I’ve been keen to capture the moment since the first time I used my own camera. I was 10 years old and I photographed my cousins running in a park. I wanted to capture the movement… but no, what I did then wasn’t documentary and also, I had no idea of any type of photography at all.
I could answer what is documentary family photography just by telling you how it works and it would be probably easier, but I want to talk not only about what it is but also about why I choose to do it.
Of course, if you want to know how the session with me works, you can just click here.
Documentary is the opossite of fiction. It’s an expression of reality.
A documentary photoshoot is a record of what’s happening in front of the lens without any intervention. It’s about capturing real moments, real feelings. It’s honest. And it can also be very beautiful.
In a documentary session, the photographer won’t tell you what to wear, what to or where to stand. He or she shouldn’t even turn on or off any light on the house nor move anything around.
If you’re worried about how your house look like, you should probably read this post.
And if you are expecting a baby and want to know why a documentary newborn photoshoot is a good idea, in this post you’ll find a few good reasons to go for it.
So why did I choose documentary family photography?
First of all, because photography is the only tangible record we can keep of our story.
And even when we don’t show some pictures on our social media because, you know, those pictures aren’t that cute to make new followers, we decide to keep those with us because those are the meaningful ones.
The moment, the real story, the messy one… we keep it and we love it. And actually, that’s the picture we will show to our children when they’re older. And even to some friends and family.
Those real treasures that we avoid to publish most of the times are the ones we love the most.
And if the picture is made by a professional photographer we do want to show it, to print it and frame it.
Another reason, is that I want to respect, to honor, to lovingly capture every detail of a family, without letting them feel uncomfortable with who they are. Especially, the little ones.
Children are humans. They are different from each other. They are unique and authentic. They can be all we adults stopped being just because of social pressure.
They love to smile, to laugh with all their body. They can also cry with all their body without feeling embarrassed. They aren’t afraid of being themselves when they are raised with love and respect.
And children are my clients. The most important ones. The pictures I take of their families are the pictures they will hold when older to see how their parents were with them, how their house was when they were little. How they felt at that moment, how it was to become a big sister. What the little family rituals were. How was to have breakfast with papa. How much joy they had when being children.
How loved they were since the first day.
If you’re still on the fence about this kind of photography, perhaps you could think about what kind of photos you think your kids would love to have when they’re older.
Is it a photo of them possing? Or is it a picture of them playing with you during a normal day, remembering how it was to laugh with you, how it felt to be held in your arms?
Your family, your story is full of meaningful moments.
Most of the times, happiness comes like in a dropper. It appears in the shape of little drops that fall upon us during the day. It’s the little moments of joy we build and own that make us a happy family.
The little and the big goals reached, the hugs given on time, the moment you blow on your child’s wound to make him feel better, the first time your child feeds you, the moment they see their new pet for the fist time. The bedtime stories you read over and over again until they fall asleep.
If you consider those drops of happiness should be framed and have a place on your wall contact me to book your session or just to know a little more about how documentary family photography can work for your family.
We can make beautiful pictures of the real you that your children can hold and then pass through generations.
Lucrecia Carosi – Family and Baby Photographer
