3 Clients Answer 4 Questions About Documentary Family Photography
You’ve seen my photographs. You’ve read a couple of my posts about what Documentary Family Photography is, but now I want you to hear from three individuals who have allowed me to come in and document their little and big life adventures. What better way to truly understand what a documentary session with me is like than to hear it straight from somebody who’s already experienced one first hand. Each one of these lovely ladies are guest bloggers of sorts for today’s post, and I could not be more appreciative of the words that they shared and their willingness to do so!
To provide you with a little insight into the sessions that each of them had with me, I’ll give you a brief rundown starting with Gin. She is the momma pictured in the photos below. As you can see, we spent the morning going on a family bike ride over to the local farmer’s market and nearby park, and afterward we headed home to put their sweet little one down for her mid-morning nap. It was such a beautiful day together!!
Next we have Kayla who’s session was a Fresh 48 which I will be blogging for you to fall in love with their newest little love very soon!! Little Makenna came earth side to be loved and admired by everyone who came to see her in the hospital! She has the sweetest little face!
And last but not least, we have Becky who has let me into her world for the past three years! Our session was also just another day in their family’s life from last summer, which you can see HERE as well as a super cute Christmas Session last year which you can see HERE. We just wrapped up her fall session last weekend, and I cannot wait to show her the photos we ended up with!
So, now that you know a little about the types of sessions these lovely ladies had, let’s dive in to see what they had to say about their experience as well as check out the photos from my session with Gin and her little crew!
What Exactly Is An Olive Shoot Documentary Family Photography Session Like?
Gin - “Our session with Nikki was so organic. We were able to just be ourselves and have a fun day without feeling self-conscious or intruded upon.”
Kayla - “From start to finish our sessions with Nikki are always an enjoyable experience (especially with kiddos that would often add a layer of stress to a photo session). She is so patient and captures the best candid, in the moment shots.”
Becky - “Nikki followed us around for a few hours as we just did what we normally do as a family. No posing, no stressing out about matching outfits, no yelling "say cheese" between my teeth to my 2 little girls as we posed for that one perfect shot. I had no idea what she was capturing behind that lens throughout the day, but before the day was done my little girls were calling her "Aunt Nikki" and adopting her as a member of our family.”
What Do You Appreciate Most About Documentary Family Sessions?
Gin - “She captured the beauty and details of the little moments and her process brings out great depth and texture in everyday materials.”
Kayla - “It brought me back to being in the hospital where things were an insane blur, and I hadn’t even realized it. It was an emotional experience for me!”
Becky - “I take pictures. Thousands over the years since my girls were born. I always have my phone out ready to capture a cute moment, but the ones i'm usually in are selfies - or the once a year posed family picture where you can see me talking through my teeth while i'm gripping a wiggly child. These were different. WAY different. She caught a day in motherhood. The putting on of shoes, the pushing hair off of my daughter's beautiful face, the looks of their excitement and the happiness it gives me, the playing and the teeth brushing and the book reading and the bedtime giggles. All of it. I can't describe what a gift that was to me.”
What Do You Love Most About Working With Nikki Specifically?
Gin - “She is fun and accommodating which makes the package complete.”
Kayla - “She definitely loves what she does and it shows in every photo she takes. Our family has a special place in our hearts for Nikki and the moments she’s captured for us!”
Becky - “Nikki has a wonderful talent for seeing life through a mother's eyes and documenting it for you. These types of photographs are irreplaceable.”
Bonus Question: What Made Your Reveal/Ordering Session So Special?
Kayla - “The reveal of the photos from the session truly recreates memories from the day - get ready to be transported back in time and feel the emotions!!”
Becky - “Nikki brought over some sweets for us to enjoy and examples of all the products she has to offer so I could see where they might fit in our home. She was so patient as I looked through everything 1800 times and the girls ran around happy to see her again. We watched the slideshow and it took a lot for me not to cry.”
If you’ve followed me for long, you’ve seen me talk about the realness of what this style of photography portrays. It’s less about what you look like and so so soooo much more about who you and your family are as a unit as well as who you are individually. Allowing you to see your day to day interactions through someone else’s eyes is such a special thing, and brings about a deeper appreciation of the love, laughter, silliness and quiet moments of your every day life.
If you have yet to experience this type of session first hand, then it’s time to do so! Click the button, and let’s get things going.
You will not regret the time you get to completely unplug and let someone else do the picture taking for you!
Keep it real,
Nikki Gould
Olive Shoot Photography
Documentary Family Photographer in Houston
Houston Family Photographer
Houston Family Photojournalist