What is Documentary Family Photography?

All over my website, it says that I offer documentary family photography, but what does that mean? I am sure you can probably guess as it seems fairly self explanatory, but i wanted to give more specific detail as to what it actually is, what a session entails, and what to expect to get from this type of session 

So, what is it? 

Documentary Family Photography is not a style but more an approach to how the photographer takes pictures. You may even tried to search for this on your own using phrases like candid family photographer near me or best candid photographer, greenville sc. When you book a family portrait session with a regular photographer, you generally will pick a place, pick out matching outfits, and spend an hour taking pictures that you may hang on your wall or put on a Christmas card. Sometimes, you may even get a few candid shots, pictures that look natural verses being heavily posed. When you book a documentary family photography session, you are essentially hiring a photographer to capture your family, without any direction, without any coordinating, simply as you go about your day. Think National Geographic, but for humans. The idea is that your family is being captured in your every day life, or maybe even during a special event like a field trip or vacation An example of this would be a photographer capturing a birth. Even with weddings, some couples are hiring a photographer who focuses more on documenting moments vs posing everyone.

The basic takeaway is that the photographer you hire will not interfere by posing you, telling you what to wear, or having you do certain activities. You simply go about your day as you would and allow the photographer to capture it in an artistic way.   

Who is this for? 

While I personally think that everyone should have at least one documentary family session in their lives at some point simply because it’s like a yearbook but for your family. That being said, not everyone is going to be enjoy seeing the messiness of these images. This type of session is for those who enjoy candid moments, who want to capture the unique personalities of the people in your family as well as the dynamics between everyone, and those who enjoy a more artistic perspective on their wall art. A documentary family photography session is great for those who want to display a unique family photo wall in their homes with a variety of perspectives, lighting, movement, and colors. 

Specifically, I think this is great for homeschooling families, families of artists, and families of neurodivergent kids. 

Homeschooling families: you already have made a choice to be with your family in a different way. A documentary session is a great way to capture your daily life. 

Families of artists: a documentary session gives you the opportunity you use your creative energy in creating a wall that is unique and captures your life in an authentic way. 

Neurodivergent families: IYKYK – right? Having a neurodivergent child can be challenging, especially during a family session where their clothes are uncomfortable, the light is bright, and they are doing something they don’t want to do. I have never had my son take family photos and I truly could not imagine what that might look like. Part of why I even started taking pictures in a documentary way is because I knew that I would need to think differently in how I wanted to capture my kids. Truth be told, I love seeing their unique personalities and part of my love letter to them is that I want them to see themselves the way I saw them, as beautiful, strong, and unique individuals. 

What does a documentary family photography session look like? 

I don’t know how other photographers do it, but the way my documentary family photography session looks like with me is me hanging out with you while I take pictures. The first step is to contact me about scheduling a session and learning any important details. The second is to book a date where I will spend about 3 hours with you, following your family around and capturing you while you go about your day. No special outfits, no special location, no posing. Once I am done, I will lightly edit the images and send you the gallery. If you want help with how to display them, I will happily help. 

Why does it cost so much? 

I understand that everyone is on a budget. I’m on a budget, and so it’s important for me to be intentional about how and where I spend my money. The reason a documentary session costs more than a standard session is because: 

1. I spend more time with you. While a normal session may be an hour to an hour and a half, a documentary session is usually 3+ hours. 

2. You get more images. A documentary family photography session is about storytelling, capturing lots of different types of images. You get an entire gallery of the day, which is generally 30+ images. 

That’s really it. It just takes more time.