‘I felt slightly apprehensive as to how natural we could be as a family knowing a camera was present! I needn’t have worried. From the moment Saskia arrived she put us very much at ease. We didn’t have to ignore her as I thought we might, but rather just include her in our afternoon.’ – Joanne & Stuart from London
There’s a common misconception about documentary family photography: the idea that the photographer fades into the background. That I will be awkwardly lurking in a corner while photographing you. But, in reality, it’s quite the opposite. I don’t aim to be a silent observer; I’m here to actively participate and become a part of your day.
If you’re new to documentary photography and want to understand what it actually means, you can read more about it here and how it compares to other styles of family photography.
What “Becoming Part of Your Day” Actually Looks Like
Before we meet, I’ll send you a short questionnaire. Nothing formal — just a chance for you to tell me about your family. What you love doing together. The places that feel like yours. The routines and rituals that make up your everyday life right now. Whether you’re happiest at home or always heading somewhere.
That conversation shapes the session without scripting it. It might mean we start at home and head out to your favourite local park. It might mean we spend the whole morning in your kitchen. It might mean we go to the same café you always end up at on a Saturday — because that place is already full of your family’s story, and that’s exactly where it deserves to be photographed.
For ideas on how to think about locations, this post is a good starting point → And if you’re not sure what to actually do during your session, this post has plenty of ideas →
On the day I arrive, say hello, and ask what’s happening. I’m not a silent observer hanging back waiting for moments — I’m there with you, part of the morning, chatting and interacting and following wherever things go. Think of it less like a photoshoot and more like having a friend come over who happens to have a camera. Someone who’s genuinely interested in your family, who’ll talk to your children and get involved in whatever’s unfolding. The photographs happen as a natural result of that — not in spite of it.
Ready to celebrate your family exactly as you are?
What if Someone in Your Family Is Really Camera Shy?
The camera-shy partner. The teenager who thinks the whole thing is mortifying. The child who freezes every time they think someone’s watching.
Here’s what actually helps — and it’s not forgetting the camera is there. It’s about being busy doing something else that will make you feel comfortable very quickly. When you’re making pancakes, helping with homework, chasing the dog around the garden, or laughing at something that just happened, you’re not posing. You’re just living. And that’s when I am able to really capture everyone’s personality and your relationships, creating photos that will make you say: ‘That’s us!’
There’s nothing to brace against in a documentary session because nobody is asking you to stand anywhere or perform anything. The camera-shy one relaxes not because they’ve forgotten about me, but because they’re genuinely absorbed in what they’re doing — and I’m just there, watching and following along.
If you are really worried that your family will feel stiff or awkward, I wrote a blog post with tips on how to feel more relaxed during your photo session. And if your child is neurodivergent or needs a little more time to warm up, I’ve written specifically about how I approach those sessions here.
What About the Moments When Someone Looks at the Camera?
This is something families worry about unnecessarily, and honestly, don’t.
If your child spots the camera and looks straight into it, that’s not a problem. It’s a photograph. If they try to grab the lens, that’s a photograph too. If they want to look and pull faces, or make the whole thing about the camera for a few minutes, all of that is fine and can produce really joyful images. And trust me, they won’t be able to pose and pull faces for three hours. I will capture who they are and what they love in that time we have together!
You can truly do anything you like. Your children can behave however they like. And I’ll never ask your children to smile or look at the camera. There’s no wrong way to be in a documentary session.
“A portrait is not made in the camera but on either side of it.” – Edward Steichen
I love the above quote! To capture the intimate moments of family life that matter, I need to build trust, and you can only do so by building a relationship… which means that interacting is actually a key part of the process. Include me into your day. I am there to chat, play, let your children ask me things — they usually have excellent questions and no filter whatsoever, which tends to break the ice quickly for everyone. And expect me to ask you loads of questions too, as I really look forward to getting to know you.
To learn more about what your family photo session with me will be like, you can read my article ‘Your Family Photography Experience will go like this…‘.
