Day In The Life
Documentary Family Photography Session
Arizona Documentary Family Photographer
Real life is not always pretty,
but it surely is the most beautiful story you get to tell.
The days are long but the years are short.
I used to hate the saying because it is so painfully true.
A seemingly ordinary day has so many little moments worth remembering. The way your littlest clings to your leg, carries a baby doll in each hand or lays their head on your chest, won't last forever. Before you realize, you will be playing more complicated board games or going on challenging hikes with your older kids. Even the teenager year challenges will soon be a thing of the past, so let's document these moments before they are gone.
The Process
1 Schedule Your Session
In order to reserve a date, you will sign some paperwork and pay a session fee. If we haven't already, the easiest way to compare calendars is for you to email or call me with a few dates that work for your family - I always try to be as flexible as possible, and once we find a date, booking is 100% online and takes just a few minutes.
As you pull out your calendar, here are a few things to consider:
Weekend dates are limited and popular so please book early if weekends are your only options. While weekends are usually filled with potentially bigger events, the day to day life on weekdays are worth documenting too.
Given the beautiful weather in Arizona, September through November are the busiest times of year to get outdoor trips documented. If you'd like a session during one of those times(ESPECIALLY if you want a weekend spot), please get in touch as soon as possible! People tends to stay away from summer times thinking it might be too hot. However, summer can be prime time to document water plays.
If you have a particular date or holiday by which you need prints or gifts (Mother's Day, Father's Day,Hanukkah, Christmas, etc.), be sure to book a date at least one month in advance of that date to ensure sufficient processing and printing time.
2 The Session Itself
Once we've decided on a time and date and officially put your session on the books, I'll send you a guide to getting ready that will walk you through everything from choosing activities to strategies for getting everyone to feel comfortable with a camera around. That guide has been created and refined over years of experience, so it typically answers 90% of the questions that come up, but I'm always happy to set up a time to chat if you want additional help. A few days before our session is scheduled, I'll reach out to confirm our time and location... at that point, if someone seems to be coming down with the flu or something, we can talk about our rescheduling options. Otherwise, that's the perfect time to ask any last-minute questions.
When I show up at the house I immediately put everyone's mind at ease that this WILL be SUPER CHILL and I am just there to witness how amazing your family is and get the photos as proof.
3 Let’s Get Your Memories Printed
Within just a couple of weeks of your session, you'll receive an email from me letting you know that your photos are ready. Once you've had a chance to see them and marvel for a bit, you'll let me know which collection you want to purchase. After that, you'll have a full month to select the specific digital files and print items you want to use to fill that collection... zero pressure!
Studies have shown that displaying family photos in the home can significantly enhance feelings of belonging, identity, and emotional well-being, fostering a sense of connection among family members and reinforcing the importance of shared experiences.
What My Clients Are Saying:
Session Fee
Session Fee covers Amy's time and talent for session preparation, execution, editing, and product designing and ordering.
Session Fee is none-refundable and required to reserve a date and time for the session.
No digital files or physical items are included in the session fee. Packages are purchased upon proofing gallery delivery.
Price does not include tax.
Day In The Life (3 hours)
This is perfect to document a fun family routine or small tradition.
$450 + tax
Day In The Life (10 hours)
This is perfect to preserve what it really feels like to be part of your family!
$750 + tax
The Fun Part
Selecting a collection and get your images printed.
Collections start at $1500. Clients spend an average of $2000 on packages.
Here are a couple of ways to spend your store credit to turn your memories into something tangible!
F.A.Q.
What exactly is a documentary approach?
Documentary family photography is an approach that focuses on capturing authentic, unposed, and meaningful moments in a family's everyday life. In simple terms, you get to be 100% YOU. To learn more about what documentary family photography is HERE.
What shall we do during the session?
Anything you want! I typically document ordinary moments like trips to Target (this one is popular LOL). eating out at your favorite restaurant or ice cream shop, playing in the yard, making meals together, and evening routine time. Probably my favorite is snuggling in bed. I have also had a lot of adventures like staycations, trips to the park, or extended family visiting. I will brainstorm with you to finalize what we might be doing during our time together!
Why are Day In The Life sessions so long?
It does take a bit of time for us all to get used to the fact that someone else is in the house with a camera. Longer sessions give us the opportunity to take the time getting to know each other. The more relaxed and familiar we can all be with each other, the more natural your photos will turn out. Since we are not rushing to quickly create a narrative for your family story, we need time for all the goodies to unfold naturally as time go by and we can create a more accurate and full story. And trust me, time goes by real fast when you are living in the moment!
What shall we wear?
Whatever makes sense for your activity you are doing! Functionality takes priority. Your kid is going through a dinosaur phase and all he wants to wear is Trisarahtop pattern shirts? Go with it! You will want to remember all the fun and frustration that came with that fashion statement!
What do I need to do if my house is messy?
Look, one of my very selfish reasons to start doing documentary family photos is to see if I am really the only one who cannot keep my house clean for longer than 5 minutes with all my kids at home. Jokes aside, what I am saying is that, again, we are documenting your life as it is. If it makes YOU feel better to finally have an excuse to clean up that corner of the house, by all means, go for it. However, don’t stress about getting your house ready for an open house tour. I would much rather see a house lived in!
What if we run into bad weather?
Luckily we don’t have to worry about this too much in Arizona most of the year. If we had planned an outdoor activity or a trip specifically because it holds deep meaning to your family and we will get rained out, we will talk about rescheduling it. However, life happens and I am ready to pivot! If we have to move the activity indoor we will just go with the flow.
Are you really not posing us at all?
You heard me right :) No more wondering what to do with your hands.