What is “Day in the Life” Family Photography?

What is a Day in the Life Session?

One of the first questions my clients have is with my Day in the Life Photography and Documentary Photography, and what do these “terms” actually mean? So I’d like to dive into this question a little deeper and answer “What is a day in the Life Session?” and what does the term “documentary” actually mean? In short, a Day in the Life Photography session encapsulates just what the title suggests – capturing those moments in your entire day, or part of your day. Due to the length of time we spend together, Day in the Life photography approaches your session in a more documentary style of photography, meaning nothing is posed. Really, it doesn’t even feel like a session at all actually, and that’s the beauty of it. When you choose a Day in the Life session, you are choosing to capture your every day memories. The things that make your life unique, every day parts of your day that you might not give importance to, but they all contribute to your memories as a family.

In this article, I’d like to address a few common questions that come up with clients often when deciding whether to choose a Day in the Life Photography session.

WHEN DOES A DAY IN THE LIFE SESSION BEGIN AND END?

Your Day in the Life session ideally begins when you begin your day. We’ll talk beforehand about what are the normal things you might do during a day, answer any questions you might have, and I’ll get an idea for when you guys generally wake up in the morning, and we can start first thing in the morning when the kids are getting up or at breakfast time. Your Day in the Life session generally ends when the kids go to bed. I understand that seems like a lot, so if you only have 1/2 of a day free we can choose morning or evening, or any 4-5 hour block of time to capture a good portion of your day.  I’ve even stayed the night with families, or nearby accommodations, the night before to be there when the kids get up, if you’re not close to me. Anything is possible.

WHAT ARE SOME ACTIVITIES THAT YOU MIGHT CHOOSE TO DO DURING YOUR DAY IN THE LIFE SESSION?

While the little, every day moments are the ones I most enjoy capturing, I generally recommend to have a couple of small activities lined up for you to do together as a family, so that it’s not all tv-watching and kids playing video games (at least that’s what my kids are doing). Some examples of activities could include a family breakfast/lunch/dinner, cooking a meal or christmas cookies together, board games or a puzzle, playing in the backyard, run some errands (I’ll join you), or any other hobbies or activities that is “normal” for you on a given day. If you would like to capture family members, ask them to come and visit – what better day for a visit than on a day that you’ll be able to have photos together of these moments? I encourage you to keep the activities simple and “everyday” and not “act” for the camera or overthink what you might be doing or planning for the day. These are going to be the most precious memories that you and your kids are going to look back on and remember exactly what it felt like, so you’ll want to keep things as close to “real life” as possible. You’d be surprised at the memories that kids treasure the most.

CAN WE INCORPORATE ANY POSED PHOTOS AT ALL?

I realize a lot of families might want just a couple of posed photos to give to relatives or for the for the Christmas cards. I am happy to set aside a few minutes at any point to do a couple of posed photos, and then go right back to documenting your day, if that’s what you wish.

WHAT ARE YOUR 1/2 DAY IN THE LIFE FAMILY SESSIONS LIKE?

1/2 Day in the Life family sessions are a perfect way to “dip your toes” into Documentary sessions. Warning – you will fall in love with this format and want to do them all the time! They are only 4 hours in length, and you can pick your favorite part of the day to document. Some ideas to capture are “breakfast time”, “dinner/bath time”, an afternoon together at the park or at home with games, or even plan your sessions around a time of the year that you really love to capture, for example putting up your Christmas tree, a birthday celebration, winter fun in the snow, or a summer day at the park – the possibilities are really endless and you’ll want to do these sessions all the time to capture all seasons and events of your life.

CAN WE TAKE ON YOU ON VACATION WITH US?

Absolutely! This is a great way to use your Day in the Life session, showing a glimpse of your vacation day, without having to lift a finger on your phone or camera to document the fun – just being TOTALLY in the moment! What better way to enjoy your vacation, AND still make sure you have a memory of it? I know that I, being the family photographer, am the one taking pictures, because I don’t want to forget anything, but then I can never be fully in the moments either, And not actually in the pictures, so this is a great investment into your vacation. I generally suggest choosing a full day in the life session for vacation memories, as lots can go on during a vacation day and you’ll want to capture it all. But if it’s a quick weekend trip to the beach or state park or camping, you might also consider a 1/2 Day in the Life. I’m also happy to customize a package, if you’d like to make a full travel session out of it, with several days. I’m always up for and inspired by new adventures!

HOW DO WE KNOW IF A DAY IN THE LIFE PHOTOGRAPHY IS FOR US?

The biggest question I want you to ask yourself is: what do you want to get out of your session? Are you looking for that one posed portrait for your wall or Christmas cards? Are you a fan of happy, cheerful photos where you can see all the members of your family? If so, then my style of documenting your day may not be for you, we can always get a couple posed photos, but that’s not the focus of documenting your day. If you are wondering what your day must look like on the outside looking in – if you cherish those everyday little moments that go by way too quickly in your family – and you’d like to capture the memories in your every day (that means NO acting for the camera), then a Day in the Life Photography session is definitely for you. In my opinion, these are the moments that kids enjoy the most, because they are not being forced to smile for a camera, or act happy. If they want to throw a tantrum, that’s perfectly ok – it’s part of your memories – and they’ll look back on that day and laugh. It’s also a little easier on the parents, because you don’t have to dress up, or clean up your home (even though I hear later that most families end up cleaning anyway, but no need to, these photos are for you), or try to wrangle your kids and get them to behave, or change anything you regularly do. Day in the Life Sessions are also a great way to capture your vacation photographs, honeymoon photos, or birth photography.

Do you have more questions that I haven’t addressed yet? Please feel free to reach out, and I’m happy to discuss anything with you, and add them to this post. For more information on my wedding photography check out wedding photography page.