Cornwall Documentary Family Photography Session
Back in May, Chad and Kelly hosted me for their session at their home and, despite being uncertain, were willing to see how it went. They were slightly nervous about having me there and not having a plan, but it couldn’t have worked out any better. Their eldest, Amelia, has plenty of character without being precocious – she’s an adorable, curious, independent little girl who has a new baby sister and that makes their regular life even more interesting.
I spent two hours in their home, chatting while I watched the relationships between these four awesome human beings. What I saw was attentive, loving parents who encouraged imagination, exploration and independence. I saw a big sister who was so intrigued by her new sibling. I saw a mom who would be having a very exciting maternity leave as she balanced an active little girl and an infant. I saw a father who shows such incredible tenderness to the girls in his life.
This sessions explains everything I love about the genre. Spontaneous moments that happen between family members. Action that doesn’t happen when you’re worried about poses or whether your children are looking at the camera. Life happens, and I get to show you what that looks like. That climb up on the counter for a juice glass? It may be my favourite shot this year. The wolf/baby shot comes a very close second. Sometimes the best things happen when you don’t plan anything. Way to go, Chad and Kelly. :)
For those wondering how these sessions work, it’s pretty darn simple. Get up, get dressed (or even better – stay in your pjs!), and take me along for the ride. Plan a favourite activity or just see what the kids get up to. In Chad and Kelly’s case, the morning involved getting Ellie dressed, having a snuggle on the bed after Amelia decided to show me her room, feeding Ellie while Amelia played with Chad, and then having juice and playing with fake tattoos (not shown here, but hilarious) before hanging out on the couch for a few minutes. There was no direction, there was no plan. Amelia’s interests led the shoot and Ellie tagged along. It isn’t elaborate or fancy because real life isn’t usually elaborate or fancy – and that’s what makes it perfect.
Here’s a very select group of my favourite shots from my time with Amelia, Ellie, Chad and Kelly:
I’m Ang – a documentary family photographer in Cornwall, Ontario with a passion for capturing light and photographing natural moments in life as they happen. My goal is to capture memories that you will cherish once your children are too grown up to curl into your lap for cuddles and the house seems oddly quiet at night. I love meeting new families in their natural environment and getting in amongst the bedlam so that I can document the perfectly imperfect realities of daily life. Please explore more of www.momentusstudio.com to see more samples from Cornwall documentary family photography sessions.
