So how is life style portrait different to directing a traditional portrait?
It’s about emotions and connection… it’s about the moment and its genuine vibes. It’s one prompt, leaving other decisions up to the couple.
I can tell my the husband to stand behind his wife and put his arm around her waist. I’ll stop short of directing them where to put their head, how to tilt their chin, what to do with their hands, such as you would in traditional portrait photography. You let them do what they would naturally do… the focus is on capturing connections and emotion.
I won’t interrupt the natural flow of them being themsevles. Might guide slightly what to do next but when they are ready for the next pose or prompt. The woman might then put her head on his shoulder, or nuzzle her hair, or the man would whisper something to her. She will naturally respond, and I will capture it all. The best way to capture the true and real.
So this are all small differences in the directing that gives a much different feel compared to traditional portraiture.
life style portrait
Lifestyle photography is a much more relaxed type of portrait. Lifestyle photography is a way to capture connections and emotion
Stop looking for specific poses and ask instead how you want your images to feel. Looking for certain poses for inspiration is fine, but too many photographers fall into the trap of finding a specific look and trying to imitate the pose, only to end up disappointed. To use inspiration pose as starting point can be helpful, but let your subject take it from there and be who she/he is. As a photographer I am trying not to be defining the pose — or my own style — on looks, but on feel.
It might be that the reason your vision isn’t really connecting with what is actually happening at your shoot is that you’re thinking a lot about what you want your photos to look like, not what you want your photos to feel like. If you want your images to be joyful, you need to feel that joy within not worrying much of how you look at that moment. As to capture that perfect angle of your face is the job of your photographer.