Documentary Is The Hardest Type Of Family And Newborn Photography

HOLD ON, SURELY POSED AND PROPPED PHOTO SESSIONS ARE MORE DIFFICULT THAN "DAILY SNAPSHOTS"?

Sometimes when I tell people what I do – which is taking pictures of families' every day lives – they wonder why. Anyone can take everyday snapshots with their phones these days? Studios and props are what we pay for when it comes to family photo sessions, right? That requires skill!Yes – learning how to use studio lighting or how to take advantage of natural light for posed family and newborn sessions requires skill. Learning how to pose a newborn safely is crucial, as well as picking out props that have the baby's safety in mind. Learning how to use your camera so that you don't have to fiddle around with it during your session takes skill. Once you learn all that, you're good to go! All you need to worry about then is how the actual session goes, and not so much your light or your camera settings because they are controlled.

SO WHAT IS THE CHALLENGE WITH DOCUMENTARY PHOTOGRAPHY?

You have to make a beautiful picture while you'rea) keeping an eye on the environmentb) staying focused on your muse, unless you realize something more interesting is happening elsewhere – you need eyes at the back of your head sometimesc) waiting for the right moment to take place in a spot with great light (because we don't use flashes, or turn on extra lights – and darker spaces require cameras that can handle very little light!)d) maybe crawling around a dining table, laying down in grass, or standing up high on a chair to get a good angleThat takes skill, patience, ability to read kid behavior, and quite honestly – tons of fairy dust.This is why I honestly think that documentary style newborn and family sessions are the hardest types of sessions – nothing is controlled.

WHY DO IT, IF IT'S SO HARD?

Getting to know families, giving them a relaxed atmosphere for their sessions, saving a slice of now for them to enjoy later, and chasing moments where all those aforementioned points magically come together are ingredients for an amazing rush! And to be honest, I think real life is so much more interesting than a perfectly orchestrated picture.