We have all heard the term “documentary photography”, but I’m guessing your definition is in relation to photojournalism and film making, or maybe your mind goes to street photography, or National Geographic style work. This is absolutely true, but there’s more.

Intentional Family Documentary Storytelling…Huh? What the heck does that even mean?

Your life tells a beautiful, intimate story shared with family and friends. Each moment, day, week, month, and year adds to this story with depth and character. Yet, we rarely have the ability to recall more than a snippet of a memory as more and more are built.

Do you look back at Facebook memories and share them again, year after year? Ya, that’s me. In fact, there are a few, like my daughter walking for the first time, or her apparent love of tacos at midnight, or my son singing along to the Cars soundtrack that take me right back to that singular moment. That’s some good stuff, friends. I’m sure you have these same feelings from your own memories and they are powerful!

What would it be like to have more of those memories with YOU part of it? 

This is where we get to be intentional with our lives and document not only the “important” events (birthdays, graduations, celebrations, etc.), but also the every day foibles, joys, and rhythms that makes us who we are. How about potty-learning? Do you remember those hours of naked little bottoms, sitting on portable potties strewn around the house (no, you didn’t do that? okay, maybe that was just me), and cleaning up the inevitable messes?

Or, your kids are older and it’s a one-on-one game of basketball with your pre-teen, or packing what seems like your whole house for a day trip to the local pool. How well will you remember these connected moments 10-20 years from now? If you’re honest, those memories will be fuzzy. You can see them, but not as clearly as your heart wants to.

So, let’s tell your story. All of it. 

Documentary storytelling isn’t about in-home sessions, a trip to the park, or baking cookies. It is about your life and how you want to remember it. I am committed to capturing the connectedness that surrounds everything you do: from the way you communicate, to how you look at your partner, how you hold your child’s hand, and what makes you thrive. The unpredictable moments that take your breath away.

You’ll be 100% yourself. The pressure to perform and be ideal doesn’t live in these sessions! You will have fun, be surprised with how easily it flows, and get authentic interactions that you and your family will look back on for years. Say goodbye to posed portraits hanging above the fireplace and hello to your life in this moment.

It’s SO exciting to know that there’s an option for families who want to remember how they are, rather than how they are thought to be. If this speaks to you, give me a shout and share your stories!

Celebrating your story with joy,

Amy