In this incredible time in the world, photography is accessible to everyone (well most everyone with privilege to modern technology) . Genuinely if you have a phone you have access to photographs, to memories. You can print and reproduce and gift images to love ones. You can be creative and develop a voice with your eye.
While not everyone wants to create a business and livelihood out of photography, I did!! The journey has been long and arduous but fun and filled with a ton of lessons. In my years in the business, I have loved to make sure my voice is felt through my photographs. At the start and a newbie I tried to use other voices to fill the gaps of my knowledge but it never felt like me. I have always learned by doing so I had to develop systems that worked for me. I feel that I am between the styles of documentary + lifestyle hybrid. That’s my home.
If you’re wandering what the other styles are, the main ones are Posed portrait, Lifestyle, Documentary and Photo Journalistic. Those are the three main styles I am aware of and have seen peers adapt and build their businesses on. Along with these styles comes the business set up and how to approach your galleries. Selling of your art and time can vary as well.
Why a hybrid of lifestyle + documentary?
Well I think it is the best way to make my client feel most secure. The investment of my work is substantial and I want to make sure I combine both of our expectations during the session. That you have amazing smiles for your walls and my creative heart gets fulfilled, the best of both worlds. Very often the favorite images come from the in-between, the after moments of the lifestyle set up. The way a mom wipes buggers that won’t be there to wipe in the future, a Childs tantrum that will soon ( but not soon enough) be a thing of the past, the brand new attitude and deep stare of a preteen annoyed with photos for the family. All of these tangible moments I can and do capture for YOU my client are my favorite. I am a mother after all and I constantly exist in my memories, my kids are growing up and with that comes a ton of new opportunities for photographs, but also moments I can no longer relive but only in prints.
It is my belief that kids enjoy these sessions the best, that parents are less stressed and can relax. Once we see the beauty of simplicity we can focus more on just being vs. expecting to behave and perform for an image that won’t have beautiful memories tied to it.
Hybrid of documentary and lifestyle photography means to be collaboration and beauty. The inhale and exhale of moments through my camera. My eye honing in on those instances overlooked for prettier ones. I can bet that the moments we are most often cherishing in the future are the candid ones, the ones that you can remember a feeling with. The ones you didn’t have to pretend to be anything but yourself. That’s what I WANT MY WORK TO BE.