Activity ideas for your documentary session

The idea of a documentary session can seem daunting to some.   A lot of people also just don’t know what to do whilst the session takes place.  The idea of me, the photographer, just following them around as they go about their “boring” “normal” lives seems a bit odd.  Well – firstly, you’re not boring.  And you’re not normal – no one is!   Everybody shares beauty within their lives.  And I will show you it.

BUT . . . You might want to plan something more than just the housework . . . so, here’s a little, actually long, list of ideas of what you could do during our session.  And I promise you – as “boring” or “normal” as some of these may sound, in photography, and with the magic of your family or friends placed within the frame – there will be Beauty in your EveryDay.

Home

• Green Fingers – from planting bulbs to harvesting crops – from summer to winter, the light and changes in the landscape make for the most beautiful backdrop.
• Kitchen – Baking, cooking, preparing – the kitchen brings the family together and children love to get involved.
• Housework – I know I alluded to it being boring, but actually, a lot of kiddies love to join in and it can make for the most surprising of shots.

• Reading – snuggle up together and read a book – simple but effective as it gets everyone in one shot all cosied up together!

• Carwash – In the summer we can catch the rainbows and sun rays as they bounce off the water, or just enjoy the fun that the family can have around a bucket of water full of suds – someone’s bound to get wet!

• Play boardgames – bring out the competitive nature!  And huddle round the board.

• Crafts – painting, sticking, making – get crafty and colourful with your little people
• Snow – the magic of photographing in snow is second to none.  Delight in the little people’s faces.  Snowballs, snowmen.  The twinkly trees.  The crunching underfoot.  If we’re lucky enough to get some snow – book a last minute session – you won’t want to forget!

• Sunday lunch – us Brits love the tradition of the Sunday Lunch.  The whole family together.  Enjoying food.  Probably a post-lunch walk.  Making for beautiful story-telling photos as it actually incorporates so many other of my documentary ideas.
• The kids sleepovers – popcorn, movies, Grease sing-a-long, slippers, pyjamas, hair-braiding . . . if I could go back and get photos from my own sleepovers as a kid – I really would – such fond memories but none on film.
• The school run – as much as it may pain you most mornings, you won’t get to do this forever.  And one day, you’ll probably miss it.  So why not document it and get the chance to relive it?
• First day at school – from breakfast, to putting on those shiny shoes, to the anxious wait a the school gates, and then as you say goodbye – your children looking excited but you, ever so slightly welling up and then most probably letting go as you return to the car.
• Bedtime routine – Possibly the most special part of the day for any parent – and for so many reasons ;o)  There is something very beautiful about those last snuggles.  The bottle.  The stories.  The lullabies.  And they make for the most beautiful heart-wrenching the photographs.

• Bathtime – splish, splash, splosh.  Kids love bathtime.  Chuck a whole bottle of bubbles in and let the chaos unfurl and I’ll document it all!

• Breakfast – a personal favourite of mine.  Family breakfasts are just so lovely.  Mums running around.  Kids eager to eat.  Whether it’s a bowl of rice krispies, the fanciest porridge or a stack of pancakes – I can’t help but love capturing this time of day.

• Moving Home – it might be one of the most stressful days of the year, but it can also be one of the most emotional.  As my style is to literally stand back and watch, you would just go about your day, but I would capture the moment you say goodbye to the house where you said “yes”, the house where you discovered you were pregnant, the house that your baby first knew as home . . . and then, be there as you open the door to your new home, your knew life, for the first time.  The bare walls. The empty rooms.  The potential . . .
• Decorating and DIY – and no, not just in case we can send the film to You’ve Been Framed – but because it just makes a nice story.  Especially those helpful little toddlers who just love to help Daddy with pretty much anything DIY related.
• Snuggles – on the sofa, in bed . . .

• The Playdate – inviting little friends over?  Why not capture their little connections – as they won’t be little forever.

Away

• The weekly shopping trip – For me, this is one of my favourite days of the week.  My Harry and I have the weekly shop routine down to a fine art and we thoroughly enjoy it.  And supermarkets and can make for quite lovely, colourful backdrops!
• IKEA! – It’s like Little Town on acid to kiddies – they love it.  All the cupboards.  Drawers.  Beds climb in.  Chairs to sit on.  It’s great.

• Ballet class – Why not document your little one enjoying his/her hobby?  As a child, I went to dance classes every week, and yet I don’t have a single photo of me enjoying myself every Wednesday as I learnt my routines.
• Soccer mum (or Dad) – Same goes for the sporty folk – lets document your Saturday morning from the football boots, to the coffee on the stand, to the warm air leaving lips, to the frosty grass, to the kiddies going wild and hopefully scoring a goal or two.
• The town – from the Tyne bridge, to the graffiti walls, the shops, the markets, the city park to the car park – so many beautiful backdrops as you go about your day in the town.  Shopping, grabbing a bite, ladies who do lunch, boys who do beer – possibilities are endless.
• Back to school – the uniform shop.  Something else that might seem a chore, but one day it will cease to be.  Buying those little school uniforms is such an event, children and mums alike look so proud, and those patent leather shoes – they don’t stay very patent for very long.  Let’s capture them whilst they sparkle.
• Jumping in muddy puddles – not one child dislikes this.  And there’s something so special about children in wellies!

• A morning at your favourite park can allow the entire family to relax and unwind, resulting in the most natural of photographs – climb trees, fly kites, enjoy picnics, feed the ducks, admire the flowers.

• Campfires in the prettiest of locations – hot chocolate, picnic blankets and snuggle up somewhere slightly windy – makes for the most special captures of families huddled, hair wildly cascading over faces, tight embraces, cold hands holding warm cups of mocha – lovely!
• The Woods – in any season.  Kicking leaves, making campfires, den-building, running through sunbeams, foraging.
• The orchard – pick apples, collect strawberries – a beautiful way of capturing a fun day out whilst featuring the season’s colours.
• On the beach – sandcastles, picnics, paddling, more campfires, sunsets, fun and romance.
• Camping – whether it’s lads weekend away or families on holiday, putting up tents, enjoying BBQs, enjoying the great outdoors makes for the most natural, fun photographs.
• Castles – nooks, crannies, stairwells – make for the best peek-a-boo photos, with the most beautiful of backdrops.  And in the Northeast we are spoilt for choice.

• The pub – whether the beer garden with the family or meet up with mates
• The Zoo/Farm – A day out with the family fully documented – capture little faces as they come face to face with an Ostrich – as the cheeky bird steals their apple, the first time they encounter a Lion roar, or actually getting to feed a baby lamb . . . beautiful moments – captured!

• Vacation – ditch the iphone or the point and shoot and hire a photographer to capture a special day when you’re on holiday.  From camping in the Lakes to Disneyland – why not actually have your magical holiday documented?  Imagine, you can even all be in the photos!
• Museum – grand halls full of interesting objects can make for the most beautiful of backdrops.
• The train station – might sound strange, but in the Northeast we have some beautiful train stations – like stepping back in time.  So why not capture a day out on a locomotive?

Special Occasions

• The Birth – Yes.  I can actually document the birth.  To some mothers this idea would sound absurd, to others, they will relish at the chance of having the most important, magical moment of their lives documented forever.  The emotion, the energy, the sheer wonder of the event.
• Fresh 48 – a special session for those new families who want the first few hours of their newborn’s life captured without having the entire labor or birth documented. Held within the first 24-48 hours of your baby’s life – these sessions will help you remember first yawns, baby feet, fingers, belly button, first nappies, feeds and the all important meets and greets.  I can also be there to capture some of the most intimate moments – skin-to-skin, first Daddy cuddles, the first family portrait.  No posing.  No props.  Just you, your baby at the birthplace.
• The Christening – such a special day for so many families – surely it deserves to be preserved.
• The Engagement – planning the big question?  I know from my own experience that I WISH we had photos of when my hubby got down on bended knee.  Why not?  Such special memories to look back on.
• The Birthday – it’s no longer taboo to hire a photographer to cover the party or even your special day.  It means all the family can appear in the photos.  And you have one less thing to worry about.  Just enjoy the party and have your memories preserved.

• Easter Egg Hunt

• The Reunion – family and friends – these days we tend to live further and further apart.  Sometimes it’s a logistical nightmare getting everyone in a room together.  So why not document the occasion for prosperity?

• Christmas – from buying the tree to decorating the tree, creating Christmas crafts, to the actual day itself – Christmas is just magical, especially when you have children, their eyes light up as soon as soon as they see a twinkle.

There you have it.  My list of occasions/events/activities that could be captured . . . If you have any ideas of your own, I would love to hear them – so feel free to comment.

In the meantime, if you would like to capture any of the moments listed above, why not request a copy of my New Client Guide and I’ll be in touch to discuss how we can preserve your memories today for tomorrow.

[contact-form][contact-field label=’Name’ type=’name’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Email’ type=’email’ required=’1’/][contact-field label=’Please send me a copy of the New Client Guide and tell me more about your documentary-style photography sessions (comment)’ type=’text’/][/contact-form]