What Is Documentary Family Photography?

Documentary family photography is a unique approach to capturing the essence of your family life. It’s not about the perfectly posed group shots in matching outfits and carefully staged settings. It’s about the unscripted, authentic moments that occur in your everyday life.

All the joy, laughter, silliness, and love are captured through the lens of a professional. These are the moments that truly tell your family’s unique story.

What Can You Include In Your Documentary Family Photography Sessions?

Every documentary family photo shoot is unique and different, but based on my experience as a family photographer in Seattle, here’s a glimpse of what it could look like.

An example could be something as simple and everyday as making breakfast. Imagine the pancake batter flying everywhere, the joy of your kids as they flip the pancakes, or the quiet concentration of them buttering up their toast. Imagine the warm hug from behind that your spouse gives you while the coffee is brewing.

Following breakfast, perhaps you’d like to play Uno! The friendly competition, the shared laughter, and the cute puppy-dog eyes your kids make at you asking for “just one more game”.

Living room activities are another wonderful playground for photography. Let’s capture you reading a book to your little one or the intense focus on the faces as you work on a puzzle, or the pure joy of a good tickle fight.

These scenarios offer unposed and spontaneous opportunities for beautiful family photos. All these mundane yet absolutely magical moments, captured with love, embody the soul of documentary family photography and can be made uniquely yours!

Why Is Documentary Family Photography Important?  

We tend to remember the big moments and milestones, like the time you broke your arm riding the bike or a particularly special birthday party, but what about the thousands of days in between?

Documentary family photography allows you to capture the small, candid moments that fill the rest of the days. It’s about seeing the beauty of making breakfast together, enjoying a family game, or simply lazing around the living room.

It’s about recognizing that these everyday moments are indeed photo session worthy. More than that, it’s about celebrating your family exactly as it is.

Contact Amy Keljo

Ready to invite a documentary family photographer into your lives for a few hours or even a whole day? Hi! I’m Amy and I’m a Seattle documentary family photographer. I’ll blend in the background and become the proverbial fly-on-the-wall (with a camera) capturing your experience.

You can learn more about my documentary family photography packages here! You can also add a documentary twist to your newborn photography sessions in Seattle and maternity photography in Seattle. When you are ready to book, just fill out my contact form and I will get back to you! I can’t wait to hear from you!