Backyard Play Session

Madison, AL

What’s the difference between lifestyle photography and documentary photography?

Lifestyle photography is more of a polished look- the family that has beautifully coordinated outfits, possibly hanging out in a gorgeous flower field, loving on one another. I love these sessions! They really scream- “print me, frame me, I’m art!” You can very much feel the emotion, the love, the connection in these. As the photographer, I’m encouraging engagement through play and prompts. So while this type of session is real life inspired, it is lightly directed by the person holding the camera. I love these; these are typically what families want, but what I really love is…

Documentary photography! Documentary photography has more of a storytelling aspect to it that I absolutely love. The photographer gets to observe and capture the moments as they are. I think the love for this style definitely stems from my early start to photography in my highschool days, and then definitely once I had my first born. I wanted to document our life has a little family and really tell the story to my kiddos as they got older. Those photos, those memories are precious to me- the messy highchair meals, the sleepsack snuggles, the neighborhood stroller walks, the learning, the discovery, the firsts.

While the gallery above may have had a touch of direction from me, most of the time was spent allowing the family to play and do as they please. This documentary style really sparks that “remember when” feeling. Remember that bounce house we got second hand that our kids LOVED? Remember all of the primary colored Little Tikes toys that cluttered our yard, but brought so much joy to our babies? Remember our first house as a family, and how our boys romped around in the backyard in their matching overalls? Simple joys. So much love! This family was so much fun to hang out with, and I really enjoyed capturing them as they are. I hope these images always bring them back and help them remember when.