What makes a good lifestyle photo? For me it means they shouldn't look posed and it should let the character of the subject shine through -- and some of them really are characters!

Show them in a good light. Chasing the light and directing people into the best lighting options will help your photos look better.

Stay in the background.  Well as much as possible with your cycloptic eye and potentially GIANT lens sticking out. If you need to prep a shoot area, try to get that done before you want to actually create the images.

Keep your gear handy. You'll have more opportunity to create great shots if you have a camera with you. Yes, your cell phone could fill in if absolutely necessary, but you really will get better results with a dedicated camera.

Get creative. Some of your best shots are the ones where you take some chances. Step outside your comfort zone and see what happens.

Wait for it. Have your subject do something they enjoy, or tell you a favorite story. Let them do their thing and capture the beauty as it happens.

Positive reinforcement. Share how much you like something they are doing rather than telling them to do something.

Perfection is a myth. Lifestyle is about working with what you've got at the time -- embrace it and figure out how to use light (or lack thereof), wind, graininess, crying and more to your advantage. 

Do you have favorite images you have created? Share your links in the comments or on Facebook so everyone can enjoy them.