What to expect from a documentary family photo session

The best thing about documentary family photo shoots is that you don’t actually have to prepare anything. The aim is to document your real life, the ordinary things you do as a family that make your life so special. Nobody needs to dress up or smile for my camera.

But what does that really mean?

My photo and filming sessions are very relaxed. I won’t pose you, I won’t tell you where to stand or sit, I’ll just follow you around while you and your family do your thing. At home or on a day out. You won’t need to make sure your children are smiling and behaving for the camera.

I capture real life for you because that’s what your children will remember. Most importantly, you can be yourself and just enjoy your time with them, not minding me or my camera. This is completely unscripted, emotive photography.

So basically your preparation for your session is going to be super minimal. There’s no need to tidy the house, coordinate outfits or get your hair done. If your kids want to spend all day naked, then who am I to stop them?!

No, you don’t need to plan anything. But you can if that makes you feel more in control.

I understand that not planning anything when someone comes over to your house – especially someone with a camera – might feel daunting. So if you want to have a rough plan as to what you want to do while I’m around, you can absolutely do that.

You can bake a cake, play games, go to the park, clean the house… Anything goes really. Try to think about what you’d like your children to remember from their childhood.

It could be the adventures you have in nature, your kitchen routines, crafty weekends, dog walks as a family.

One thing I would advise you, is to try and minimise screen time for everyone. Even though the photos I’m taking are going to represent your normal life, if there is any way you could make sure that not everyone will be glued to their phones for the whole time I’m around, you’ll probably appreciate that once you see your images.

I’m passionate about capturing my clients in their homes. It’s where you and your kids will probably feel the most comfortable. It also gives me the opportunity to document you in your personal space. In 20 years, you’ll look back at these images and remember all the small details that will have changed in your life.

But documentary family photography doesn’t just work at home. It can include walking the dog, going to the market to buy eggs, picking up the laundry or visiting the playground. Whatever your day would usually look like, will be part of the photos that tell the story of you.

For your photo session, I’ll come to you and meet you at home or anywhere outdoors where you like to spend time together. We then just hang out and I will stay as long as it takes for your kids warm up to me and document whatever it is you are doing.

In most cases, this will take roughly 2 hours but if we’re having lots of fun and I feel like there’s more to capture for you, I’ll stay longer. Likewise, some sessions might turn out shorter for whatever reason. In the end, it’s not about how long I stay but how many important moments I get to document.

You might have seen photos online of families in beautiful boho dresses, colour-coordinated, or matching jeans and t-shirt.

While I won’t tell you to not do any of this, I would advise you to really think about who you are as a family. Do you dress like that on any regular day? Because if you don’t, don’t do it for the photos.

If this is what you’re looking for, I’m not the right photographer for you.

Instead, I really encourage you to be who you are. A documentary family photo session is aimed to portray your reality. If that means superhero outfits or birthday suits, sweat pants or stained t-shirts… I’m here for all of it and won’t ever ask you to change.

The photos we’ll create together should capture everyone’s personality to help them be confident with who they are. Nobody has to change anything in order to fit into these images.

So if you don’t usually dress up when you hang out as a family, don’t feel like you need to just because I’m taking photos of you.

A documentary family photo session usually doesn’t include any posed or set up shots. However, if you’d like a few shots of individual family members or all of you together for a group shot, we can spend 15mins either at the beginning or the end of your session doing those.

As much as I love Pinterest for inspiration, I highly recommend you not to look up ideas for family photos there. Documentary family photography aims to capture your real, normal, everyday life. Real life can’t be posed or planned and I wouldn’t want to try and recreate photos you found online because they won’t necessarily represent who you are.

The best thing about documentary family photography is that we don’t rely on the weather. Most sessions happen at home anyway and if the weather is a bit shit, it’ll make hanging out at your house just a bit cosier.

If we planned your session to be somewhere outside, in most cases a bit of rain still won’t stop us. Just make sure you’re all dressed for the weather. In the event of a downpour that won’t end and without a sheltered backup location, we might have to postpone your session though. We’ll be able to discuss that when we plan your session

If anyone in your family – kids or grownups – gets sick just before your session, we might be better off postponing.

If any of your kids just have a bad or grumpy day and isn’t feeling their best, we should still be able to go ahead with your session. Sick days usually result in lots of quiet time and cuddles which could be great to document for you. In the end, you know your family best though and if you feel that having me around for the day would not benefit anyone, then we can find an alternative date to postpone.

If grandparents, extended family or friends are either part of your lives or people you absolutely want to collect memories with for your kids to hold on to while they grow up, then absolutely let them join you for the day. Invite them over or let’s incorporate a trip to their house as part of your session (unless they live hours away obviously).

Just make sure they are aware that I’ll be there to take photos and are comfortable with it!

Documentary photographers sometimes describe their style as “a fly on the wall”, a passive observer.

That’s not me.

Wouldn’t it be creepy if I stood back, not saying a word for 2 hours while expecting you to feel comfortable doing family things?

Instead, I’ll chat to you – I say hello to everyone, ask the children permission if they’re ok with me taking photos of them (consent is very important!), make sure everyone feels comfortable and as relaxed as possible. Usually, even the shyest kids will engage in a chat with me or try to show me tricks or their favourite toy after an hour.

Due to the nature of how I work, I may get quite close to individual family members. That’s why it’s important to me that everyone feels comfortable and understands that they are in control. If someone asks me to stop photographing, I will do that.

All that to say… I’m not a passive bystander. I’m more like a family friend with a camera that comes to hang out and spend time with you.