Here and Now: A day-in-the-life of the Newbery family | Documentary family photography | Cambridge and Peterborough family photographer Diana Hagues Photography
The pictures we have on our walls, the framed photos sat on your mantelpiece. What do they show you? Are they pictures of your wedding day, holiday photos, treasured baby portraits? Proud and happy moments you love remembering and will never tire of looking at them.
What about your everyday moments? Do you have pictures that remind you vividly of the here and now? The ones where you are playing family board games with your child or having quiet time reading a book together under a blanket. What about the 'magic' moments where your child is rolling around on the floor laughing at being tickled or the affectionate hugs they come over to give you. Moments that come unscripted and are equally precious to you.
I say that with a polite smile because I know you'll be thinking about the mess that's not been tidied up or tiny arguments that come along with the unscripted moments too. The 'not-so-glamorous' moments shall we say. The ones where you catch yourself saying it's not good enough to be preserved in photos. Or let me rephrase this and ask: when do moments have to be photogenic enough to serve a purpose or become part of your memory bank?
They don't, right?
We can blink and everything can change in mere seconds. One moment won't look exactly the same as the next, even if you feel your 'normal' daily life is the same and your everyday looks mundane. The feelings and emotions that underlie each moment and underpin your memories are different. It's rich and varied. It's NOW.
There's no better time than NOW. Create those visual memory banks for your children, create them for you.
So, what next?
Go take pictures. On your cameraphone or DSLR. Nothing is stopping you from capturing your everyday moments. Unless the one thing that is stopping you is you being in them. Like it's as much about YOU being in the pictures, as much as your kids. You will want to have pictures of you being there and being present in your family albums.
In that case,
treat yourself to a day-in-the-life family photoshoot.
Hire a documentary family photographer who can artistically capture your daily life and show you how important you are to your family. Because beyond those moments, or the activities you are actively taking part in together or individually, you are also the HEART of your family. You are a central player that deserves to be in your pictures and seen in the way your family sees you.
You and your loved ones are the ones that matter. The memory banks you are making these photographs for.
This is what a day-in-the-life documentary photography is REALLY about. It's capturing your real everyday moments in its authenticity and emotions, and allowing you to be in your photos at the same time. It is what I strive for in my day-in-the-life sessions and memories, which, I have no doubt, you'll be reminiscing for years to come.
Day in the life of the Newbery family
Watch the slideshow of a mini day in the life family photoshoot I did for the Newbery family a couple of months ago and read the mother's comments on seeing her album too:
"We had the privilege of Diana's services for a 'Day in the Life' shoot. She made an ordinary Saturday morning into a work of art. She sent the draft pictures in a little video and I was almost in tears - she had captured little everyday moments, expressions, snapshots of time with the kids, and had been able to see and show such beauty. During the shoot, she had just been around, unobtrusive, observant, and the boys seemed to have forgotten she was even there. We had originally wanted to include a nature walk, but due to bad weather we stayed at home. This worked out so well, as the boys could relax and play in their own environment. Diana's communication before and after was excellent - she had understood what we had wanted and as we had already discussed the rough plan for the morning, the shoot itself could all flow easily and smoothly. Afterwards she sent us drafts, file uploads and a personalised USB containing our photos (print-ready and web-friendly). What an amazing relaxed experience, with fabulous natural but incredibly beautiful pictures to enjoy at the end. The only difficulty is choosing which pictures to get printed to put up round the house! This is definitely something I'd like us to do as a family every couple of years! I would highly recommend Diana if you want a gorgeous family photoshoot in a relaxed environment."