Jessica Thomason is a documentary family photographer and she wrote a great article on how to successfully go through a Day in the Life-shoot with your family.
We picked some of our favorite tips from her that we think are going to make this “job” so much easier for you. If you have done a day in the life-shoot and have some extra tips for people who are thinking of doing it, please share in the comments below!
Pick one lens
You’re gonna be lugging this bad boy around all day. Don’t give yourself a backache (or a headache) by carrying your entire camera bag with you. Plus, limiting yourself with certain parameters will likely increase your creativity. My favorite lens is my Sigma 35 f/1.4 – it’s wide enough to get lots of environment but not so wide that I can’t come in close for a nice portrait if the mood strikes me.
Make a Mental Map
A day or two before you plan to shoot, really observe your surroundings as you go through your routine. So many things happen the same way every single day. What stands out? What is beautiful or meaningful when the light hits it just right? What scenes from your everyday make you stop and say “that is SO us”? Consider what type of settings you’d need to capture that moment or scene. Keep those mental pictures in the back of your mind during your DITL and if there is a really specific shot you want to get, adjust your settings in advance to grab it!
Go faceless
The kids don’t want your lens up in their faces? Husband annoyed with your over-documentation of the afternoon? You can say a lot without ever showing faces or even people at all. A cup of coffee with steam rising, a grocery store in the rear-view mirror of your car, a stack of books and papers and used up eraser on the kitchen table. All of these things can tell a story of your day without photographing any actual people.
Hand the camera over
You are a huge part of the story and deserve to be in the pictures. Even if you hate being in pictures, do it for your family. They’ll want to remember you just like you want to remember them. This doesn’t have to mean you drag out the tripod or even find your remote. Just hand the camera over to an older child or your spouse. Adjust your settings, give them a quick photography 101 course (2 minutes tops) and then just let it go.
Read the full article over at Clickin Moms
Source: Clickin Moms
