Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Showing posts with label lifestyle. Show all posts
Day in the Life: The W Family [Plainfield, IL Lifestyle Photography]
I love doing these Day in the Life sessions, and this one was no exception. It's so fun spending a casual afternoon with a family, documenting their daily activities and the bond they have as a family. The W family started their session alongside their friend Amy and her children at their house where we spent the afternoon playing music and time at the nearby park. The session was finished off by Carissa, Brian, and their daughter Emerson stopping at Hurts Donuts to partake in one of Emerson's favorite activities...donut eating! Who doesn't love a sprinkled donut? We had a great time chatting and hanging out, and here are some highlights from their session!
The K Family: Day in the Life [Naperville Lifestyle Family Photography]
Day in the life. What does this mean exactly? Well, the idea all started when I thought about the things I love to shoot - candid, real life moments. When I looked at my business, this type of photography was found most often at weddings - capturing the interaction between people, the in-between moments that naturally occur over an 8 hour wedding shoot. However, I felt like there was a NEED for it in family photography. SO often, I would hear from my portrait clients..."I just really like candid, unposed photography". Though, in itself, a typical 1 hr portrait session at a beautiful, but frankly, meaningless location doesn't lend itself very well to that type of genuine, candid images that people were begging for!
You've all been there - mom is worried that the outfits she painstakingly chose won't look right in photos. Dad is grumpy, because the last thing he wants to do during his precious weekend hours is smile for a photographer he doesn't know. The kids are of course, acting like wild beasts because they are feeding off of all of the anxious energy that mom and dad are putting out into the universe. Inevitably, someone has a meltdown, somebody stains their BRAND. NEW. PANTS... and everyone is exhausted before the session even begins. Sound familiar?
Imagine this scenario instead...photographer arrives at your home at 7 am on a Sunday. Kids have just gotten up (and let's face it - when you're 4, bedhead and pjs might be the cutest things ever), with you drinking your coffee and starting to gather items for breakfast (even if it's just cereal!!). Throughout the session, you just get to enjoy your Sunday morning. You make and eat breakfast as a family - who cares if little one spills her OJ on the counter? Easy fix, and bonus - new pjs are just down the hall! Breakfast is followed by playtime with the kiddos - coloring, finger painting (the messier the better!), toy trains, reading books - you name it! Instead of worrying if everyone is smiling and looking perfect for the camera, you are ENJOYING your kids. Let them be little, and let me capture the details of this time in your life that will be gone before you know it. Pretty soon, that adorable 4 year old is going to be 16 and rolling her eyes at the thought of spending a Sunday morning hanging out with mom & dad. You'll be lucky if she gets up before noon and grunts a good morning - trust me, I know - that was totally me. ;)
So, in a nutshell - THAT is what Day in the Life sessions are all about. I usually suggest having some things in mind that you love to do as a family, or that your kids love to do, to help with the flow of the session and to make everyone feel extra comfortable. But my focus is not the activities, it's the interaction that you have with your kids, with your spouse, with your pet... capturing the moments that make your life uniquely yours.
One last thing - worried your house isn't picture perfect? Let's go do something instead! Apple orchard, a park, your fave breakfast spot, fishing at the lake, hanging out with Fido at the dog park - the possibilities are endless. Just choose something that feels like YOU.
You've all been there - mom is worried that the outfits she painstakingly chose won't look right in photos. Dad is grumpy, because the last thing he wants to do during his precious weekend hours is smile for a photographer he doesn't know. The kids are of course, acting like wild beasts because they are feeding off of all of the anxious energy that mom and dad are putting out into the universe. Inevitably, someone has a meltdown, somebody stains their BRAND. NEW. PANTS... and everyone is exhausted before the session even begins. Sound familiar?
Imagine this scenario instead...photographer arrives at your home at 7 am on a Sunday. Kids have just gotten up (and let's face it - when you're 4, bedhead and pjs might be the cutest things ever), with you drinking your coffee and starting to gather items for breakfast (even if it's just cereal!!). Throughout the session, you just get to enjoy your Sunday morning. You make and eat breakfast as a family - who cares if little one spills her OJ on the counter? Easy fix, and bonus - new pjs are just down the hall! Breakfast is followed by playtime with the kiddos - coloring, finger painting (the messier the better!), toy trains, reading books - you name it! Instead of worrying if everyone is smiling and looking perfect for the camera, you are ENJOYING your kids. Let them be little, and let me capture the details of this time in your life that will be gone before you know it. Pretty soon, that adorable 4 year old is going to be 16 and rolling her eyes at the thought of spending a Sunday morning hanging out with mom & dad. You'll be lucky if she gets up before noon and grunts a good morning - trust me, I know - that was totally me. ;)
So, in a nutshell - THAT is what Day in the Life sessions are all about. I usually suggest having some things in mind that you love to do as a family, or that your kids love to do, to help with the flow of the session and to make everyone feel extra comfortable. But my focus is not the activities, it's the interaction that you have with your kids, with your spouse, with your pet... capturing the moments that make your life uniquely yours.
One last thing - worried your house isn't picture perfect? Let's go do something instead! Apple orchard, a park, your fave breakfast spot, fishing at the lake, hanging out with Fido at the dog park - the possibilities are endless. Just choose something that feels like YOU.
Allison + Cody: Day in the Life [Iowa City Lifestyle Photography]
I'm photographing Allison and Cody's wedding this December, and when we met and they asked me if they could do a "Day in the Life" shoot for their engagement I was beyond thrilled. As you all know, this is the type of photography I'm super passionate about and could truly do sessions like this all day long. For Allison + Cody's day in the life, we recreated their first date (first ice cream at Dairy Queen, then a beer at Stella), and took the dogs out to play in one of their fave spots. To round out this awesome afternoon, they spent some time on the couch with the pups, followed by a bath for the dogs, but turned out Cody got a bath as well. I hope you all enjoy this session as much as I did!
Jen Madigan Photography is a Chicago and Iowa City, IA based photographer available for travel worldwide. She specializes in maternity and lifestyle newborn photography.
I would love to tell your family's story through photos! View my portfolio or contact me for details and to book: info@jenmadigan.com
The S Family: Day in the Life [Iowa City, IA Documentary Photography]
Day in the Life sessions are hands down my favorite type of session to do, as I love the natural feel of the images and how they tell a story of people's lives. I like to think of it as the family photos you wish you had, because everyone has the opportunity to be in them. I don't have a family of my own, but I know from growing up that so many of our family photos have just one parent in them as someone had to take the image. I know now with phones having great cameras, we tend to document our daily lives more often, but I believe very strongly in the value of having images like these.
I met Katharine and Nate, and their adorable little ones on a chilly Saturday morning back in December. They made breakfast, read books, and played as a family - with the glittering Christmas tree in the background. It is such an honor to be invited into someone's home to document such intimate moments with them being truly themselves, so huge thanks to Katharine and Nate for the opportunity.
It's difficult to narrow down my favorite images when they all seem to be part of the story, but here are some of the ones that Katharine and Nate chose, as well as a couple additional faves of mine. Enjoy!
I met Katharine and Nate, and their adorable little ones on a chilly Saturday morning back in December. They made breakfast, read books, and played as a family - with the glittering Christmas tree in the background. It is such an honor to be invited into someone's home to document such intimate moments with them being truly themselves, so huge thanks to Katharine and Nate for the opportunity.
It's difficult to narrow down my favorite images when they all seem to be part of the story, but here are some of the ones that Katharine and Nate chose, as well as a couple additional faves of mine. Enjoy!
