activities for your in-home family session • Maryland storytelling photographer

If you’ve looked at my work here or on Instagram, you know I have a documentary approach to photographing families. It means I won’t tell you where to sit, what to do, when to laugh, how to dress, when to book, where to look at… The photos you see on my website come from organic moments that are unscripted.

It’s more about family life and less about the perfect outfits.

Think of the end goal and what you’d like to feel when looking at your photos. I strongly believe that there is more embedded in a picture than what it represents. It’s like a little time capsule that will pull you again in the moment. Think of the little things you want to remember from this chapter in your life: a special gesture from your daughter, a grin, the curly hair before the first haircut, the fort the kids built from the couch, the pillow fight, the laughter, the tears and pouts, feeding times… If you want photos where you cuddle your kids then do that! If you know they will have fun on the swings, let’s go to the nearby park or your backyard.

Sometimes ordinary is exactly what we need.

I will follow you in your adventures and where love takes you. My goal is to photograph your connection, the special bounds, the way you parent, the way your kids are being weirdos kids.

What to do during your family session at home?

Walk around the block

You live in the city and don’t have any outdoor space? Let’s walk around the block. We can start at home and then wander around. If your kid’s school is nearby we can pass by, or go to your neighborhood park. There are lots of little adventures to remember along the way.

Play in the front/backyard

If you live in a house with a yard, let’s hang out there for a while. Do you have a hammock? Or maybe it’s a hot day that calls for sprinklers and ice cream? Bubbles are always a big hit. Drawing with chalk on the sidewalk, carving pumpkins in the Fall, playing in a sandbox or with the swings, riding a bike… there are plenty of options. Pick whatever screams childhood to you!!

Your special happy place

Do you return to the same place every year? Do you own a vacation home? Let’s go there! You can ditch the phone and let me take care of those special memories when you’re on vacation. I can follow you during your camping trip, by the lake house, on a boat, snow tubing… Imagine, you can even ALL be in the photos!

Family routines and traditions

(Morning or bedtime routine / getting ready for school/ baking cookies/ “Pick your own” at the farm…)

This is less about the cheesy smiles and more about the moments. If you have kids, you know that nothing is permanent and that one day, you’ll probably miss it. “It” can be a lot of things: from breakfast to putting on socks and shoes, the favorite blue cup or the beloved plush toy, the way they suck their thumb while fidgeting with their hair… So why not document it and get the chance to relive it?

The bedtime routine is often the most tiring special part of the day for a parent: the last feeding, brushing the teeth, the snuggles, the stories… They make for the most beautiful and unscripted moments to photograph.

Making a meal

Everyone’s gotta eat, right?  And kitchens are often the epicenter of family life where meal prep but also dance parties usually occur! Pancakes or hot chocolate makes people happy and breakfasts are fun to photograph! Smores are great too! When you mix food and kids there are so many things that can go sideways that it’s always super photogenic! ;-)

A family outing

Is there something you like to do as often as you can as a family? Maybe you love the trips to your local farmer’s market? You might even take your (electric) bikes to get there! Is there a museum, a library, a farm you try to go to every year? Or maybe a time of year like the Cherry blossom season at the Tidal Basin you won’t miss? Think of the different seasons and what you like to do together.

MIX AND MATCH!

We can start at home, play in the backyard and then go around the block…

Or make a meal in your vacation home, get ready and walk to school, go on a nature walk and make a craft at home…

Here are some popular ideas to document your family at home and a few examples of what you can do in and around the house, year-round.

I am here whenever you are ready to do that for your family. Just contact me.

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