real life
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 baby hank & the g's | at-home family photography
Combining documentary photography & newborn photography seems like a no-brainer. For this momma, it meant not having to leave the house, plan anything or force the older siblings to sit still for poses, all while still capturing what life was like just 3 weeks after giving birth to their newest addition. I ended up with dozens of photos of these 2 older siblings loving on their new little brother so hard that it looks like I asked them to... but nope. All this snuggling, hugging & kissing happening was completely unprompted & judging by mom's reaction, it happens daily. Welcome to the world, baby Hank! I think its safe to say, you're surrounded by LOTS of love already![tg_masonry_gallery gallery_id="9600" layout="wide" columns="4"]
real life with the g's | family photojournalism
Knowing that tomorrow is never promised... what do you want to remember the most?Maybe its how your family cuddles into your favorite spot on the couch... or how happy your kids get when you take a trip to the local ice cream parlor. Maybe you always want to remember how your daughter once used anything she could to play dress up... or how your son used to turn any piece of furniture into a fort... Whatever it is, I have to guess that your favorite memories do not include the painful hour of bribing your perfectly-groomed children for forced smiles in an unfamiliar park. So why are those the photos we tend to hang on our walls & share with our family?Meet The G's - Grant & Grace. I got to spend 2 awesome days with them hanging at home, going for ice cream, watching Harry Potter in the park & taking a trip down the street to Wekiwa Springs. Thanks to my Dicapac case for my Fuji camera, I was even able to jump in the water with them & still never stop shooting. The result was over a hundred photos that will forever serve as uncensored memories of The G's story at that moment.
Click here to find out more about my documentary family sessions.[tg_masonry_gallery gallery_id="8630" layout="wide" columns="4"]
real life with elena | documentary family photography
The first photo in this gallery was the instant reaction to pulling my camera out while playing with 4-year old Elena in her room. I immediately realized that documenting truly candid photos of the day could be a difficult challenge for me. She was clearly used to the camera & loved to give me her best hand-on-the-hip model pose & smile anytime I pointed it toward her. However, in the end, the day was still completely unscripted. Our at-home document session consisted of an introduction to all of her books & baby dolls, a game of tickle monster (with the greatest tickle-monster gloves ever), riding around the neighborhood in her sweet pink Corvette, a pillow fight & so much more... I'm not sure who had more fun in the process, Elena or me. The photos that resulted capture so much natural emotion & laughter that would not have been easy to achieve in a boring studio... and the added bonus is that they are so much more personal & special having taken place in their home.[tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8235" layout="wide" columns="4"]
real life with avery & jackson | at-home family documentary photography
Crafts, smoothies, Mario Kart & more... a typical Sunday morning for this awesome family & it was great to be a part of it. I guess its safe to say that these two cuties have grown up with my camera. From newborn sessions, to large family portraits, cake smashes & birthday parties... this time we decided to do something a little different: an at-home documentary session. I'm always striving to find the real moments within posed sessions at a park or beach you may have never even been to... so these take it one step further. More personal, more candid & more real life. There wasn't much of an agenda, because letting life happen results in moments like a private patio dance performance to Sia's The Greatest... or an unprompted hug for mommy or an angry drum solo... & course, lots of laughs. The snowflakes they made turned out much cuter than I had imagined - or tried to imagine when they first started, but I should have known not to question the ideas of the creative mind behind Hello Whimsy Designs. It was a stress-free, relaxed & FUN Sunday morning... and it resulted in a huge collection of real moments that made it very difficult for me to choose my favorites.It was so great to see you all again, congrats on the new house![tg_grid_gallery gallery_id="8375" layout="wide" columns="4"]