How To Attract and Book Lifestyle Photography Clients

truly becoming a lifestyle photographer starts with attracting and booking the right clients that are looking for the same style of photos that you are passionate about taking.  being a lifestyle photographer means that you focus on taking more honest, unposed, candid, everyday imagery instead of posed and formal portraits.  lifestyle photography can be defined differently by each photographer, but for me and my style it is creating images that are true and honest, depicting true moments.  sure, i help my clients get into flattering positions that will photograph well, but i am not saying, “look here and smile!”  building a business based on lifestyle photography was fairly easy for me because i knew i wanted to be a lifestyle photographer from the beginning.  if you are interesting in taking a more lifestyle route and are just now accepting clients, or you are already established and want to start taking on lifestyle clients, here are 4 things you need to know that will help you attract and book lifestyle photography clients.

getting ready to book a newborn session?  here are 6 questions to ask before lifestyle newborn sessions.

How To Attract and Book Lifestyle Photography Clients

Get Initial Clients On Board

if you don’t have a portfolio of lifestyle images that reflect your style, you will need to start by taking a few sessions that establish your photography vision.  this could mean asking friends or family to allow you to photograph them to create a portfolio of images that demonstrate your photography style.  this could also mean offering discounted portfolio building sessions in the beginning to build up your portfolio.  for these sessions where your main goal is to create images to market, it is important that the families you work with are willing to sign a release allowing you to use the images for marketing.  i am not a lawyer, so i will not be offering contract advise, but get a contract and get it signed by each client.

Explain Your Style

knowing how to attract and book lifestyle photography clients begins with honesty.  as you are taking on new clients and establishing your style, be sure to explain your photography style so the clients knows what to expect from you.  this can be as simple as saying, “my photography is very natural and candid, so you will find that you are not looking at the camera much during my sessions, but interacting with your family instead.”  lifestyle photography is at it’s height right now, so most people are aware of this more honest style, but being upfront about it will help prepare your client to know what to expect, should you not have an established portfolio of visuals to show them.

Scrub Your Website

if are already an established photographer looking to change direction and take on the lifestyle approach, scrub your website.  this means, you will start to slowly fade out your old style with your new style.  i am not telling you to go take down all of your old posts and current work this instant because you don’t want to have an empty website.  however, you want to start showing more and more of your new style on your sight so the right clients start booking you.  basically, if you don’t want to offer it, take it down.  don’t want to do posed newborns?  take those sessions down.  don’t want to book senior sessions?  take those down.  want to stop booking posed family clients?  take those sessions down.  again, you don’t want to take these down all at once because you don’t want an empty website.  think of this as your goal of phasing out the old with the new.

Share Lifestyle Images Exclusively

as you begin to build you portfolio of lifestyle images, be sure to share them everywhere.  again, get a signed contract from your client!  refrain from sharing images that aren’t truly you because your goal is to attract and book lifestyle clients that share the same style as you.  you will only do that if you share your style exclusively with your audience.  as you begin sharing these images, take down old images on social media that no longer reflect your style.  the worst thing you can do is share too many images with different styles because it will be confusing to potential clients and they will be unsure of what they are actually hiring you for.  additionally, keeping up older images of your older style will continue to attract the clients that you are not longer interested in booking.

need help finding your true photography style?  be sure to check out my ebook, The Styled Photographer to help find your unique style!

knowing how to attract and book lifestyle clients will be your first step to turning your photography business into a lifestyle photography business.  by establishing a portfolio, cleaning up your website, being honest about your style in explanation and imagery and sharing lifestyle images exclusively, you will start to attract and book lifestyle photography clients that are looking for the exact work that you offer.

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