Family photos to not only display in your albums and on stairways, but that also deeply resonate with you.
What exactly is documentary style?
It is an approach to family photography (and for me, also video) that aims to document real life family moments.
The photographer does not direct/prompt/pose anyone, nor move or change anything within the environment.
So what does a documentary session with me look like?
NO POSING OR DIRECTING
While I’m not a complete fly on the wall, the majority of the session I will try and blend into the environment giving the family room to move and interact in the way that feels comfortable and natural to them.
IN HOME (OR FURTHER AFIELD)
While I am more than happy to go to a nearby location that is special to the family, I have found that often families, especially those who may have a neurodivergent child, are most relaxed and comfortable in their home. It is familiar, safe and is a nice way to include family pets as well!
NO NEED FOR A STRICT SCHEDULE
We will have a chat before the session to go over potential activities for the day, but we don’t have to stick to them. I understand moods change and things happen, and that is completely fine.
It’s about documenting your family life and life can often be unpredictable.
NO PRESSURE TO:
Colour coordinate wardrobes. That is of course, unless you do this on a regular basis. In that case, by all means go ahead and coordinate away.
Make the house spotless. It can be interesting to have photos that show what toys, stuffed animals, books kids are interested in at this stage of life. Again though, if having a clean house on a daily basis is part of your routine, then clean away!
Here are a few more pretty great things about this style.
It captures unique versions of your kids.
This documentary approach is a fun way to look back on favourite books your kids loved reading or the outfit that you had to creatively come up with a way to peel it off of them and wash it.
But also it is a chance to document their unique personality, traits, mannerisms and interests. The ones that will slowly change and evolve over time.
It captures a version of you.
You get to look back on ways you were navigating the ebbs and flows of parenting, and see how you have grown and changed through it all.
It is a chance for you to see all the ways you were constantly showing love and being loved which can sometimes be hard to see when you are in the middle of it.
You can take your time.
My sessions are a minimum of 2 hours as I want to make sure we have time to settle in and get into the flow of daily life. There is no need to cram loads of activities in a short period or stress about getting a perfect shot. We can take our time and the images will naturally unfold (which is pretty exciting!)
Your kids can misbehave.
I don’t expect kids be “behave” for the session. If they get into mischief or things get a bit chaotic, I’m good with that. There is absolutely no judgement on my end.
Those types of interactions are genuine and a very really part of your daily life. The crocodile tears, the contagious laughter. The unexpected moments. I’m on board with documenting it all.
“Laura moved around our home unnoticed while capturing pictures that would not have been possible during a normal photoshoot in a studio.”
-Gayle