Documentary sessions are so great because they are no stress! People who feel awkward or uncomfortable in front of the camera especially love these sessions because there is no pressure to perform or act a certain way. The only thing you have to do is have fun with your kids and go about your normal day of loving on each other.
The memories of your childhood probably consist of the great experiences that you had with your family, whether is was a big family vacation, the tradition of pancake breakfast every Saturday, or going up to the family cabin on long weekends. THESE are the photographs you want to pour over for years and years as your kids grow up. These are the photographs that are rich with meaning and memory and emotion.
Look back at your pictures over the past year…which ones are your favorite? I often have people who come to me for documentary photos because in the past they have taken family photos at the studio where all the kids were in matching outfits, their hair perfect, their smiles in the photos are forced and fake, and when the parents look at the photos they remember how stressful it was to make sure everything went perfectly. They look at my photos and see parents who are relaxed, kids who are genuinely laughing and having fun with their siblings, photos that look natural and capture the joy of the moments.
Your experience being photographed by me is almost as important to me as the actual photos, because when you look at them I want you to have positive emotions and feel the joy and adventure of family, not the stress of it.
