Each of our lives are special and we've all experienced wanting to slow down time. But when it comes to choosing a part of your life to spend money photographing, how do you choose which moments really warrants it? The short and slightly biased answer is "any moment that you value." But that answer isn't especially helpful in narrowing down your options. In this post I'll go over a few ways to narrow down all the wonderful moments in your life to just a few that you can preserve for years to come!

The Obvious

Probably the first ideas that come to mind when you think of moments you love are memories of your loved ones. These are certainly the most enriching and meaningful parts of life. When it comes to lifestyle photography these moments almost jump into the camera! You might think of watching your kids play together, going on adventures with your family, or visiting "your spot" with your significant other. All of these are commonly recognized as moments we want to savor. Rightfully so! Childhood moves fast, time with loved ones is precious, and fiery love often settles to a slow burn. Capturing all these moments while they're here is vital!

"But don't lots of people get these kinds of photos?"

Sometimes in cultures that value being unique (like the U.S.), people tend to shy away from being part of activities that "everyone is doing." In this case, I don't think that mentality should apply. No two people have exactly the same life. Certainly, no two families! So, capturing moments that are commonly special to a lot of people will still be special and unique to your family.

The Less Obvious

What about the less obvious but still special moments? Some examples of these might be getting ready for the day with your toddler, a hobby you enjoy, or visiting a special location. These moments especially apply to individuals who want to document their day to day lives. One market of individuals I think really fits that category is people in their 20s. As a fresh out of college, young 20 something myself, I understand both the "try everything" and "beginning stages of adulthood" mentalities. We're trying all sorts of new things while also learning how to balance work and life. As many pictures as we take to try to catch the moment, they don't usually capture the many aspects of this stage of life the way lifestyle photography can.

One other less obvious example could be an event. These are not exactly lifestyle sessions but still fall in the vein of capturing moments. I had one of these shoots the other day when I photographed a script reading for a group of friends! We wanted to capture the event as well as their friendship. The result is a series of photos they can look back on to remember how they interacted in their early 20s!

So How Do I Pick?

Lifestyle photography is meant to document your life as closely to how you live it as possible. Therefore, in some ways you should choose a memory based on your personality. Are you sentimental? Pick the moments that tug at your heartstrings. Are you more individualistic? Pick moments that you think are especially unique to you. In both cases, try to think of your favorite hobbies, locations, or activities. The goal in choosing what to document is preserving something that is special to you. Pick something that you want to remember. Pick something that makes you smile or makes you want to share the moment with someone else.

I could go on and on, but the bottom line is this, any moment that you value is worth saving. Ultimately, choose the moments that mean the most to you! If it's more of an "obvious" idea capture it anyway! If it's a "less obvious" moment don't let possible challenges stop you from preserving those moments too! Every valued moment deserves to become a memory so pick the ones that mean the most to you.

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