Today, I wanted to share a family lifestyle session from Chicago that is especially close to my heart. It was for my dear friends Chris and Megan, who were celebrating their son River’s first birthday. Chris and I went to undergrad together, and when he introduced his wife to our group of friends, Megan and I formed an instant bond.

River was born in February of 2020, just a few weeks before the world shut down with the pandemic. So this session was not only a celebration of him turning one but also a celebration of their resilience as a family, as Chris and Megan became parents during such a difficult year.

Behind the Lens Perspective:

In-home lifestyle sessions are easily becoming my favorite type of session and I’m excited to share a few tips with you to inspire you to try one with your family! For our session, we started it about 45 minutes before River’s afternoon nap, which worked great for a few different reasons. It gave us plenty of natural light in their home, and it also meant that while River still had some energy at the beginning of our session, he started winding down towards the end and I was able to capture him falling asleep.

This was my first time capturing a child pre-nap, but it truly went so smoothly. I simply followed them around their home while they played and read books and River barely seemed to notice I was there. Having an activity during your session can really put everyone at ease and allow you to be more candid.

During my regular sessions on location, I love having 2-3 small location changes to give everyone time to reset — it’s incredibly helpful not to have to be smiling for an hour straight. So when I’m shooting in someone’s home, I’ve found that changing rooms offer this same opportunity for micro-breaks.

But that’s enough from me for now! Because Megan and Chris are so comfortable in front of the camera, I invited Megan to share her perspective as a client with you, about how best to prepare for an in-home lifestyle session:

Client, Megan’s Perspective:

“Being comfortable in front of the camera is all about having the right mindset. I like to go into a lifestyle photo shoot without any expectations, and trusting that if we can go into it as our true selves, we will be captured in our most authentic light. I think it’s easy to feel uncomfortable in front of the camera, but having a consultation with Brooke ahead of time allowed our family to be very comfortable.
In a lifestyle photography session, it’s important not to focus on setting up the perfect pose — and it’s definitely not about getting everyone to look at the camera and smile. Instead, it’s more about capturing beautiful everyday moments.
As the parent or adult, you can always be smiling and have your face ready for a good moment, but it also helps to be prepared and not be disappointed if your child didn’t smile or pose at a specific moment. For me, the most important thing is for children to have a positive experience with the photo shoot, especially if you want to have one either once a year or a few times a year. You want them to feel relaxed and comfortable being in front of the camera.
From my own experience, Brooke is incredible at capturing moments that I don’t see. It’s like she helps me have a new perspective of myself, my family, and our home. That’s why I love having her as our family photographer, because I know she will capture natural moments and beautiful memories that show us in our current season of life.”

I’m so grateful to Megan for sharing her perspective with me, and it especially reassured me that my new client experience of having a pre-session call is totally worth it. When you book a session with me, we will discuss your vision beforehand, as well as things such as your family’s preferences and quirks, the best time of day for light, and your family’s schedule to come up with the best time for your session.

We will also discuss outfits and I’ll share mood boards to help inspire you. However, Megan and Chris represent my #1 tip for outfits. I love one pattern and solids for the rest of the group. Adding texture (like Megan’s sweater or a jean jacket) is a great way to add visual interest without using additional patterns that distract the eye.

I hope these tips inspire you to try an in-home lifestyle session for your next family photos! I would love to work with your family, and if you’d like to move forward with booking a session, you can do so by filling out this form. I can’t wait!

p.s. As a sweet bonus for making it this far, we’ve shared a playlist curated by Megan. She makes the best playlists and I hope you enjoy them! :D

Brooke