Documentary family photography in the Stockholm countryside
Gnesta. A Day In Your Life-session
It’s in the middle of the summer, kids have brown legs and sandy hair. The pear- and apple trees has big fruits hanging on the branches, the lake sparkle in the summer sun. I’m outside of Stockholm for a documentary family photo session.
During my day with the family I get more and more convinced this family has water in their veins as they spend almost every day-the whole day in the water. It is crucial that the kids learn how to swim as they - with no fear- jump from the bridge into the deep water. Even I hesitate to jump, but not the five-year-old. She just runs full speed with a big grin on her lips.
Creating a family photo album
Time is golden for a documentary photographer like me and that is why I love these full day sessions. The longer I get to be with the family, the more relaxed everyone gets and dares to be themselves. It becomes raw and genuine, the photos will show you how it was, no strained or posed photos. It will make you remember that feeling you had that day, that moment. And that is what this is all about, to create family albums with authentic photos that makes you feel something. Most people don’t even have a family album because the store the photos on a phone or hard drive where nobody can see them without permission. That is why I always include an album in my family sessions. See here how the albums look like.
How does a documentary family photography-session work?
For a full day photoshoot, I like to come the night before and just get to know everybody, without the camera. This particular night outside of Stockholm my bedroom is situated in the so-called henhouse, a newly renovated room for friends and family staying over. When the kids wake up the next morning, they know who I am and are not afraid of me and my camera. I capture this morning routines before we head to the beach. I show the kids the photos I made from their jumping of the bridge, they laugh and realizes it’s not such a bad thing being photographed.