How Do I "Act Natural" During Our Documentary Photo Session?
Documentary family and newborn sessions are so easy for the kids – they can just be themselves and aren't necessarily very worried about acting naturally. But for the parents it can sometimes be a bit of a question mark.
Here are some thoughts to help you act natural for your documentary session:
If you worry about how you will look in pictures
I had an interesting discussion about this with Patricia, a Bay Area doula. She said that when she gets proper headshots done she wants to look good – because portraits are "supposed to" be "flattering, perfect, and wrinkle-free". But when it comes to documentary photographs, she feels that emotion and moments are what matter – the pictures are heirlooms for the kids to remember you by, and not necessarily your next Facebook profile picture (even though that usually happens anyway!).Now about moments – you might feel nervous about being silly with your kids as well as telling them off when they are acting crazy. However, pictures of you being yourself is what the kiddos will appreciate looking at as they grow up – they'll LOVE you being silly with them! I think moms are so beautiful just being moms.
If you worry about being in the photographer's way
You might feel nervous about where to be, especially if the photographer is taking pictures and you don't want to walk in the way. Don't worry – my job is to work around you!
That being said, during short (two hour) sessions I might sometimes ask you to move because we have a short time together and I want to make sure you get pictures you are happy with.
If you worry about what to do
When your family is occupied with something you usually do, you don’t care about the camera as much. Maybe you’d like to capture your typical Sunday morning with pancakes, PJs, and messy hair snuggles? Another idea is to go outside of your everyday routines – a day at the beach, or a trip to your favorite ice cream shop for example. Check out this blog post with more documentary family session ideas. If you have a newborn baby, baby will tell you what to do.
If you worry about how to act natural
My best advice is to not "act" at all – if you consciously try to act natural, you might have a really hard time with your session.
The best way to distract yourself from the camera is to focus on your kiddos or partner. If you stay in the moment and allow yourself to react to whatever goes on without worrying about the photographer, you'll be great!
Ultimately, if you stay present, engage with your kiddos or partner, and react to things as they come, you’ll get the best possible pictures of your time together as well as quality time with your family.
