Ron expressed many ideas that I wrote about back in 2009 in this thread here: https://www.fredmiranda.com/forum/topic/798155/. That thread eventually lead to the development of www.thefamilyphotojournalist.blogspot.com
Ron's recent thread really reinforces the genre of photography that I'm most passionate about, documenting my family's life. The older I get and the more my family grows I am coming to understand the importance of 'today'. Luckily, we photo enthusiasts have a rare ability (to varying degrees and visions) to sort of 'freeze' today. We have a pause button. Cartier-Bresson said "We photographers deal in things which are continually vanishing, and when they have vanished there is no contrivance on earth which can make them come back again. We cannot develop and print a memory." He's right, we cannot print a memory, hell, our memories arent even guaranteed! But we can pause moments and print them.
I've been on a quest to pause my family's tiny moments. I love the challenge of photographing normal, everyday family life in a aesthetically interesting way. I want to be able to look back fondly at these moments (good and bad) and remember and feel. I really only think documentary photography can do that. Portraits of our kids will make us smile. We might laugh even at the hair or the outfit or their expression. But what story is there with a portrait? What context? I think documentary photography has the unique ability to bring us back. I'm going to post a few photos below that are a few years older and I can remember specifics about the day. Feelings, smells, and stories surrounding the images come back.
This is my urge to you all to document the lives of your families. Don't worry about their outfits. Don't worry if they aren't smiling. Don't worry if the room is messy around them. Just leave everything exactly where it is and press your pause button.
I've posted some of these over the years...some are recent, some go back a few years:
Chuck,
I've enjoyed your work over the years, here and the Wedding forum. Thanks for sharing these and reinforcing the importance to taking "snaps" of the kids/family. You make it look too easy turning the snaps into work of art.
Wonderful post, Chuck, and what an important reminder for us to turn our cameras back onto our families. In my case, my interest in photography came from the desire to document my family, and somehow that spiraled in doing professional work -- which has taken time away from my ability to document my family. Have to find a balance there.
The next challenge, Chuck, is to find a way to at least occasionally get pictures of you with your family. I know that's been my challenge, but fortunately my wife is wanting to shoot more and more now.
friscoron wrote:
The next challenge, Chuck, is to find a way to at least occasionally get pictures of you with your family. I know that's been my challenge, but fortunately my wife is wanting to shoot more and more now.
This is my issue as well...lots of pictures of the kid and my wife, but nothing with me
Pretty cool stuff. I enjoyed them all, particularly the one through the kitchen window of the 2 playing catch together. I also agree about not worrying about the posing, the backgrounds, the clutter, or the fact that not everyone is looking at the camera or saying "cheese!"
I also really like the one through the window of the boys playing catch, but there are so many great shots here of candid moments. My challenge as I shoot my family is to catch spontaneous moments rather than having everyone pose for shots. Your images provide for some great inspiration.
Absolutely love the whole set, great moments, fantastic composition all centered on the kids and the bubble they seem to be living in, sometimes oblivious to their surrounding environment.
Great selection of captured moments. You have hit on one of the main reasons I love photography. Capturing moments with my family and friends. You may find as the kids get older the moments become a little harder to capture with the innocence. Teens kids are not so willing for their pictures to be taken from time to time.
I have 25 years of pictures of my family with film and now digital. The early years on film still need to be scanned but I get them out from time to time. Of all the types of photography have done over the years nothing has been more rewarding than the countless captured moment of my family.
It really is amazing how a picture can trigger memories of times spent on vacations or just the daily events that are often less remembered. I use to blog them but as much sons got to be teens they did not want them posted, it is uncool Dad. Now in their 20s and in and out of college they appreciate them a little more.
I seem to always carry a camera, to see me without one makes my family wonder if I am not feeling well. Every captured moment is special, you will even appreciate them more as you get older.
