter.com, www.noimpactman.typepad.com, and always www.phoenix.craigslist.org.

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Lifestyle Portraits

There is a “buzz” term floating around the photography community ~ “lifestyle” portraiture. I am sure there are a dozen eloquent descriptions of just what this is out there on the web, but here is a brief CHP description with some photo examples.

Lifestyle portraiture is a departure from the traditional posed, staged portraiture of the past with its muslin backdrops, artificial lighting etc. Instead, this new type of portraiture strives to capture more than just a picture or snapshot of a person or family dressed in their Sunday best, which we all know can really be faked. Rather, it strives to capture the lifestyle of a person or family, or child, which is definitely hard to fake. Lifestyle portraits are diverse and unpredictable. There is nothing cookie-cutter about it, as each and every person’s lifestyle is as unique as their person-hood is.

These two pictures prove that you don’t have to be saying “cheese” to capture a great and memorable portrait. These funny faces reflect the true essence of this 3 year old… sure, its a stage, but its HIS stage right now. And that is worth capturing and remembering in the years to come!

And it sure doesn’t take much to get the imagination churning with these little ones… here James is coming at me “like a tiger.”

What does lifestyle portraiture look like? Well, it should look like YOU. Your life, your style, your environment, your comfort zone, your activities and hobbies… When I shoot a portrait session, I ask my clients to pick out places that bring them joy and comfort and/or nostalgia (i.e. a back yard, special park, the restaurant of a first date, or “memory lane”), to pick out clothes that reflect their personalities (with maybe a little coaching from me 🙂 ), and props that reflect their personalities or memories (i.e. a special stuffed animal or toy for a child, a basketball, guitar or instrument for a senior). I like to get down on the ground when photographing a child so that I can capture them in their world… which is vastly different from the world that is just a few feet higher. I like to hear a client’s love story in detail before we meet so we can incorporate some significant places or things into the shoot if possible. This, in a nutshell, is lifestyle portraiture.

This photo was taken at a splash pad… pure joy. You just can’t “stage” that!

Just the other day, I met a friend at a local park and brought along my camera. We weren’t there for a portrait session, we were just there to have fun. But had this been a portrait session, the pictures would have been just the same. With lifestyle portraiture, you don’t have to dress up if you don’t like… you don’t have to pose in awkward positions for insane amounts of time. I love capturing kids in their element and often that is when they are oblivious of the camera. I love to follow a child onto the playground equipment and capture those priceless and effortless smiles and giggles as they come down a slide, swing high into the sky or make sand castles. I love to capture kids interacting with their parents playing catch, tag or as we call it in our family “gettchyoo.” 🙂 That is lifestyle portraiture. Now, to be sure, I do ask you to look at the camera at times, I do gather the family together to get THE family portrait. But even that should be unique, casual, and most of all comfortable. I have captured the family together blowing bubbles, walking hand in hand, jumping in the air, rolling on the grass in a family pile.

I absolutely love this photo… what a moment! These two were spying through the steps on some other kids playing at the playground. Don’t they look like they are plotting something sinister?!

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SUMMER SPECIALS!!

(for those in the Phoenix metro area)

Don’t forget to book your summer lifestyle portrait sessions for 30% off the package prices!! Or if you or someone you know is looking for a wedding photographer, book by August 1, 2008 for 30% off any wedding package price!

Contact me for more details at info@chelseahudson.com !

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