tammi j

real life with ava & ryan | south florida family documentary photos

I have captured this family a few times already, usually during holiday mini-sessions, but this was our first Real-Life Session & at their home. Soon to be a family of 5, they chose a documentary session t0 capture what life was like as a family of 4. I'm going to guess that a typical Sunday morning is looking a little different these days for this crew with the new addition. At least for some of them... Ryan may still be playing Fortnite. We did a lot of hanging out, playing games, etc (and omg, the pot holder loom was instant nostalgia - I definitely weaved quite a few of those growing up) & of course got their pup, Biggie, involved, as well. I loved capturing the brother-sister relationship of these two & all of the facial expressions that came with it. Knowing that their relationship will be constantly changing as they grow up (and perhaps starting with when they became big siblings to their new baby sister), its something that adds to the "now" of these photos. I can't wait to come back in a year to document how their real life has changed!

real life with the wolf pack | florida documentary family photographer

If you asked me a couple weeks ago what a normal day at home with 3 young boys is like, I wouldn't have had any idea. But now, looking back on everything that my day with this family entailed... it all seems about right. There were legos and superheroes and slime and nerf guns and football... and even a competitive water balloon fight (shout out to my 85mm lens for allowing me to capture the action while staying dry)... But there was also calmness and bonding and giggles and collaboration and comfort.  So many moments & interactions in any given day that may seem so small while they're happening, but end up being so meaningful as time flies by.

Day-in-the-life photo sessions provide a great snapshot of what your life was like at this moment... They show you how much beauty there is in your every day (even when you can't see it amongst the chaos) and captures the small but meaningful moments of your family that can easily be missed (especially if you're trying to be the one behind the camera all the time).