What is family photojournalism? Really, though. What’s the difference between curated and posed pictures with forced smiles that depict what you look like right now and photos that truly tell the story of your family and the genuine connections you share? 

Wait.

Before I get going too far, please allow me a moment to say that I am in no way disrespecting more traditional styles of family photography. There are many talented photographers who capture family portraits with beauty and grace. I’ve hired a few myself. 

However, I’d consider family photojournalism to be the truer form of photography for capturing the soul of family. 

Let me explain why. Family photojournalism is a documentary form of photography aimed at creating artistic photographs that truly preserve authentic, organic moments of time that bring back memories with deeper meaning and feeling. 

That was a mouthful. But don’t worry. We’re going to unpack that statement throughout the rest of this post. By the end, my hope is that you’ll fall just as in love with this style of family photography as I have. 

So, let’s start at the beginning. 

What is Family Photojournalism?

The Core Principle of Family Photojournalism

The foundational principle of family photojournalism is that it is a documentary style of photography, free of as much influence from the photographer as possible. 

Think about documentaries you may have seen in the past. What is their aim? How do they tell the story they’re sharing?

Documentary style family photography works in the same way. Each documentary family photographer has an aim. They seek to tell the story of your family with intention and in truth.

Ultimately, the end goal of documentary family photography is that your family’s genuine connections, unique strengths and joys, resilience, and particular season of life are preserved in artful images that will instantly transport you to that moment. 

The Tenets of Family Photojournalism

Genuine Connection Over Perceived Perfection

If you’ve read anything I’ve written before, you’ll likely know that I sort of rail against Instagram and Pinterest perfection. I experienced it personally, you know? I looked at my family and our life in our little row home outside Philadelphia, long before we moved to Holly Springs, and it just seemed like it didn’t match what I was seeing online. 

Little by little, I chipped away at the question of “why”. Why was I comparing my life to what I saw from others? One day, I picked up my camera and I started to photograph our life. I took pictures of what really happened. The ordinary. The unremarkable. The true.

And I discovered something wild. It was beautiful. 

Read that again. 

Real life is beautiful. And not just mine! Yours too!

This was the beginning of my love for documentary family photography. I found that it was the best way to notice the small moments that I wanted to remember and cherish. 

Family photojournalism is a faithful medium for creating artful pictures of authentic connections. These are the photos that really capture the soul of your family. It really can’t be overstated. The power of these photographs to lift us in moments of doubt, to bring back joys and sweet memories, and to give the fortitude to keep going and loving the life we live, is nearly immeasurable. 

In order to really create these photos, we need the second tenet of documentary family photography. 

Unobtrusive Storytelling

As a Raleigh based family photojournalist, I seek to be as inconspicuous as possible during sessions. What this does not mean, however, is that I am totally silent and creepily lurking in the shadows with a camera. That would be super weird. 

My desire is that your family feel comfortable with my presence. Comfort and trust are the lifeblood of documentary family photography sessions. It is extremely difficult to build trust and establish comfort with someone who isn’t open and friendly. 

So, throughout the course of our session, and well before it, I work really hard to make sure you are totally comfortable with me so that I can truly create beautiful pictures of your family in its natural habitat, doing the things you always do. 

The ability to blend in and fade into the background, to be just another face in the family for a day, is so important to unobtrusively telling your story. 

This also means that I am not directing the action for the day. 

When I was a wedding photographer, I often directed the bride during key points of the day. “Come over by the window. Softly smile with your eyes only.” Or help pose the newlyweds for their portraits. “Hold hands and walk towards me while bumping into one another.” 

I don’t do this at all during a family photojournalism session. Further, I would argue that if your photographer is giving direction, the session would fall more into a “lifestyle” session than a true documentary. That’s a whole other post though. 

So, no posing, no direction. Just unobtrusive observation with the aim of creating stunning pictures that really highlight what makes your family your family.  

The perfect segue really to the next tenet. 

Emphasis on Connection, Not Poses 

It’s been a running thread throughout most of this post, but family photojournalism has a unique eye towards capturing the genuine connections at play in your family. That’s where the magic really is. Those things that each person in your family brings to the table, how you interact, the joy and delight of being in close relationship with one another. 

This emphasis on connection is what really leads to the pictures that capture the soul of your family. 

Imagine if you had pictures that brought back memories of how your daughter sounded when she was three and jumping off a chair as she acted out the climactic scene in Moana. Or the way your son organized his treasures on the shelf next to his bed each night. Or the way all the cousins would play and then scatter to the wind when it was time to head home.  

That’s what documentary family photography does, precisely because it focuses on these connections and allows them to run free. Instead of painstakingly directing each person to stand here, look there, smile big. 

Where better to let these connections run wild than in the comfort of everyday life?

Embracing the Mundane

Mundane is defined by Merriam-Webster as commonplace and characterized by the ordinary. What is more ordinary than your everyday life? 

Before I go further, let me just remind you, ordinary and commonplace are not bad words. Living an ordinary life is no less beautiful, important, full of joy and wonder as those living a life that is extraordinary. It may just be quieter, and more easy to become blind to. 

Family photojournalism leans into those quiet, commonplace, ordinary moments and highlights the beauty contained within. 

Take a moment to think with me about when you feel like you are most yourself. The most genuine version of yourself. Is it when you’re out experiencing a Michelin starred dinner? Or perhaps standing at the pinnacle of the Matterhorn? Both of those sound amazing and are definitely bucket list items. 

But is that your truest self? 

Or is your most genuine you to be found at home, talking and doing real life with those you are closest to?

I know what I would answer. 

Nothing captures this genuine version of you in your lived-in reality like documentary family photography.  

Why is This Approach to Family Photography So Powerful?

Ok, so we’ve covered the what, let’s dig into the why. 

Documentary Family Photography Sparks Deeper Memories

It can be hard to imagine years down the road, especially in the instant gratification, right-now time and place we live. But think with me for a moment. What do you really want to remember about this all-too-brief season of your life? Do you merely want a pretty portrait that shows what your loved ones looked like? Or do you want to be whisked through down the halls of memory to what they really felt like?

As a mom myself, I think back to my daughter’s darling curls that grew out too fast. The way that they would bounce when she raced through the house. Forever blurry. I think of the way my middle son’s voice would squeak as he answered “chicken butt” when I’d ask “Guess what?” with a giant grin on his face. I think of my youngest, and how he is the biggest snuggle bug in the world right now. 

These things won’t always be. The little snuggles and sudden outbursts of laughter because something ridiculous was said. The “isms” that make your kids your kids. 

Family photojournalism looks for these “isms” and gets to the soul of your family. The pictures that are created from this level of attention to the genuine connections in the setting of your in your ordinary everyday life will spark your memory in greater depth. You have more of the story in the photograph. Your home, even, is a key character in the drama. 

When you settle for photos that only show what you look like, you miss the chance to really preserve these precious memories in the making. 

Family Photojournalism Preserves Your Legacy

Again, think 30-50 years down the road. Imagine your children and grandchildren flipping through the family photo album (print is NOT dead). What are they seeing? What story are they hearing through those pages? Is it really the story of your family? 

Something that’s gotten lost a bit in the smartphone era is the delight of the ordinary moments. We take bajillions of pictures with our phones. Ok, it’s actually estimated at 5.3 billion. But the point stands. People take tons of photos, and choose only the very best to post. Usually after some decent editing. 

I love looking through photos from the 90’s. Bad lighting, questionable wardrobe choices, and sometimes the oddest moments being photographed. (You can totally take a trip down memory lane here!) But those pictures take me back! 

I can remember sitting in the back of my parents station wagon, water shoes and bathing suit on, jamming myself in between all the blown up inner tubes and the roof of the car. I’m hunched over sideways, bad home-cut bangs in my eyes, smiling like a fiend. It’s more than just a moment in time, it is feelings and memories of summers spent in Maryland. This photo speaks volumes to me and the legacy of my family. 

What is the legacy you are building in the here and now? As parents with young kids, sometimes that question sounds impossible to answer. But, try. Your legacy is being formed now. You should have photographs that celebrate it and preserve it for those who come after, and that you’ll thank yourself for having. Nothing does that the way documentary family photography does. 

This Style of Family Photography Carries Emotional Depth

I began to touch on this in the last section. As I was describing the photo of myself in the back of the station wagon, I actually began to tear up as I was writing. 

That might sound weird, but it happened because I was there in my mind. I remember the wonderful times spent at that house in Maryland. A home shared by my grandfather and his siblings. My grandfather who is no longer among us. A house that has been sold. 

Those summers were wonderfully wild. Always filled with people, whether family or friends. We jammed into that house. Beds in nearly every room and a huge bunk room in the lower level. It was communal meals and horseshoe tournaments. It was sticking to brightly colored pleather chairs. It was playing King of the Hill on the raft anchored in the river. Complete with astroturf burns. 

All that, from one photograph. 

It aches a little, if I’m honest. Nearly all the people I shared that time and space with are gone, separated by distance, or now play a much smaller role in my life. 

But it is far better to have loved and lived it, than never to have experienced it at all. 

Wouldn’t it be amazing to look back at all your family photos like that? What levels of emotional depth can be mined for you with family photojournalism? 

Finally, Family Photojournalism is Powerful Because It’s Stress-Free

No one enjoys being stressed out. One of the things I hear most when I talk about family photography is how much people want pictures, but the idea of coordinating outfits and getting everyone to smile for the camera is so stressful. I’ve seen many moms try to hide their panic when the baby has a blow out and ruins the planned outfit. I’ve witnessed many dads do their best to smile while also trying to check their phone for the score of the game. I’m not being cliche. This happens all the time with traditional portraits.

This is NOT the case with documentary family photography. I can’t prevent all stress from life, but I can remove it from your family photo session.

With family photojournalism, all the external pressures are removed. There’s no need to coordinate clothes. Wear what is comfortable and normal. There’s no timeline to follow or location to drive to. Your normal day to day routines are the structure of the session. Most importantly, there is no need to “smile for the camera”. No saying “cheese”. The smiles that happen naturally, the genuine belly-laughs, and even the quiet joy have space to flourish in documentary family photography sessions. 

And those smiles tend to be so much more genuine than traditional family pictures. Sounds like a win-win to me.

You may now be wondering how exactly does all this work? Let’s get into it.

What a Day in the Life Session Looks Like: How Family Photojournalism Flows

My Personal Process

Each documentary family photography session is an unique opportunity to get to know a family and create pictures that really capture their collective soul. As I prepare for our time together, I always call to mind the words of one of my favorite documentary photographers, Chuck Anerino. He always says, “Slow down, stop down, sit down.” 

To slow down means that you really take the time to look around. Take in the scene. See where the light is coming from. Watch how everyone interacts. Find the personalities and how they play out. Don’t move too quickly through the moments. 

Stop down is a photography term. It means to close your aperture allowing for greater depth of field (how much of the scene is in focus). This allows me to bring more into the frame to tell the story in greater depth and detail. 

Finally, sit down. Change your perspective. Sit down and feel what it’s like in the moment. See how a small child might see the world. Don’t stand over it. Sit with and in it. 

This simple flow, slow down, stop down, sit down, has had a dramatic impact on the images I’ve created. Especially coming out of wedding photography where things move quickly and you don’t get a chance to redo it. 

Family photojournalism has plenty of time and space to breathe. This allows those moments to open up, to repeat themselves, and to lead to utterly magical scenes to photograph. 

That’s a smidge about my process and how I think through each family photo session. Now we’ll turn our attention to the process for you!

What Happens Before a Family Photojournalism Session?

Whenever a new family gets in contact with me, I love scheduling a phone call to chat. Getting to know you as people and hear a little more about the relationships of your family is always a joy. No one knows your family like you do, and knowing a little more about them before arriving for the session is always helpful. 

This phone call also establishes some rapport ahead of time as well. It’s one of the things that I hear with great consistency from all the wonderful families I’ve had the joy to photograph. They tell me that I’m super easy-going and feel more like a long-time friend than merely a photographer shortly into the session. This phone call begins this process which will continue well into your session and beyond. 

Besides establishing rapport and getting to know you a bit, I’m always happy to answer any questions you might have about how it all works. If I’m really being serious when I say you don’t have to do anything special. Or if the house needs to be spotless. Spoiler alert: it doesn’t.

Once the date and time is set, we’re ready to rock n roll. 

But, What Happens During a Day in the Life Session? 

The short answer? Whatever you want. Really. 

Each Day in the Life family photography session involves whatever you want to do that day. However ordinary or plain it might feel, it is the perfect setting for your family photos. 

So, do what you always do. Take the kids to school or practice, make a meal, play outside, or read a bedtime story together. If people come and go throughout, that’s fine. That’s part of your story too. 

My goal is to always blend into your day and allow you to really feel comfortable being yourselves, despite having a camera present. I won’t just be some weird lurker hanging out in the corner of the room, I love to talk with everyone a bit. Share some of my own stories too. I love how much those brief interactions open people up. 

While I won’t be uncomfortably quiet, I also will not tell you what to do. This style of family photography is pose-free. I won’t direct you to stand near a window or to smile for the camera. All you have to do is be you. Leave the rest to me. 

After Your Documentary Day in the Life Family Session

Once we’ve had the opportunity to create incredible images out of the ordinary moments of your everyday life, the next phase begins. 

I work very hard to edit the pictures in a way that feels timeless and true to you. I avoid editing trends and stick with the classics. My intention with each photograph is to allow the story to be told without any embellishment. All my galleries include a variety of color photos and black and white. 

The result is a gallery of pictures that tell the story of your family, truly. To highlight the soul of your family, the varying joys and delights you share, the moments of challenge and support, the genuine connections that bond you together. 

My sincere desire is that these photographs made during your Day in the Life session will grow alongside you through the years. That these pictures will age like fine wine, growing sweeter and possessing greater depth as the days pass by. And that you’ll add to them over time. 

Which begs the question, when is the right time to have a documentary family photography session?

When Should You Have a Family Photojournalism Session?

Again, the short answer? Whenever you want. It’s all beautiful and meaningful. But, that’s not the most helpful answer, I know. Let’s get into some ideas. 

Photographing Your Everyday Routine 

I’ve said it over and over throughout this piece; your lived-in routines and rhythms are where the soul of your family plays out. This is where the genuine connections you share really shine. It naturally follows that the most magical photographs are created in that context. 

This could include your morning routine. The slow moving kind of morning with plenty of time to make your coffee and sit in your favorite chair and savor each sip. Or, it could be the kind of morning where everyone is running around to get ready for school or work or practice. Both are amazing. There are so many moments there that are worth capturing.

Dinner and bedtime in the evening is another routine worth mining for soul-filled gems. The genuine conversations held around the table give such insight into each person. We all experience our days differently, and hearing about it bonds us to one another more deeply. 

I love documentary family photography sessions that include bedtime routine! Settling the kids down after bathtime with a story or with snuggles and soft music really allows for the quiet moments to shine. Those quiet moments often reveal the deepest truths. 

Whatever time of day, whatever the routine may be, it’s the perfect opportunity to create soulful pictures that really capture the genuine connections and lived-in joys of your family. Here and now. 

Family Photojournalism for the Milestones

Not every experience of our life is a milestone and family photojournalism thrives in the ordinary for sure, but that doesn’t mean that we should ignore the milestone moments!

Birthdays

Celebrating a birthday is an incredible opportunity to create pictures capturing the genuine connections you share across family and friends. Family isn’t the only thing that changes over time. Friendships do as well. The history of lifelong friends deserves a spot in the album too. Friends we share our story with for a shorter time also have lasting impact. A birthday can be a fabulous way to include them in the photos we treasure for all time. 

Birthdays are a good old fashioned celebration bringing joy and delight. What a perfect catalyst for creating pictures that really bring back feelings and memories.

Growing Your Family

Families grow in all sorts of ways. Childbirth, adoption, rescuing a pet, grandparents moving in. The first few days of a larger family can be some of the sweetest. Life has just changed in a deep and meaningful way. Documentary family photography preserves those emotions for all time. 

The feelings that hit you when you arrive home with your newborn child, groggy and foggy, still in awe of the ten little fingers and toes on their hands and feet, are some of the most incredible and most fleeting in life. I can think of no better time for a totally stress free unscripted documentary family session than that. Having photographs that let you relive those feelings is one of the greatest treasures a family can possess. 

Adoptions, likewise, are a flood of emotional moments. Bringing someone into the family and giving them a home is beautiful. Treasure it in photos.

Or adding a fuzzy four legged (or scaly/many-legged) member of the family! It’s such a joy filled time when a new pet comes onto the scene. Soft and snuggly, or scaly and cool, whatever the case may be, it’s a fun time of adjusting to the newness. Celebrate the day your family got a little bigger with photos that really capture the depth of the moment. 

Moving

This one is maybe less obvious. I feel strongly that our homes are a character in the story of our lives. I have an entire post dedicated to this idea so I won’t dig too deeply on that here. Given that belief though, leaving a home or arriving at the new one, the fabric of your family changes. It’s another chapter break in the story. Using documentary family photography to create beautiful images of a space that helped create you is a fantastic way to remember all the ways you felt and changed in that time and space. 

In my example from earlier, the photos I have of the house in Maryland, the site of many adventures (and misadventures) take me back and remind me of all the amazing life moments lived there. The house itself is a key character in those moments. My thighs sticking to the teal and orange faux leather chairs as I lounged in my bathing suit, waiting oh so impatiently for my parents to be ready to head down to the beach is something I can still feel when I look at those pictures. 

What sort of feelings will come rushing back for you when you look through pictures created in your home? 

While all of life is not lived in milestone moments, they are still significant and worthy of beautiful pictures that really take you back. Documentary family photography will absolutely do that!

This begs the question then, if these are all the times for documentary family photography, who is family photojournalism for? 

Who is Documentary Family Photography for? 

If you’ve read this post, chances are you might be wondering if this is a good fit for you. In my heart of hearts I really believe this style is for everyone. But I encourage you to read on and see if any of the following resonates with your heart. 

Family Photojournalism is for Families that Value Authenticity

Something I’ve quickly noticed about families in Cary, Apex, and Holly Springs (the whole Triangle really) is that they value authenticity deeply. These are families that are invested in their communities, who live life with others, and treat others with respect and kindness. They don’t put on a facade for other people. They are who they are; authentically. 

Authenticity can sometimes feel hard to come by. Certainly in the age of polished images on social media, Pinterest perfection, and the pressure to conform to those around you. But here in Raleigh, it really shows out. People share genuine connections and joy. There is communal delight here. And it starts with families who are willing to be who they are without worrying about what others might think. 

The family that values authentic interactions and realizes that life is not all kittens and moonbeams is more likely to open up during a family photojournalism session, allowing for the soul of their family to shine forth and be captured in stunning pictures.

If you find value in all the genuine experiences of your life, joyful or challenging, documentary family photography is absolutely for you!

Family Photojournalism is For Families with Young Children

The days are long, but the years are short. It’s a cliche for sure, but a truer one I’ve yet to find. Kids grow up so dang fast. My oldest is now 10. A whole decade with her. From tired nights holding her tiny body, to wild dancing through the house, to moving across the country and back to Holly Springs, to all the personality quirks and changes over time, her life has changed so much. She has changed so much. 

And I have albums of photographs of her in each stage. In each setting. I am reminded of how quickly it all moves, and it helps me slow down and savor the present. 

Your kids will grow up and change. It happens far quicker than any of us want to admit. Documentary family photography arrests that thief we call time. It holds these precious moments for us forever. The pictures created take us back to how our kids felt and really were. Not just what they looked like – though that certainly changes as well. This family photojournalism session in Cary is a fabulous example!

Documentary Family Photography is for Families of all Ages

Two things can be true at the same time. Family photojournalism is definitely for families with young ones, but it is also definitely for families regardless of age. 

Family dynamics grow and mature over time. Families with older teens and even grown children can find tremendous benefit in documentary family photo sessions. Following a Day in the Life of your family, with people coming and going, can help highlight the meaningful interactions you have with one another throughout the day. You might not even be aware these things are happening. That makes it all the more important to have photographs that remind you that those moments matter. The few minutes you get to catch up with your 17 year old before they head off for their part time job after school are soul-connecting moments. 

Multiple generations coming together is another chance for magical connections. Grandparents with grandchildren, grown children with their kids, siblings enjoying being together. Each of these scenarios is rich with depth and moments worth remembering. Treasure these bonds and celebrate the legacy in the making. 

It’s for Anyone Who Thinks Their Life Isn’t Interesting or Special Enough

I’ve said it before, and I’ll say it again, our lives are not lived on mountaintops and comparing ourselves to the highlight reel on Instagram will only leave us feeling insignificant. 

Each day spent in the ordinary, lived-in, loved-in reality of our lives is a building block of legacy. You don’t have to have bucket list experiences every day to make an impact. You don’t need to be in a beautiful new place to have magical moments. 

Family photojournalism highlights the extraordinary things that happen right here in the ordinary moments of life. It provides a new lens (no pun intended) to view your normal experiences with. It might feel plain or mundane, but there are hidden gems to be found and delighted in. 

You might just be surprised at how special it all really is. 

Common Concerns About Documentary Family Photography

There are a few fears I hear about when I talk with people about family photojournalism here in the Triangle area. 

My House is Too Messy

One of my best friends has a saying, “My house is clean enough to be healthy, and messy enough to be happy.” Your house does not have to be spotless. Not even close. The emphasis of the pictures created during a documentary family session is on the connections, relationships, and the place you find yourself right now. Your home is a player in the story for sure, but it provides a supporting role. 

It’s also important to understand the perspective the photographer brings. We constantly edit the environment in the camera frame to tell the story we want to tell. Sometimes this means photographing in such a way that we avoid the counter full of dishes. Sometimes it means that the counter of dishes is front and center so you can feel the satisfaction of a wonderful meal shared by everyone as they still sit around the table; full in every sense. 

Your lived-in home is just right for your family photojournalism session. In fact, it couldn’t be better.

My Kids Won’t Cooperate

What if I told you that was the point and part of the beauty that is documentary family photography? Your kids don’t need to cooperate in the sense that they don’t need to look at the camera and smile. They don’t need to be in a certain place at a certain time. They don’t even have to be happy the whole time. 

Family photojournalism tells the whole story. Each moment has great value and meaning. Even the ones that feel less than perfect. Even the moments when our toddler is being defiant, or after a difficult loss on the soccer field, or a good ol’ sibling row. These experiences shape and mold us, and there are soul connections that happen here too. 

Whatever happens, happens. And that’s just how I like it.

I’m Not a Photogenic Person

First of all, we are our own worst critics when it comes to how we look in photos. I’ll raise my own hand. We are often the last person who should rate our photogenicity. (I feel like I just made that word up.)  But my point stands. 

Secondly, this style of photography is grounded in reality. This is about creating pictures that really feel like you. Not the Instagram filtered version. 

When I really laugh, the laugh lines around my eyes turn into deep chasms. But it feels like me. It is me. Really me. 

During a Day in the Life session, the emphasis is on finding those things that really feel like you and creating pictures that portray that truth. And I’ve found, over and over, when you are really comfortable just being you, the photos are absolutely amazing.

Family Photojournalism Creates Incredible Images from Your Magical Mundane

Whether you live in Raleigh, Apex, Cary, Holly Springs or anywhere else in this great big world, family photojournalism is about creating pictures of the wild, wonderful, chaotic and joyful reality of your life. It celebrates the moments that build into the legacy of your life. These pictures can ground us in times of hardship. They connect us to one another in even greater measure. 

Documentary family photography is for anyone and everyone. No pressure. No stress. No need to scrub the house or perform for the camera. 

It’s all about the soul-level connections you share with those you cherish as you live together in the well-worn paths of your life. This is where the true magic happens, and where you thrive. Preserve it beautifully through family photojournalism.

Are you ready to see the extraordinary beauty of your ordinary life? Contact me today to schedule a Day in the Life session anywhere in Raleigh and beyond!