What to Do During a Documentary Family Photography Session—Taipei Style!
People often ask me what they should plan on doing during a documentary family photography session. Everyone knows documentary-style photos are about capturing real life, but there is sometimes a feeling of disbelief that real life is interesting enough to photograph without some planning.
One thing to remember is that your everyday life might not feel interesting now, but it will years from now. Little details that fly under our radar now because we’re so familiar with them—the way your son’s hair sticks up after a nap, the way your daughter holds her pencil when she writes—will make the most powerful photographs later. These are the photographs that serve as conversation pieces later (Look at how you used to get rice everywhere and the dog would camp out under your high chair so she could eat all of the flying pieces of food!); these are the photos with the most emotional punch and the power to transport people to another place and time. The only way to get these photos is to take them yourself or live as your authentic selves in front of someone like me who specializes in seeing these details and weaving them together in a story for posterity.
This isn’t to say that you shouldn’t put any thought into how to prepare for a documentary family photography session, though. While there isn’t any posing or uncomfortable matching outfits involved in my family sessions, some advice that you’ve probably been given for more traditional family photoshoots (both at home and outdoors) applies to documentary sessions as well.
Here are some tips on clothing:
Avoid loud logos or patterns that will draw attention away from the moment and onto your clothing.
It’ll be harder to see your face if you wear a hat.
Neutral colors typically look best in photos.
Here are some tips on activities:
Interaction is key! Activities such as board games, baking, or going to the park foster more interaction than quietly playing with Lego.
Being on phones or doing screen time doesn’t foster interaction and makes for more boring photos.
Documentary photography is all about capturing the story of your real life. Going to a beautiful field during sunset probably won’t say much about your family story, but capturing your routine at home, going to your favorite neighborhood coffee shop, or taking the MRT to your favorite playground will.
Notice how there’s hardly any tips? That’s because there are very few rules when it comes to documentary family photography. The weather or the time of day doesn’t really matter, all that matters is living life together and documenting what that looks like. You may not feel like your life is very interesting, but I promise you, there’s a story you’ll want to remember there.
The photos below are from a Year in the Life session with a family in Taipei. These year-long projects are my favorite way to tell a family’s story!
