Let’s capture them while they are still young
“When people look at my work, I want to make sure the message is clear: The days are long, but the years fly by. This time will pass quicker than you think. Babies don’t keep. Kids don’t stay little. And before you know it, another year passes. Let’s freeze just a bit of time and document their beautiful little life. I’m here to tell the story of childhood, so you can embrace this time forever.”
-Melissa Soto
What is documentary Childhood photography?
Documentary photography is unposed and unscripted. It has a photojournalism style with a focus on storytelling. The results are images that depict your children in their natural setting or scenes specific to them. These portraits are original and intimate snapshots of a day in your child’s life. Documentary photography allows me to authentically capture a day of their childhood through a series of photos.
What do we do?
This is the easiest part. We can do ANYTHING. We can meet up at your home, in the backyard, at your favorite playground, at the beach, or whatever your children love to do. Kids are authentic, and documenting how they play, have fun, and explore is the most beautiful story to capture. There’s no dressing up or getting outfits together that will look good on camera. They get to wear what you would normally put them in for the day. They stay as they are, and I enter their world to capture it.
Who are these sessions for?
These sessions are perfect for moms who want to capture their child’s unscripted life, their character, and true moments of their childhood. They are perfect for families with children who are 1-10 years of age. They are for parents who want images that remember their children doing what they love - playing, reading, getting dirty, jumping, using their imagination, and basically just living their best life.
When should I have my documentary session?
It all depends on what your kids like to do and what it is that you would like to have captured. If you want to remember a summer day in the sprinkler, then let’s do that. If your children are snow bunnies, then let’s get them outside and have them play in the snow. If your kids like to play indoors, let’s capture that too. There is absolutely no wrong way to document your kids.
Summer: Documentary sessions occur 2-3 hours before sunset at an outdoor location. You’ll get to choose what your kids love doing the most. Ideas includes, backyard fun (trampoline, sprinkler, swing set, etc), playground, beach, bike riding, nature hike, or a trip to the orchard/strawberry field/ice cream shop/fair or festival.
Winter: Documentary sessions can occur either indoors or outdoors. Indoor sessions occur during the late morning hours. While indoors (depending on their age), most kids will just do what they do - play! Otherwise there is a list of ideas we can do for the older kids - read, build legos, kid board games, fort building, drawing- the ideas are endless. Outdoor sessions occur 2 hours before sunset. Outdoor sessions typically involve them playing in the snow, sledding, snowman building, or any other winter activities they do outdoors on a typical afternoon.
I’m worried my kids won’t cooperate.
They don’t have to. Kids are unpredictable. That’s why documentary photography is so unique for capturing their childhood. They don’t need to be prompted to do anything and their own curiosity leads the session. You’ll have a variety of images to remember them when they were this young. Some of my favorite images of my own children are ones the ones that document daily life - exactly how they are. I may ask them something like, “Did you see that bird out the window?” or “Show me your best dance move!”if I see a moment that I really want to capture.
It goes by so fast!
How many times have you heard the phrase,“It goes by so fast.” The truth is - it does! 10 years ago I picked up a camera and started shooting. I didn’t know what I was doing, but I knew one day I would be thankful for it. Then one day, I looked back at those photos, wiped a tear from my eye, and wondered where the time went. Every year, I look back at the past 12 months and become speechless when I see how much they have changed. And I’m pretty sure, you see the same in your kids!
So what’s holding you back?
What’s holding you back from having a Documentary Childhood Session? Some moms love having a documentary session because they don’t have to do a thing! Seriously. The great thing about a documentary session, is that mom or dad don’t have to prep to be in the photos. You can if you would like - and I actually encourage it - it’s fun to capture a parent helping a little one button a shirt, or helping your child up or down the steps, but then you can sit back and relax. Capturing mom or dad is wonderful, but the kids are the center of attention. So, what’s holding you back from booking a session? If you’ve got questions, hit the button below and we can chat. You don’t want to miss out on documenting them while they’re still little. The days are long, but the years fly by!
Every moment matters.
It’s these moments that matter the most. The moments of when they are young. These moments can drift away until it hits you 2 years down the road when you look back and wonder where the time went. Documentary photography allows you to get images that capture them as they are now. It’s a time capsule in a photo.
