When I talk to parents about Northwest Arkansas family documentary sessions and explain exactly what they are, they absolutely love the idea. The only problem is that most people have never heard of this type of photography. Family documentary sessions are fairly new and really only common in larger cities. Seeing that most people in Northwest Arkansas don’t really understand what these sessions are, I wanted to share 5 reasons why you should book a documentary session for your family.   

1. No Prep Needed

Because the point of these shoots is to capture real life, you don’t have to do anything to prepare. You don’t need to buy matching outfits, spend an hour getting ready, or even clean your house. You don’t even need to check your calendar and block off a day for the shoot. All you have to do is schedule the shoot for a day where everyone is in town. From there you just go about your day like you always would. This can include any activity you have to do the day of the shoot, from grocery shopping to a kids soccer game, and even homework after school.

2. Real Moments

You may be thinking that you have seen images of your friends and family in their house before or you may have even had an in-home family shoot yourself. However, the difference is those sessions involve posed or fabricated moments. The photographer usually sets up a scene and tells you what to do, and when they get their shot, everyone moves onto the next setup.  A lot of the time these actions you are performing are things you would never actually do.

The greatest thing about Northwest Arkansas family documentary sessions is that they capture real moments. You won’t look back at your images and remember when the photographer told you what to do and you did it over and over until they got their shot. Instead, you will look back and see real moments and remember what life was like when your kids were that age.     

3. Kids and Dads Love Them

Most traditional family shoots we do usually involve a mom that wants pictures, a dad that has been dragged along, and kids that were bribed to behave and smile for the camera. Yet, with family documentary photography, everyone just does what they always do. This means no posing and no smiling for the camera. Dads love that they do not have to pose and put on a fake smile, kids love that they just get to be a kid like they do every day, and Moms are ecstatic that they get great memories, without the hassle.   

4. More Than Just Epic Moments

When people think about a photo shoot, they think about happy images with everyone smiling from ear to ear. You may also think about capturing epic moments like baseball in the front yard or a nerf gun fight in the living room.

You never really think about getting images of your kid eating a snack or even images of everyone eating dinner. Everyday “mundane” moments almost never registers as a moment we want to remember, that is until we don’t get the chance to live those moments anymore. Say you read a story to your kid every night before bed, but one day you’ll be going through your normal bedtime routine and not even realize that it will be the last time you read a story to your child. No one ever consciously stops reading to their child…it just happens.  

5. Yearbook For the Future

One item you’ll notice with our packages is that they all will come with an album. This is more than just a book of pictures. This is a yearbook for you and your kids. 20 years from now you will be able to look back and remember what life was really like. Your kids will be able to look back to a time before they can remember, and then one day, your grandkids will get to see how their parents grew up. And unlike floppy disks and CD’s, this book will stand the test of time.

We currently have a limited amount of dates available for Northwest Arkansas Family Documentary Sessions. We also have some dates available for out of state locations. If you are interested, contact us.