A while back I took a venture into a different approach for my family portraits. The style, as I and others may call it, is called “family documentary”. Normally photojournalism is completely undirected, unaided “life as it happens” moments where NO intervention or planning has been made to create a photographic opportunity. It is raw, it is real, it is exactly what the story tells. Now this isn’t always what we want to see with family portraits, we always want to look our best, and of course, like we like each other 
If you missed this first post I made, go see it now, it’s worth a look (besides the fact it was also shot on film). This to me is showcasing what life is like in an average, everyday normal family’s life. For the most part I try and stay completely out of the way with little to no “direction”. We will plan out a schedule per se, but then it’s up to the family to just be themselves. For the many many families that have seen this first session above, it connects with people on a different level because it’s very easy for most families to just “be themselves”. A lot of families will come to me for family portraits feeling a little shy, unsure or uneasy about what the actual “photographic creation” will be like. My number one goal is to make sure that EVERYONE is having a great time and is comfortable, and when I’m not directing you, posing you, or telling you to do something, most people feel like “themselves” and end up completely enjoying the entire time working with me. So, while I still enjoy doing family or couple’s portrait sessions where there is definitely some directed portraiture, being able to relax and “be yourself” definitely makes the entire experience a little bit more fun
Clearly this was the case with the Gomez family! I was delighted to find out that they LOVED this concept and approach and I was even more excited after getting to know them as a family and what they might like to include in their own personal “documentary”. After maybe 3 minutes, their son was an absolute ham for the camera for the entire day and everything was just a blast. It was a little work on my end just trying to keep up with them With careful planning, a creative mind and just having fun, these are moments that will be cherished forever . . . I love being able to be a part of something that will be handed down through the family.
If you know the family, are friends or even complete strangers, share a comment for the Gomez clan . . . I’m sure they’ll love it!
The more and more he went through the slides and tubes, the more the static made his hair stand up
Digging for treasure, they just found something
The rest of the evening was spent with family and friends preparing for dinner
They both wanted to show off the tomatoes that they found
Such hams, this might have been their first ‘wet-willie’
While dinner was cooking, they found out that the “water main” was leaking and it was now their job to find it and fix it such an amazing imagination
Making sure their fix was working
A new leak sprung, time to fix
Post-dinner DQ run
