The shift to Documentary Family Photography


I’ve always gravitated towards taking candid photos, but with social media and even some influence of other photographers, I often felt like I had to edit tones a certain way, clone things out and really perfect the scene to make everything look more cohesive.


I found myself frustrated when my candids weren't "perfect" or getting mad at my kids when they wouldn’t comply. And honestly, I just started feeling bored with taking these photos all together. Then it hit me-- This isn’t why I started. I started to document them how they are, so I could look back and appreciate those moments for what they were.


Now when I look back at the photos from that time, sure they're pretty and aesthetically pleasing. But all I remember is frustration. The way I got mad. The way I made my kids sad. Looking back, I hate admitting how frustrated I got with my kids just trying to get a "perfect" photo. It makes me sad to think that I let a picture matter more than the moment itself. But the realization changed everything for me. I don't want that. I don't want to look at a photo and remember that I upset them just to get it.


Whether a moment is happy, sad or chaotic, I want to be able to look back and appreciate it for what it was, not for what I was busy trying to make it.


And in that one thought--

remembering how I felt getting mad at my kids-- I stopped. I had to.


Letting Go of Perfection


 Slowly I started shifting back to what I loved in the first place. It wasn't immediate. It isn't immediate.


My daughter was three when I really started diving into this shift toward Documentary Family Photography. I was a very overwhelmed mom, parenting this incredibly headstrong toddler who fought me on every single thing. I still wanted my photos to look a certain way, but I wasn’t asking my kids for it, or forcing it. And that lead to something I didn't expect- some depression.


Why dont my candid real-life images look like “this”? 


At some point, I just threw my hands up and said “WHATEVER. I’m just going to keep clicking, and who cares what it looks like!". And for an entire year I took tons of photos-- but I rarely ever looked at them. I didn't even take them off the SD card. 


Because in that moment, I hated them.


Finding Beauty in the Mess


A year later, after diving deeper into studying documentary family photography. I started seeing images in the genre that were praised for their imperfections-- breaking rules, being messy, just feeling real.


So I finally looked back at my own photos from the past year. And you know what?


I actually really loved them.


All the things that frustrated me at the time-- the constant nudity, the messiness-- were now some of my favorite memories.


Where I Fit (or Don't)


I’m still not sure where I fit in the photography world. Whether you want to consider my work Documentary Family Photography or not. It doesn’t really matter to me. I’ve never been one for labels or fitting into a box, and I have a knack for breaking rules anyway.


For me it’s just about being who I am and shooting what I love. Whether it fits in a category or not.