As a parent and lifestyle newborn and family photographer, I’m always looking for creative ways to document my children’s growth and I love incorporating ideas into client sessions as well. We are with our children day by day, so sometimes it’s not until they put on that pair of pants that was tucked way back in their drawer, that sweater you forgot about, or we see photos side by side that we actually notice how much they’ve grown. I’ve started some personal projects over the years that I plan to continue as long as my kids will let me but have also found it fun to replicate photos for families as well. The possibilities are endless but would love to share a few ideas because this is something we all can do and I promise you won’t regret it.
First Day of School Photos:
These are photos that many take year after year. Maybe the pandemic put a bit of a wrench in this, but I always love seeing first day of school photos blasted over social media of friends and family and have done this with my kids every year since they started preschool. I also love doing a side by side comparison from the start of the year to the end. Wow. The changes are huge in this context!
Birthday/Holiday Photos:
We generally have our cameras or camera phones out for birthdays, so it’s a bit easier to remember to document this timeframe. I decided to start this project a few years ago and document a birthday cake photo every year. I don’t know about you, but I’m always emotional around my kids’ birthdays. They’re another year older and moving more towards independence and it always puts me in a place of reflection. I love to look back at these photos each year and reflect on how much they’ve grown, the new relationships they’ve developed, and the new interests that have emerged, etc. And usually they’re willing because of the reward of cake following the photo!
Documenting Play:
As a former early childhood special educator, I’m a big believer in play to help children learn and build connections, which is why I focus on planning fun routine and planned activities during family sessions where everyone can do just that.
This is hands down my favorite series of my kids. There rooms are perfectly placed (we lucked out!) and I just love capturing their interests and seeing them both in their element doing what they love most. The idea here really is to capture who your child is in this moment, their interests, their size, maybe their favorite shirt or dress, etc. We don’t want to forget the little things.
Find a space in your house with good light and try to document every 6 months or so what your child is most into at the time. It will be so fun for you and your family to look back on these fond memories. Some interests change and some persist for years – like legos in our house! It also makes for a fun series to frame because it’s important to see our photos and not just let them live on a hard drive.
The Newborn to Toddler Transition:
There is so much growth that happens in the first few years of life. Even within the first week of bringing your baby home, you can see how different they are, right?! So there are photos from newborn and family sessions that I love to replicate. It’s just amazing to see the change when you put these photos side by side and it becomes something to add to the memory books.
…and then baby sister arrives and you start all over again.
I’m sentimental by nature, so capturing this growth in my own kids and for my clients means so much to me and it always a joy to see families again. There’s just something about seeing these moments over and over again and watching kids grow.
Replicating photos is a fun way to really see your child’s growth over time and it doesn’t have to be complicated. You just have to be consistent. Find a favorite window in your house for a quick portrait, document your kids in their room or play room, or think about an important family photo in the same place or similar position over time. Even if you don’t work with a Bay Area family photographer or have a fancy camera, just remind yourself to use the camera on your phone to document these moments that I promise you’ll cherish.
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