What is documentary family photography?

Close your eyes for a moment. Picture your family preparing for a traditional family portrait session. You’re frantically trying to find outfits for every person in your family that match or coordinate in some way the night, or even hours, before your shoot. You arrive to the location and your kids are crazy! You feel stressed, everyone is giving that tight, stiff, forced smile after relentless bribes and you feel spent.

Have you ever considered how different things would be if you simply had images of your family, just as you are? Documentary family photography can take the stress out of what you long for, and put back the fun of capturing your family just as you are.

Comfort In Your Own Space

I know one of the biggest stressors in my life is attempting to get my entire family ready and out the door. Documenting your family in your own home means that I come to you! There’s no stress in trying to get to a location by a certain time. You get to be in your own comfortable space, which, in turn, will make you all feel at ease. If you have shy kiddos, being in a familiar environment will allow them freedom to be themselves. You also get to document your family in your special environment, making the images even more unique to who you are.

Less Stress, More Fun

Documentary images are not staged. I will not pose you and ask for everyone to say cheese while smiling at the camera. While we might snap one or two images of the family together for grandparents, the time we spend together is more about capturing what makes your family unique. Do you enjoy making pancakes together on Saturday mornings? Maybe you love playing games or snuggling together on the couch with a good book. Whatever ways your family enjoys connecting, it’s my goal to capture your life, as it is, candidly and artfully.

My deepest desire in documenting your family is for each an every member to see themselves as loved and accepted. For parents to see the joy in the little moments, even through the chaos. To help you refocus on what matters most and to celebrate you just as you are! And to help you create a rich family legacy of images that you can pour over time and time again.