Lifestyle Shooting Session Lengths (For Competitive Bidding Scenarios)

                                          A post from Derrel's Photography Blog

"Lifestyle" newborn shoot: 3 hours. MINIMUM! Simply impossible to do in less than 180 minutes. Ask any self-taught MWAC baby shooter. If time is needed for "Lifestyle" baby-is working-on-a-poop waiting time: allow an extra two to three hours, for a total time of between 5 and 6 hours.

"Lifestyle" senior portrait session: 7 hours. (Includes 2-hr zit popping session.)

"Lifestyle" wedding shoot: 11 hours, or 4,800 frames,whichever takes longer.

"Lifestyle" 25th wedding anniversary shoot: 9 hours, or 3,900 frames.

"Lifestyle" anniversary dinner shoot : 5 hours.

"Lifestyle" nightcap cocktail shoot: begins at 11:30 PM, runs until 5:45 AM.

"Lifestyle" engagement session: 4 to 8 hours, depending on ring carat size.

Set-Up and Posing Guidelines for Lifestyle Shoots:

"Lifestyle" fake flooring,baseboard, and wallpaper background set-up time: 36 minutes per set.

"Lifestyle" baby headband positioning: 11 minutes, avg..

"Lifestyle" diaper change: 17 minutes (includes two-minute talcum powder dry-down time.)

"Lifestyle" baby feeding: Breast: 45 minutes. Bottle: 37 minutes. Includes burping, spit-up, spit up rag replacement, and blouse change for parent.

"Lifestyle" newborn shoot, mid-session baby nap: 1 hr 45 minutes, minimum. Mid-session photographer's smart phone blogging & Instagram uploading session, 30 to 50 minutes.

"Lifestyle" baby-is working-on-a-poop waiting time: 2to 3 hours, on average.

"Lifestyle" baby hair arranging time: 31 to 42 minutes, average. Bald babies, 11 to 15 minutes. (see "Lifestyle" baby headband positioning guidelines, above.)

"Lifestyle" Anne Geddes crib session (no not the sleeping crib kind of session--but COPYING Anne Geddes ideas from books!!), 1hr. 10 minutes per session, on avg.

"Lifestyle" doorbell ringing: 1 to 4 minutes. Includes walk from curb to front porch or stoop; apartment walk-up times may extend as long as 12-15 minutes in high-rise buildings.

"Lifestyle" waiting period for sleeping baby to strike angelic, world-famous poses: 3 to 9 minutes, per photo.

All guidelines are minimum times. No possible professional posing and session secrets or 40-year industry insider tips are allowed to be used--EVER.