Documentary Family Photography is an area of photography that became very important to me through the experience with my own family. It’s the way I document our story and report our life. Using a camera to capture unique moments and create beautiful memories of my family’s life has been the most gratifying accomplishment of my life. When I look back to all our photographs, a sense of gratitude, happiness, and “saudade” (Portuguese word - “is a deep emotional state of nostalgic or profound melancholic longing for something or someone that one cares for and/or loves”) take over. An emotional burst of feelings invade both my heart, and my mind when I am revisiting those moments. It really makes me very emotional. Moreover, it is wonderful and intriguing to experience the feelings that an image can provoke in me.

So, why Documentary Family Photography ?

Documentary Family Photography is all about making you feel emotional, allowing you to revisit the moments you have spent together, and bring back all those amazing memories that may otherwise get lost with time. DFP is the gift of passing down to your children the unique story and special memories of your family. This is a contribution they will love, cherish, and one day show to their own children. I truly believe this is easily the most valuable investment that you will make for your children and for your family.

Why Is Documentary Family Photography So Important ?

Our daily activities and relationships tell a million stories about us. Documentary Family Photography has a photojournalism style with a focus on storytelling, providing a chance to capture those stories.

Reason 1

Tells Your Family Story

20 years from now you will want to remember how it felt to live in that exact moment in time. Your stories will become more meaningful as time passes. This is about you, it’s your family story, it all matters. You may think that your life is boring, and there’s nothing there to photograph, but I guarantee you that couldn’t be further from the truth. Every moment counts and all memories are immensely valuable. DFP will tell your story in a way that a portrait session will never be able to and that is the reason why these sessions are meaningful and invaluable. “A Day In The Life” is a DFP session that records your day to day life, telling your family’s beautiful, and unique story. Life is beautiful as it is and the importance of the “normal” daily moments in what really matters, in the little. Capturing the important details, the decisive moments is what makes this photographic genre highly technical requiring not only high skills, but also an eye for what is really important and matters the most.

Reason 2

Reveals Your Relationships

One of the main intents of a DFP session is to disclose, and to communicate the different roles of all members of the family, showing the distinct connections between them. These sessions are honest, touching, and often emotional. Family relationships are extremely important and everyone takes a different part in the play. Therefore, representing those roles accurately, and in an appealing way are of extreme importance. There is a main focus in trying to show the truth and the beauty behind your family’s relationships, and the way you interact with each other.

Reason 3

Makes You Feel

I’ll see your family at vulnerable, and intimate moments. Although, that might feel intimidating you won’t even realise it while it happens. Also, those are the memories of your real life, the memories you want to keep and contemplate for years to come. Your life, and your story are unique and special, they are extremely important to you. Looking back to photographs showing occasions when you laughed, cried, felt joy or fear, sadness or happiness, surprise or disgust, when you showed love for each other, caring, friendship, and so on, will make you feel nostalgic, emotional, and it will make you proud. You then realise how lucky you are for having still memoirs of some of the moments of your family’s life. They can be kept either framed on a wall, or printed on a photo-book that you can revisit over and over.

Reason 4

Captures Your Essence

DFP allows personalities to shine through while documenting real life, and creating a narrative. I capture your family’s life, your relationships, your story. It has to be very intentional the way I capture your moments, and that is why is so important to know your family before the session. All my photography packages include a meeting before every session so we get to know each other. I also include a questionnaire that will give me precious info before I meet you.

Reason 5

It’s All About What It Feels Like

It’s not so much how you looked like, what clothes you were wearing, if you were matching or not, if the house was clean and tidy, if you were smiling while looking at the camera, and rather about how it really felt. In 25 years time you will look back, and actually remember how it was leaving then, how it felt to be there. Capturing not only the good happy moments, but also the tearful and sad ones will bring memories to life, and you will feel just the way you did in that moment. In the end, real life is what will matter to you the most. Documentary Photography has the ability to document factual, genuine and authentic moments of your life. You will feel emotional, you will adore it . . .

Documentary Family Photography provides awareness of routines and situations that are not obvious to families. The connections, and how well everyone knows each other is what really counts. Questions may be raised, and actions may be taken. How much is it worth for you to possess the raw truth, the honesty of your relationship as a family? DFP documents what is normal for families at a certain point in time. This photography genre is of great importance to families because it tells their story, it reveals personalities and relationships, and allows future generations to know, and understand their ancestors’ lives.

5 Reasons Why Documentary Family Photography Is Important