How to Make a Lifestyle Session Truly Documentary

Want to do something different at your next family session?

If your goal is to freeze time and document your family and kids exactly as they are, you might want to rethink what your family session looks like. 

I’m obviously a big fan of smiling at the camera and the traditional poses you might see on Instagram or Pinterest, but while these might document what your family looks like, they don’t necessary document what this season of your life feels like. There’s a few reasons for this, but the main one is this: your family is in an unknown situation. I do everything I can to put my clients at ease and create a natural and inviting atmosphere, but kids are smart and can sniff things out. They know we’ve put expectations on them to smile and behave, all while being in an new and unknown atmosphere! Some kids don’t mind meeting a stranger in a gorgeous, sun-lit field at sunset, but others are a little more wary. So how can we document our families in an authentic and natural way that doesn’t put your kids on alert? 

Cue the documentary session. 

Let’s put your family in a situation that’s familiar to them. Maybe it’s a picnic dinner in your backyard, or playing on the swingset. Maybe it’s a s’mores night around your new fire pit, or washing the car in the driveway. Maybe you load the kids into the open truck bed for a drive around the neighborhood and then play on bikes and scooters when you get back. These are all activities that your kids enjoy in a fun atmosphere, all while I’m photographing you. They’re comfortable, and instead of them coming onto my turf (that sunlit field), I’m coming to theirs (their backyard).