Everyone loves photo sessions resulting in frame-worthy pictures that’ll be reminisced about for years to come. The problem is, no one likes scheduling these types of sessions, as they tend to be stuffy, uncomfortable and stressful. The outcome is sometimes nice, but only if everyone happens to be smiling at the same time and nothing looks forced. Why not try something different? A documentary photo session allows for flexibility and a low-stress environment, resulting in photos that show the relationships between loved ones and not the cranky forced smiles one would normally expect. Read on for 5 tips that’ll help prepare you for the documentary session of your dreams. 

1. Know what to expect

Sometimes people feel overwhelmed about the prospect of getting photographed for a portion of their normal day. The idea becomes easy to accept, however, when they realize that it’s just a normal day of doing normal things (i.e., little stress involved at all). A short discussion with the kids about what to expect also goes a long way! Don’t get caught up in thinking that your memories are not important or special.

2. Prepare yourself

Getting ready is probably the easiest task of all! Get dressed as normal. Be comfortable. This is not a posed session, and there’s no need to color coordinate your clothing or match your styles.

3. Decide on an activity

Knowing what the activity is in advance will help greatly reduce your stress. The activity chosen to document is solely based on your normal routines—cooking breakfast, going on a walk, and even special activities like picking out a Christmas tree are amazing to photograph or video. 

4. Just relax

The biggest worry people typically have is that they won’t be able to relax. How can someone act normally while they have a camera stuck in their face? In my experience, it only takes a few moments to realize that the process is not as scary as it seems. The most common thing I hear from people in the end is how short and easy the session seemed to be. (See this post from a previous client: bit.ly/1PlZ3KE.)

5. Enjoy your photos!

The best part about having a session like this is that you have a whole slew of photos or a really awesome video to show for it! Whether you buy an album of your photos, or just want to replay the video over and over again, you’ll have something to share and always come back to from your special day.

Heather Floyd is the owner and photographer behind Floyd Family Photography. To contact her and for more info, visit floydfamilyphotography.com/contact. 

By Heather Floyd of Floyd Family Photography / Photo session photo courtesy of Heather Floyd Floyd Family Photography.