Documentary Photography

real life with gage & siena | oakland park family photography

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

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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 kathryn | davie documentary family photographer

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Hanging out with Kathryn on a typical Saturday morning for this mini Day in the Life at their home was seriously so much fun. Her mother's intention for this documentary family session was to capture her 2.5 year old daughter's maximum curiosity at this age... to cherish the joy in their family's every day moments... and I think we succeeded.

One minute we we're having races in the front yard, the next we we're playing hide & seek and being served fake ice cream in exchange for fake money... (specifically, $2... everything was $2). Kathryn was only a little into helping her mom make muffins, until the chocolate chips came out & her excitement increased, proudly topping off each cup. She sure stayed busy all morning with one activity after another, but she was also perfectly content cuddled up next to her dad on the couch watching some college football. We also broke some documentary-family-session rules (I've always been a rule breaker) and squeezed in just a couple of directed photos of the three of them.

When little ones are involved, you don't need to have any specific activities planned for your documentary family session. If you let everything unfold naturally, it will not only make for a no-stress experience, but also result in much more honest & natural photos. A true glimpse into your current daily life (or in this case, morning).

 

real life with the wolf pack | florida documentary family photographer

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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).

 

  

real life with e & z | florida vacation family photos

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Visiting ME (okay, okay and my wife) is a great reason for some day in the life photos. These two ladies are great friends of ours & getting to hang with them & their 2.5 year old twin daughters for a weekend was everything. They had just come from a busy few days at Disney, so we did a lot of just hanging out... at the house, around the house... The girls' big personalities kept us entertained & laughing all weekend and it was so much fun to capture those personalities in photos! They were on a Florida vacation, but got to take home the best souvenir they could have... their NOW captured in images they can reflect on forever. 

real life with elena at menchie's | davie family photographer

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What do YOU value most? What are some of your favorite moments with your children? Do you have your answers? Now imagine having professional photos of these kind of special moments that you can cherish forever.

Think of an activity you love to do with your children & I'll tag along to document it.  Maybe its when you bring your kids to get ice cream after school & they tell you all about their day... or your weekly trip to the library when they get to pick out a new book.  Maybe its getting to pass down your mom's signature cookie recipe & baking together at home... or perhaps its simply the moments before your kids go to sleep when you climb into bed with them and read a story... I can give you a million ideas, but my challenge for you is for you to identify the moments you value the most.