The Joy of Documentary Family Photography
Documentary family photography can seem daunting or even confusing to most. What is documentary photography? Well, first, I’d like to tell the story about how I got into this genre of family photography in Kelowna.
When I first started offering professional family photography sessions, I did the typical posed outdoor sessions. I will always remember this particular session. A family of five had arrived for their session 15 minutes late to the park. When they arrived, everyone looked adorable—the kids and mom and dad were very neatly dressed in coordinated outfits, their hair was beautifully done, and mom’s makeup was gorgeous.
But no one was happy. Mom was frantic. She apologized profusely for being late, stating that everyone was very stressed out. She was rushing to brush tangles out of her daughter’s hair, trying to get the boys into tight waistbands and shirts with collars, and attempting to get dad more interested in the shoot than pulling weeds in the backyard. There were puffy red eyes and a generally low mood. Mom kept trying to make the most of the shoot by saying, “SMILE!”, “It’ll be over soon!”, and “When we’re done we will get some ice cream!”
Am I judging this family? Absolutely not! I remember an eerily similar situation with my own family preparing for our session. My husband had to stop off after work to get a haircut and arrived home late. I had picked out an outfit for him which he loathed (apparently lumberjack hipster isn’t his thing), and it didn’t help that he hates having his photo taken—blame it on having your spouse constantly shove a camera in your face. My daughter hated the outfit I picked. She had her own ideas about what she wanted to wear; if my memory serves, it was pink tights and a yellow dress two sizes too small layered with a tutu. My son was basically dragging his feet every step of the way trying to get out the door. AHHH!
The Benefits of Documentary Family Photography
I thought to myself, there has to be a better way. This is not fun. This is not what family photos should be like. When we all show up moody and flustered, we have to force the kids to paste fake smiles on while we stand in very contrived poses. This realization led me to my dream style of photography: documentary.
It’s Fun!
No bribery. Just good old-fashioned fun at the beach, the park, or at home. Mom and dad get to play! I once did a beach session where mom, dad, and the boys spent the majority of the time building a log fort!
No Matching Outfits!
In this genre, it tends to look awkward when everyone wears matching outfits. I don’t disallow it, but I genuinely discourage it. Everyone is happier when they are wearing clothes that they are comfortable in—clothes they can play and get dirty in or get wet in the lake.
Genuine Moments
The real personalities, beautiful features, and your connections will show through more than anything. These are the images you’re going to cherish! No fake smiles—real emotions are encouraged, even if that’s tears or grumpiness. “Bad” behavior is acceptable and even secretly encouraged by photographers.
You Don’t Have to Leave the House
Want to stay home and bake cookies? Want to get some yard work done with the kids? Want to play in the pool or have a movie and popcorn night? I’ll come to you! Kids are most comfortable at home.
Weather Doesn’t Matter
An indoor session can be done any time of year or in any type of weather. If it rains during your outdoor session, we can play in the rain and mud!
Bonus Benefit: More Images!
It’s an absolute fact that I deliver far more images for a documentary session than any posed session. Unless I do 100 different poses, many of the images end up looking nearly identical—same identical smiles. In documentary sessions, I’m always moving around, and so are you!
Documentary family photography captures the essence of your family’s everyday life, preserving genuine moments and real emotions. It’s a fun, relaxed, and authentic way to create memories you’ll cherish forever.
