Alright, so why lifestyle newborn? Why do you want to photograph newborn lifestyle photography? It's not until you know your "why" until you can actually have a career you're inspired to have, don't forget that. When you know your "why," you're going to know why you're doing lifestyle newborn. And then you can start thinking about shifting your business. And filter everything you do through your "why." Once you know your "why," you'll be able to shift everything. So, what's my "why?" I have a million "why's." I love people, that's my "why." I want people to have memories that they can look back on and remember. Remember, we went back to that dog shot. She emails me three times a year. This is what makes my heart happy, is seeing this photo, which made my heart happy. My "why" is making other people happy. I think that's why I was put here on this planet. To be happy, right? So, you all have a different "why." If you start with your "what," you're going to fail. You're not going to have...

fulfillment. And it's going to show through your work. If you're driven through money, you know, money hungry businesses fail. They say the average photographer lasts about five years. And it's because they have an end result in mind that they're going to be a three-figure salary. And, what happens when that doesn't happen? They're done, right? Because they didn't have a "why." That's their "what." I want my work to show... So, what if newborn photography didn't exist? Just pretend, which, clearly, it does, but if the newborn photography world hadn't started booming back eight years ago when Kelly Wright and all those amazing, Anne Geddes was huge, amazing photographers, kind of got us all going and got us excited about newborn photography. What if it didn't exist? What kind of photos, if somebody were to ask you, "hey will you come photograph my baby?" What would you be doing? Would you be trying to manipulate them into a taco pose? Probably not. So, think about that. And how can we get there and how can we get back there? We have to remember your "why." Everything is about "why." Connection with the person in your image. There's always connection and you need to be ready for it. Babies connect with you in many ways. They yawn, they look at you, they accidentally touch you, they'll pass gas and laugh. That's how they laugh when they're little. Their emotions. I didn't pose this. This just happened. And, what's happening back here, to the daughter? She's laughing right now because she was up there just being silly on her daddy. She touched his face. Did I pose that? No. Could I replicate that? No. And I would probably try to and I would fail and then I'd be mad at myself because I was trying to pose something that didn't come to fruition. How many times have we all tried to pose something and it hasn't come to fruition and we're like, well that's not good? Right? So, those are those moments, connection. They're emotions. The reaction of the sibling. Each shoot is going to feel different. That's going to set you apart. Don't copy your own imagery. Don't copy other's imagery. You can see, you can still have photographer crushes. I have photographer crushes, are you kidding me? Like Lindsay Adler, can I be her for a minute? We're so different, she and I are so different in our photography, I love her to death, but that's not my style photography. You can have photography crushes, just be mindful of copying, okay? Don't try to replicate a moment because you won't be able to. We have such an amazing studio audience here, and that, sometimes it's easy to hear what you say but not really integrate it. So, I'm wondering if people might be able to, some of you might be able to share have you thought through this? I loved how you talked about it's not money actually, and so that really will inform the way that you approach your business. So, does somebody want to grab a mic and share? Yeah, and I'm curious too, how many of you are trying to change your business or how many people are just starting? Because, it's hard to change what you're already doing, to turn into something that you want to be or that you think you should have started as, right? You're kind of going backwards, I love to hear that too. I don't know if I have the answer to that question, but, I think, for me, the reason I became a photographer was, or is, because there are so many difficult moments in life that it's really important to appreciate and be in the good, beautiful moments. And, I feel like as a photographer, you're having a family slow down and stop and just enjoy each other, so that regardless of what other stuff is happening, because there's always good stuff and bad stuff, at least you have these moments together. Especially, like lifestyle newborn photography, for me, it's like, your family is changing, it's like, the moment to stop and enjoy that time together and see it for what it is and then you know, three months later, it's going to be totally different. But, for that moment, at least you get to hold it and go and look back at it. Yeah, I love that. Can I put that in my keynote? Just kidding. For me, it's you don't notice that your children are changing throughout the years. And then you look at photos and see how they've grown, how they've changed, and for me, it's capturing that so that you can look back and really see where they've come from and where they're going. And to take that, you know it's painful, time hop, right? On Facebook, you see your kids three years ago. This is what happened three years ago with your child. They have a thing going with marketing with that, because it's true, it pulls your heart strings, it makes you sad. And you're so grateful that you had those moments captured. You're absolutely right. So, for me, in the last year, I've kind of lost my vision. People have been requesting the posing and the baskets and the fluffing and that's just not me. And, so, I'm here partially to just find that vision again and to return to what I love which is just capturing the everyday moments. And, that's what I want on my walls. But, also, those are the moments that you miss when you lose something and that's been my story of life, so I want to document those moments that I don't have in my own history so other people can have them in theirs. Yeah, sorry, so that's my "why." That's wonderful, thank you for sharing that. I'll share one from online. Of course, we have people, and we have Jennifer who is similar saying, "it's definitely not money, but I really "haven't sat down and thought about my "why," and I will "be doing that now," So, we're glad that you're here to do that. And then, Gale Duvet said, "I got into this business "because I'm a retired therapist and I love capturing "emotion on film." So, if she's interested in emotion and people and that's kind of a life long journey as well. Thank you. We all need Kleenex? No Kleenex, happy. Okay, we're good. Are we ready? Let's move on. Okay, being your authentic self is the ultimate secret to happiness in life. Said by Sherri Fink. Saw this somewhere and I thought it was incredible. And this is true, right? Back to your authenticity. Don't copy, don't be somebody else. We all tried to do that in high school. We're done, we're not doing that anymore.

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Emily Lucarz

Emily Lucarz is a newborn and family photographer located in St. Louis Missouri. She began her career, like many photographers, after the birth of her first child in 2009. Known for her happy personality and extreme patience with children, she has quickly become the most sought after family photographer in her area, booking consistently almost a year in advance. Emily credits her love of people and outgoing personality to help her business grow the way it has.

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topics covered in this class

Family & Lifestyle Newborn Photography Portrait Photography Digital Photography

Ratings and Reviews

JennMercille

Oh my goodness!!! This was such a wonderful class. Not only is Emily a very gifted pro, she is the personable mentor that makes learning simple and the fun big sis you want to be around. She is a wealth of information and a total open book about it all. Being in her studio audience was so much fun, and the time flew by way too fast. I highly recommend this class not only to newbies trying to find their style and refine their technique, but also to seasoned pros looking to tweak their art with a creatively authentic perspective. As a newborn photographer with an established studio business model, I cannot wait to infuse what I have learned into my style and incorporate her business genius into my session and pricing structure. Thank you Emily Lucarz for sharing your creativity, knowledge and uplifting energy with us both in the class and behind the scenes! You are awesome!

Jessie Fultz

Buy this course! If you are at all interested offering lifestyle newborn sessions, whether you are a new photographer or you have been in business for years, buy it! It's 100% worth your time and money and you won't regret it. Emily is so fun and genuine which makes learning from her such a joy! Not only does this course go over troubleshooting different scenarios that are bound to happen during some sessions, but Emily also gives all sorts of other tips that you wouldn't even know you needed to know until she offers up the advice. It's fun to watch her interact with her clients to ensure that she is able to make beautiful pictures in such a natural setting. Thank you Emily and CreativeLive for coming together to make this course happen! I am beyond thrilled that I was able to watch these last two days and learn SO much!!

Hiba Alvi

Emily is amazing! I love how detailed she is and tells you how it is. It is nice she shares her personal journey and what she does - which is great! Love it and would highly recommend this course! I don't have a studio, and normally travel to clients home to do photoshoots - so all the tips here are more than helpful! I am so excited to do my upcoming photo session this weekend - can't wait to put these tips to use!

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Why Shoot Lifestyle Photography?

Why Shoot Lifestyle Photography?

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4. Why Shoot Lifestyle Photography?

Lessons

Class Introduction

What is Lifestyle Newborn Photography?

Why Are You a Photographer?