South Bend Indiana Family Documentary Photographer - Watts Holiday Gallery

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This was the first holiday in-home session of the season and if this doesn't put you in the mood for some holiday cheer, I don't know what will! J and J and their sweet babes (2 years old and 11 months - no, they don't have their hands full at all) were so welcoming and comfortable, it was hard to remember that I was "at work." 

We started this session with a typical Saturday morning family breakfast (with matching pajamas for the Christmas feel) in their super adorably decorated kitchen and dining room. Baby I was super excited about helping Mom out as well as checking in on her [empty] fish bowl - don't worry, they were stocking it later that day for her birthday! All the while, Dad and Baby C were contentedly chilling, sharing some guy time and devouring some waffles.

After breakfast, the family moved on to some tree decorating! Baby I was all about it and Baby C was totally cool with just chewing/licking/throwing the bulbs. Disclaimer: shatter proof bulbs are NOT shatter proof; proven by Baby C's hulk-like grip. Even the family pup got in on some tree decorating. 

The best part about holiday in-homes with young kids is that this time of year is actual magic to them. It's miracles and music and lights and sparkle. There is absolutely nothing more special than watching kids experience the holidays and all of the feels that go with it.

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South Bend Indiana Family Documentary Photographer - Fischer Holiday In-Home Sneak Peek

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This weekend was PACKED with sessions and I'm pretty sure this one might be one of my favorites to date! I'm super anxious to get the editing done and share this holiday in-home session for the Fischer family (I will save my sappy descriptions of how much I adore them all for the full gallery post - but seriously, they're like the best people). Until then, here is a quick snippet of their cookie baking endeavor...

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Osceola Indiana Family Photographer - The Watts Sneak Peek

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Saturday was the first in-home holiday family session of the season and it was everything I had hoped! This sweet family welcomed me into their home and their traditions and made me feel like I belonged there. Between their perfectly decorated home (seriously, I might be asking Momma Watts to come and give my house a face lift), their two gorgeous babes, and their obvious love for each other, I couldn't have asked for a better session. Full gallery to come...

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Granger Indiana Family Documentary and Storytelling Photography - It's in the Details

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Sometimes, we get so caught up in the "Hallmark moments" of life that we forget to appreciate the little things. It's the same case in photography! Sometimes when clients, and even I, go through a gallery, I get so swept up in the amazing interactions and big, honest emotions that the details get lost. So this week, I am challenging myself and YOU to stop and look at the little things. Notice the way your child sticks out their tongue while drawing, watches tv with their mouth hanging open obliviously, or plays with your hair whenever they need just a little extra comfort (my daughter does this). Go ahead and add those awesome little details to your list of reasons that a documentary family session is the right choice for you...

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Granger Indiana Family Documentary Storytelling Photography - Happy Halloween!

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Halloween has always been a fun event but now that I have a toddler, it brings a whole new level of excitement to the table. Dressing her up and watching her face literally light up when she realized that people were putting CANDY in her bucket was such a great experience. In fact, it made me think that this would make for an awesome family photography session next year! What a fun story to capture: all of the costume prep and dress up, bustling out the door, kids hardly able to contain their excitement, the after trick-or-treating candy slam, sugar rushes followed by the sugar crashes...yup, sounds like a must do next year! 

Keeping the post short and sweet today. Everyone have a safe and fun Halloween! 

Love this little sequence! The candy hand-off, the investigation of the bucket, the "AHA!" moment. 

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Nappanee Indiana Family Documentary Photographer - Anderson Short Story

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For this session, this family chose a location that had special meaning to them; the same location where they took their engagement photos. I was so excited and despite being directionally impaired AND being in Nappanee (aka the land of no road signs and farm land far as the eye can see), I made it thanks to Kim's tech savvy GPS tricks.

Not only was the location for this session gorgeous, but we had absolutely perfect conditions for an awesome outdoor fall short story family session. While toddlers tend to be the most challenging photo subjects, they're also the most fun and photogenic and this case was no different. Chasing this little guy around and watching him interact with his ridiculously adorable parents was a pleasure and getting to capture it on film was just the icing on the cake.

When locations like this one hold special meaning to mom and dad, it ads to the story of their family. While we may not have had a boat for this session like they did for their engagement pictures, we did have some pretty amazing fall colors and an intense game of hide and seek (aka "hide a boo" says Baby T). The connection between this family was obvious and the pure fun that radiated from them clearly showed up in their images. I'm so glad that the Anderson's allowed me to be a part of their story and capture some fall memories for their family. 

South Bend Newborn and Family Photography / Photographer - Tips for a Great In-Home Documentary Session

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Never experienced an in-home documentary newborn or family photography session before? No problem! It's honestly probably the least stressful type of session you will ever experience. But even so, here are some tips for ensuring that your experience is a great one: 

  • Accept that this IS NOT a portrait session. From childhood, we are preconditioned to smile and say "cheese" when someone takes out a camera. (Seriously, its comical. Whip out a camera and if someone spots you taking a picture, I can almost guarantee they will stop what they're doing and smile awkwardly at you). It's not your fault! But seriously, folks, fight the urge. Go about your normal business of loving on your kids and family, pick up after them, parent them, play with them, tickle them. It won't feel like it during the session, but I promise you that when you open that gallery, you will love what you see. 

"Hands where I can see um, Mom!" Logan kept the ball rolling FOR us with all of his fun toddlerisms. 

 

  • Clear the clutter but don't stress over the mess. Cameras wont pick up the dust bunnies or dog hair (don't believe me? Check out our story and tell me if you see the massive amounts of dog hair that accumulate despite daily sweeping) and if something is too distracting, I will move it during the session. Moving major clutter is a good idea for clean cut, appealing images but the cheerios that end up on the counter and the four shirts that are tossed aside while attempting to dress you toddler aren't a distraction, they're an asset. They add to your story at the time. You wont have legos hidden in every corner forever and one day, when you're not stepping on them in the middle of the night, the site of them in your photos will make you smile.

Dirty coffee cup, paper plate, cluttered counters...bet you didn't notice that stuff! Neither did I. What you DID see was the adorable breakfast date happening at the bartop. 

 

  • Have pre-planned activities. This is a wildly important part of a successful session. During pre-session communication, this will come up a lot but I want to stress it here as well (it's that important). Think about what your family likes to do together. Watch movies and eat popcorn? Cook breakfast on Saturday mornings? Play board games? Read books? As "simple" and "ordinary" as they might sound, these all make great stories to tell in pictures! Your daily routines and activities can be captured to look beautiful and frame worthy as long as you keep the activities rolling!

Painting is a great activity for toddlers and pre-schoolers alike!

 

  • Love each other. Being physically close to one another makes your photographer's job SO much easier and in turn, your images will be better. Every parent wants pictures of their family and children together so making sure that some of your activities include everyone is a key factor. Engage with your children all together and encourage them to play together during the session and you will end up with some heartwarming images. 

Being physically near one another wasn't hard for this loving family of three (family of 25 if you include all their dogs, cats, and chickens haha). 

In-Home Holiday Family Stories - Granger Family Lifestyle Documentary Photographer

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It's crazy to me that the holidays are on my mind already! I've started making Christmas lists, discussing what family we will see on which days, planning new family traditions for our growing toddler to enjoy...

Traditions are something I've been looking forward to starting since we got married. While there were a few small ones we did as a couple, I don't think they became fully appreciated until we had a baby. Now, I can't wait to do things like bake holiday cookies and watch cheesy Christmas movies and wrap presents. Those are the memories that I want our daughter to cherish and I want to be able to smile whenever I think about them.

That's the beauty in documentary photography! It doesn't force your family into poses with props that don't have any real meaning to you. It takes something that is already special and meaningful and captures it in a creative, beautiful way. I think that's the best of both worlds! You get your gorgeous holiday photos perfect for the Christmas cards but you also get the chance to cherish your traditions for years to come. Holiday sessions are already booking fast and weekend slots are the first to go. Don't let your story go untold!

Lakeville Indiana Storytelling and Documentary Family Photography - Balmer Short Story

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This short story was REALLY short - thank you mosquito plague of 2016! Good thing everyone was still able to have a great time and I was able to grab some good shots. I had so much fun with this big group and it was so funny to see the totally different personalities from each kiddo. I think those individual personalities show through pretty well in these photos! However, these siblings all had one thing in common and that was an obvious love for fun and each other. Not to mention I got to photograph an old student! 

Why I Don't Mind Outdoor Sessions in the Fall - Michiana Storytelling and Family Documentary Lifestyle Photographer

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As a documentary photographer, I'm one of those weird people who genuinely prefer shooting indoors for a lot of reasons. First, indoor light offers more unique lighting opportunities. Some of my favorite shots are a direct result of window light falling just right. I also love getting to capture someone's home because that is the setting to all of our stories; our homes are the heart of our lives. The place where we wake up each morning and fall asleep each night. To me, that is so important in producing great documentary images! 

 

Isn't this light fantastic?! (Swoon)

 

However, as much as I don't want to admit it, I really don't mind doing outdoor sessions in the fall. The warmth of the colors, the soft light at sunset, and the comfy fall clothes all make it totally worth it. Autumn is such a great time to take short story and full story sessions! Don't let your story go untold...

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FIRST Fall Short Story Session - South Bend Family Documentary and Storytelling Photographer

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First, lets start with the absolute perfect night we had for these photos! It couldn't have been any better. Second, how about this location? It was like an autumn paradise for toddlers (just ask baby S ). And most importantly, the cutest little family. Have I ever mentioned how good all of my sweet, adorable families make me look as a photographer? This fall short story session was a lot of fun and once baby S realized that she was in a toddler paradise, she let loose with the smiles and smirks. Her mom and dad are clearly nuts about her and I think its easy to see why.

I'd also like to say that "I pride myself on a quick turn around for image editing." Which is partially true: I do think getting images to the families quickly is wildly important. But if I'm being completely honest, I have a confession. I am the most impatient. person. ever. And this fully applies to editing images! When I get home from a session and I know there are photos on that SD card just waiting to be processed into magic, I have to do it NOW. And so, I usually end up staying up to all hours of the night until I get them done. And while that makes for a very tired me the following day, it makes for some very happy clients.

Shout Out to the Fresh 48 - Granger Documentary Photographer and Storyteller

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Looking back through my old blog posts, I noticed something ironic: I have harped on birth photography, gushed over family sessions...but I have really neglected my absolute favorite type of session! So before I blow up my blog with family photography from the short story sessions, lets stop and give homage to the Fresh 48 session.

1). You don't think you need it...until you do.

Let me clarify by sharing my own experience. I did not book a fresh 48 session because I wanted my birth experience to be extremely private between my husband and new baby. I wanted to bond, uninterrupted and enjoy every sweet second. (SIGH) It was a nice thought. But in reality, my delivery was nothing of what we planned for or expected, my recovery was less than expected, and lets face it, in the moment it sure doesn't feel like there is anything beautiful or private about those first hours as a new parent! 

But looking back, the chaotic parts are the parts that stand out...but I KNOW that there were peaceful, amazing moments. I was just too tired and out of it to remember them. What I wouldn't give to have photos of my daughter just hours old snuggling with her daddy and I. Or meeting her grandparents for the first time. Or just being a part of this big new world! I truly and honestly regret not taking that opportunity to capture that part of our story!

2). They are seriously the most beautiful images - ever. 

When you have a new baby, you could literally stare at them for hours - days - eternity. They are squishy and wrinkly and regardless of what every person says, they look nothing like you or your husband yet but goodness, its just impossible to look away. These tiny beings are experiencing the world for the first time. I think we owe it to them and to ourselves to freeze those moments and go back and relive all those feels every chance we get. 

3). The meet and greet.

What a phenomenal moment when you get to introduce the newest love of your life to your other loves of your life! Whether baby is meeting a sibling, grandparents, family or friends, its a fleeting but magical moment (sorry for all of the fluffy language, but we ARE talking about newborns). To have those shared smiles and tears on film is priceless. 

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