Documentary session Q&A: how to make your family's session memorable | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

If you're interested in a family documentary photography session, it's likely that you're looking to capture your family's honest moments, interactions, and connections in a way that you can look back on for years to come. But how do you ensure that your session is “honestly” filled with fun, loving, photographic moments? Can you plan both honest and spontaneous?  I think so.  The goal of planning for a documentary session is to be able to look back on your images and recognize a reflection of this particular season in your life. That may be quiet or chaotic, adventure-filled or low key. The point is that it's you.

There are two ways to go about “planning” a documentary family session. I put planning on quotations, because it's not so much planning as it is reflecting on what's important to your family and how best to capture that in a session.

A key element of documentary family photography is how flexible it is. Each session is adaptable to the photographer and family working together. Documentary family photographers put families at ease and turn what can be a stressful activity into an opportunity to be fully present with your family, with no expectations except to be yourselves and enjoy being together.

For some families, this may mean planning specific activities in advance. Knowing what's to come (and preparing the rest of your family) can be a good way to set some expectations. For other families, planning itself is stressful and spontaneity rules the day.

Here are a few common questions and answers to put your mind at ease when choosing and preparing for a documentary family session.

What type of activities should we plan? How many things should we do?

The most important aspect to consider when preparing activities for your session is, “Is this something my family would normally do?” Staging a pillow fight or baking cookies makes for lovely photos, but consider what you want to remember (and what you want your kids to remember) when looking back on the images years from now. If baking is not your forte and you spend much of the activity worrying about the giant mess and overconsumption of raw cookie dough, then stress and the moment feeling “forced” is likely what you'll remember when seeing those photos.

If, on the other hand, you have a family tradition of making your grandmother's pancake recipe on Sundays and then piling onto the couch for cartoons, you're on to something. Or maybe you play board games in your pajamas. Or dig for worms in the garden.

There's no shortage of ideas.  Just choose something you enjoy doing together as a family and not just something you think will make for cute photos.  

No plan, no problem

I used to be a big planner (and a baker, for that matter), but having kids (and a husband resistant to routines and schedules) has left me no choice but to live in the moment a bit more.  Planning can be stressful with so many factors at play that can easily derail a strict itinerary.

For cases like this, it's perfectly fine for the plan to be, “let's go with the flow.” You might have an idea or two in mind of possible activities, but you're ready to adapt to whatever the mood calls for when the time comes. Maybe it's raining and a walk to the park is out of the question, so you build blanket forts inside instead. The point is for everyone to feel at ease with no pressure to perform. Kids especially pick up on stressors like this and will tend to do the exact opposite of what you're going for in a situation like that. If you instead allow them to lead the way or give them a voice in choosing, you'll naturally end up with honest, fun, and loving moments.

I hope you enjoyed these images from my session with this Northern Virginia family.  We discussed many options leading up to their session.  Their ultimate decision to have a few activities in mind, but let their daughter lead the way, made for a perfectly relaxed session filled with genuine connection and beautiful, loving moments.

Want to learn how to document your family's everyday?  Check out 4 Steps to Stop Time and Savor the Moment with Your Family.  It's a simple and fun guide to documenting your family's life with beautiful photographs.

A Birth Story | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Birth is such a personal and revelatory experience, whether you're experiencing it yourself or are present for it. I understood this on some level, but didn't fully realize it until I gave birth to my first baby.  After that, I was in awe of the birth community - the amazing people who so lovingly support women and their partners in bringing forth new life.  When I discovered that birth photography was “a thing,” it immediately resonated with both the mother and documentary photographer in me.  

While birth isn't part of the everyday for the average woman, it is very much a natural, beautiful part of life that is being experienced somewhere at every moment of every day.  It is, at once, both routine and normal, and at the same time earth-shattering and full of the unexpected.

In many ways, birth photography is the epitome of the documentary approach - being on call, being ready for the unexpected, and being comfortable simply watching it all unfold through the lens. It's a beautiful process and represents a profoundly transformative time in life, whether it's your first born or your fifth. Once you hop on the ride, there's no getting off and life will never be the same afterward.  In this sense, what better experience in life is there to document? :-)

As a mother and photographer, I feel particularly compelled to tell the stories of motherhood and family. I hoped to one day be able to preserve this piece of a woman's story -  of a family's story. Many women and their partners are left with gaps of memory or knowledge after a birth. So much happens in such a short period of time and its amazing how quickly you forget details (especially during the wonderful, but potentially sleep-deprived, first months). Doulas and caregivers are wonderful resources in piecing together a birth story, but having pictures or video can pull all the fragments together in such a meaningful way. Documenting a birth is a wonderful way to preserve such a eventful piece of a family's story. And what a beautiful gift to a new life as well, who will have their arrival and first moments on this earth, surrounded with love, documented.

Given all the variables of timing, work, and family, I didn't know if I'd ever make it happen. But the stars aligned in March of this year, thanks to the wonderful ladies at Arrow Birth, who are working hard on a revolutionary approach to education and support surrounding childbirth.  I was able to support them in documenting not one, but two births (in the span of a week, no less!). My mama and photographer hearts were on cloud nine. :-)

I also got to dive into film work. My primary focus for both of these births was not my usual still images, but video. I'll share the resulting films soon, but for now, these are some of my favorite images from my first birth with this wonderful family welcoming their rainbow baby girl at the Birthing Inn at Inova Loudoun Hospital in Northern Virginia.

Want to learn how to document your family's everyday?  Check out 4 Steps to Stop Time and Savor the Moment with Your Family.  It's a simple and fun guide to documenting your family's life with beautiful photographs.

What is Documentary Family Photography? | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

There's a lot of jargon to sort through when it comes to finding the right photographer for your family. Studio. Portraits. Posed. Unposed. Lifestyle. Candid. Natural. Authentic. Documentary. What does it all even mean? And does it matter? Not really, in my opinion. At least the words don't matter much. What really matters is that you find a photographer whose images make you think, "I want to see my family in those photographs." 

For me, this happens when I see real moments captured in a beautiful way. I want to experience an emotional connection with the pictures. Whether that's the unbridled joy of childhood or the all-encompassing love of motherhood, I want to feel something when I see an image.  I get this emotional connection and experience from documentary style photography.

I first experienced documentary style photography when searching for our wedding photographer in New Mexico. As soon as I saw the images from Kitty and Craig Fritz of Twin Lens Images, I knew I'd found something timeless and evocative. I knew I would look back on their photographs years from now and see not just the smiling faces of my husband and myself and our family, but a glimpse of who we were in that moment in time. These were photos I'd want my children and grandchildren to see decades from now and feel they could relate to.  These images hang in my hallway and living room and are in a digital frame in our kitchen that my son loves to watch. I often glance at an image and catch myself right back there on our wedding day, joyous in the love and support of family and friends, laughing at my husband having a blast dancing with the kids, or smiling to myself remembering the quiet moments waiting with my dad before the ceremony. 

These were unscripted, beautiful, and real moments and are so very treasured.  And when I later started taking pictures of our family for myself, this is the ideal I strove to achieve. Because memories of our days, even big ones like wedding days, are eventually paved over with new memories. And that's the beauty of photography, especially documentary photography.  We can preserve those moments and memories in time. 

I believe that every day matters. Not just wedding days, birth days, and birthdays. And not just every day, but the everyday. Our everyday matters. All the little things we do that make up our lives. To invoke the oft quoted Annie Dillard, "How we spend our days is of course how we spend our lives." 

It's easy to get caught up in the monotony of parenthood, which makes documenting it all the more important. Kids change so quickly. And so do we as adults and parents (though not so quickly ;-) ). What we're doing in the day to day is part of who we are and who we'll become. Documenting these moments in photographs is like journaling with images instead of words.

So while the jargon isn't necessarily important, celebrating what really matters is. I see value in honoring the love and connection of family.  This is what I look for in making pictures and what brings the greatest joy when I share images like these with the families I work with.

Learn more about documentary family photography and get tips for documenting your family by signing up for my newsletter below.

How to Decide Where to Have Your Family Photo Session | Alexandria, Virginia Family Photographer

A lot of thought can be given to details when you're planning a photography session for your family. Where should you have your session? When should you schedule it? What should you wear? Will the weather be nice? Will your children be cooperative? Will your spouse/significant other/pet be cooperative? ;-) In many ways, choosing to do a documentary session can ease these typical concerns.  So over the next few months, I'll be answering some common questions about session planning and sharing how awesome (and easy!) a documentary session can be for celebrating and preserving a part of your family's story.  First up - where should you have your session?

What's the best location for a family documentary session?

The simplest answer is wherever your family feels most at home.  As I've mentioned in previous posts, this may indeed be in your home.  Or it may be out and about adventuring, where you find yourselves in your element.  The most important thing is that everyone is comfortable, having fun, and engaging with each other.  Does that mean there won't be toddler meltdowns or teenage attitude? No, probably not.  But that's okay.  And I'll photograph it happily, because that's the season of life you're in and it's worth remembering (and showing your kids!). 

You might worry when choosing an in-home session, that you'll miss out on beautiful, seasonal outdoor images.  But documentary family photography can really be the best of both worlds.  And in Northern Virginia, where the weather can be mild even in the winter, taking photographs in both your home and outdoors can be a great way to keep kids engaged for the entire session. 

Documentary sessions are typically longer than a traditional portrait session, so there's no pressure to fit everything in.  The session just naturally flows at whatever speed your family goes at.  Even my shortest session, at two hours, allows for plenty of time to capture a range of activities at a leisurely pace.  

In home documentary sessions are unposed and unscripted, but that doesn't mean you can't plan ahead a little too. Some families plan for certain activities, like making breakfast or playing a game. Others let the kids take the lead and just go with the flow of the day. Flexibility is key to making the session fun and allowing for real moments and connection. 

Working in an outdoor activity can be a natural part of a documentary family session, especially if it's your own backyard or a nearby park. For this session in Alexandria, VA, mom is a yoga teacher, so it was only natural that she and her sons worked in some yoga while they played in the backyard. I loved that their family dog was always nearby and a part of so many of the images.

You may worry that your home is messy or your kids won't cooperate. And why would you want to remember that? I say, because that's life lived.  I try to embrace the mess, unpredictability, and the chaos in my photographs because that's real and real is beautiful. Life changes and kids grow so quickly and I want my photographs to put you right back there in that moment years from now when this time is a distant memory.  And what's more, I want your children to be able to see this part of you and themselves that they may be too young to remember.  Those parts of early life later become an important piece of figuring out who we are and where we belong.  

Learn more about documentary family sessions here.  Do you have questions about documentary photography?  Let me know in the comments or send me an email.  I'd love to answer them!  Next month, I'll provide some answers about when to schedule your family session (Spoiler Alert: there's never a bad time. :-) ) and more ways to keep kids engaged.

Thanks for stopping by!  If you'd like to learn more about documentary photography and how to take better pictures of your family, sign up for my newsletter below.

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Family Favorites - Year in Review | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

The end of the year is a great time for reflection.  2016 has been good.  I'm so grateful for my little family (+1 this year!) and for the wonderful families in Northern Virginia and D.C. who have embraced my documentary style of photographing their families' everyday moments.  Parents often don't get to see themselves in action, so it's wonderful to be able to show all the love and attention they pour into their family.  And I love preserving these moments for children, so who may be too young to remember now, but who will be able to look back at these images and catch a candid glimpse of themselves and what made their family special.

I could go on, but instead, I'll just share a few of my favorites from family sessions this year. :-) I'm looking forward to many more in 2017. Happy New Year!  

Three Reasons to Try an Outdoor Documentary Session with Your Family in the City | Washington, DC Lifestyle Family Photographer

A few weeks ago, I wrote about how awesome in-home documentary sessions are. Now I'm here to tell you how awesome outdoor sessions are.  This may seem incongruous, but one of the best things about documentary photography sessions is that they're adaptable and unique to each family.

One of my favorite things about being a photographer is working with each client to create a session that reflects their family, whether that's chilling at home, exploring the outdoors, or a combination of the two. I love documentary photography because it reflects a family's lifestyle and interests at any given moment. We all know life changes quickly, and having beautiful images tell us the story of a particular time in our lives.   

Here are three reasons outdoor documentary sessions are a wonderful way to preserve your family's memories.

1. Location, location, location.  I mentioned that lifestyle documentary sessions are adaptable. With outdoor sessions, the sky is the limit.  (Okay, perhaps not literally. I might actually draw the line and say you may not see me documenting a family's skydiving adventure, but never say never. :-D ).  You choose a location that is meaningful to your family. For this session in Washington, DC, it made perfect sense to photograph their family in Georgetown.  They're always on the go and taking advantage of all the family-friendly things to do in the D.C. and Northern Virginia area.  Grabbing a coffee and walking around the city is what they'd normally be doing on a warm, fall weekend. Documenting candid moments like these, highlight the beauty in the everyday, because the everyday is what makes up our lives.  So whether it's a stroll through the city, a visit to a museum, or checking out the many outdoor activities that the D.C. region has to offer, all that matters is that it's a place that your family enjoys and connects over.

2. Variety and spontaneity. A city setting like Georgetown has endless variety and room for spontaneity. This is especially beneficial for kids who are active or like to change things up. For this session we started at a coffee shop, walked along the C&O Canal, and then ended at a park with some restful green space.   It could just as easily have been a walk by the waterfront and a stop to get ice cream.  There's no limit to the variations and the city offers so much to do within short distance, so it's easy to make up a plan as you go.  The most important part of family photos is capturing emotion and connection between each of you.  Having a variety of options and allowing for spontaneity can take away the stress of trying to orchestrate that "perfect" shot and makes the whole experience more enjoyable.  When you focus on having fun and enjoying an experience with your family, photography magic happens. :-)

3. Seasonal bounty. An outdoor session, whether in an urban setting like this one in D.C. or in a rural area like a park or even your backyard, can be a beautiful way to capture seasonal family fun. Cozy fall weather and foliage, holiday traditions and snowy days, spring blossoms and energy, or long summer evenings and lingering light are wonderful settings to document your family adventures.  I love the variety that changing seasons brings so much that I'm offering a new multi-session package for 2017.  Details will be posted on my Session Information page soon. :-)

What fun urban settings do you have in mind for family photos?  One goal I have in 2017 is to document a family vacationing in DC and Virginia. It's such a wonderful area to visit and I love seeing it through a visitor's eyes.

To stay updated about my session offerings, sign up for my mailing list below.  

Three Reasons to Love In-Home Photography Sessions | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

One of the best parts of family documentary photography is getting a glimpse into what makes a family unique.  One aspect that brings this out is location. In documentary sessions, a family chooses a location that's meaningful to them. That may be their home or a nearby park where their kids play. Or both. Or it could be somewhere else entirely. A family adventure somewhere new, exploring an area together.  Both choices are awesome for their own reasons. I'll be sharing an adventuresome session in a few weeks, but today I'm excited to share this sweet in-home family session in Reston, Virginia and a few reasons I love photographing families in their home.

1. It's more relaxed. When a family is in their own home, they're in their element. For younger children especially, when routines are so important, it's easy to keep everyone stress-free, because you have everything you need.
2. Activities, and special moments, come naturally. Because you're in your home, it's easy to go with the flow of the day.  Preserving memories of the every day is why I love documentary photography. What may be routine today will change weeks or months from now. So having pictures that document how tiny your baby was in her car seat or how soundly she slept in her "milk coma" after nursing will be especially meaningful when she's in a booster seat (or driving her own car!) and has declared nap time unnecessary (it happens :-/). 
3. Life changes fast.  And with it, our surroundings.  The nursery you spent months lovingly preparing for your baby will someday be filled with her own decor of choice, replacing those carefully chosen mementos of baby and childhood.  The house where you first brought her home may even be a distant memory years from now when you've moved miles away for a new job or to make room for another baby.

These are just a few reasons I love in-home documentary sessions.  Check out this previous post for more in-home family session love and this post to learn more about preparing for a documentary photography session.

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A Fun Day with Mama | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

One of my favorite things about shooting family sessions is getting to connect with other parents, especially mothers. When I became a mom, I was pleasantly surprised to learn I'd unknowingly joined a special community of women that had always existed, but was invisible to me before I became a mother.  A community that brings an abundance of support, advice, and humor to one of the hardest and most rewarding jobs there is.  It was such a pleasure to get to know Sy and watch and learn from her with her two little ones, especially since I was due with my second soon after our session. :-)

There was also the added bonus that Sy is a small business owner herself, based in Northern Virginia. Like many parents, she finds inspiration in her children and family and channels that into koko's nest, which features beautiful blankets and accessories for nesting families. (You'll find one of her adorable blankets featured in my Instagram feed from time to time. :-) 

I hope you enjoy these photos from our session.  We spent a fun morning in home (with muffins!) and a trip to a neighborhood park in Old Town Alexandria. I have a special love for photographing moms with their children. So often, we're behind the camera making sure family adventures get documented and we often miss out on being in the picture.  It's so special to be able to provide moms with sweet moments like these that demonstrate their love and dedication and how important they are to their family.

Check out more from Sy and koko's nest on Facebook and Instagram.

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A Day in the Life of a Preschooler | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

Ever wonder what your child's day is like at school? My son attended the same preschool from the time he was four months old until his last day last week.  He started a new school after Labor Day and I'm so glad I had the opportunity to shoot a Day in the Life session at his preschool before he left. 

One of my favorite things about documentary photography is showing parents aspects of their lives that they don't usually see. Usually that's because they're the ones taking the pictures or living the moment. That's why hiring a photographer is a wonderful way to capture meaningful parts of your life that you live but don't necessarily see.

In this case, I get to show parents an aspect of their children's lives that they don't usually see because they're not there. And it was doubly fun for me because this is the second documentary session I've done at this school, so seeing the children's growth after a year was really a pleasure. 

Longer documentary sessions like this one (an eight hour session) can be hard to schedule around, especially for busy families. One solution is to break the session up into multiple days. For a family session, this could be shooting a morning routine or midday activity one day and then a bedtime routine in the evening the next day. This allows for a more complete story, and may be easier to schedule for families for whom an eight hour stretch is difficult to fit in.

For this preschool session, I was able to document a morning lesson, outdoor play, naptime, lunch time, and free play for multiple classrooms over the course of several days. The result is a full story of the children's day that gives parents a glimpse into a special part of their child's life. Any parent who has to spend time away from their children knows how it is to wonder what your child is up to while you're apart.

These are wonderful moments to have documented not just for parents but also for children. At this age, they often don't remember their time at preschool. But the love and dedication from their teachers is a wonderful thing to show to them as they get older. This time goes by so quickly and the care and lessons they receive now lay the foundation for a lifetime of learning and social interaction. 

Learn more about documentary sessions here. And sign up for my email list below to receive tips for capturing your own family's everyday. 

Puppy Love Adoption Story | Northern Virginia Family Photographer

I recently spent a (hot!) summer evening in Alexandria, Virginia with this busy family and their two dogs, Chex and Champ.  It was a special session with the kids to mark the adoption of their new puppy, Champ, to the family. The family recently lost their precious older dog, Chili, and Chex took the loss of his companion pretty hard.  So it was especially sweet to see the immediate bond not only between both dogs and the kids, but also between new friends, Chex and Champ.

Puppies grow so fast, so this family wanted their session to document this fleeting time with their newest addition.  After lots of play in the back yard, these guys needed a break!  It turns out puppies are like babies in other ways too.  Great daytime nappers, but not a lot of uninterrupted sleep happening at night, especially for a hound dog puppy. ;-) 

Sweet dreams, Champ!  And I hope you guys are getting some rest, Catherine!  

And if you'd like to support a budding young author and animal welfare advocate, check out Lindsay's story of Chex and Chili! Lindsay will donate 50% of profits from her book to charities benefit animal welfare.  I hope to see a sequel featuring Champ, Lindsay!

Learn more about a documentary session for your family here.  And stay in touch!  Sign up below for my newsletter to receive tips for documenting your family's story.