Do you ever wish a professional photographer was capturing the daily life of your family?
RICH AND FAMOUS
Anytime there’s a documentary on the British Royalty or one of the Presidents, I’m always watching. I love to see the private family photos they show. It’s so telling to see moments of their life that are not usually intended for the public.
Everyone deserves to have their family life photographed, not just the rich and famous.
After watching enough of those episodes I was inspired to find a way to do the same for my family.
MAGIC
What I came up with turned magical.
I decided to focus on one child each day. I snapped them from the time they woke up until they went to bed. No special clothing, no props, no set up. I wanted to capture them as organically as possible.
GIFTS
I do one day as a sample snapshot into their life. I plan to make them into photo books as presents for Grandma. It’s a beautiful way to show them what their grandkids are really up to.
All pics were taken with the Panasonic G5 Lumix DSLM. It’s a great transition from a point and shoot with a low learning curve.
I present to you: A Day In The Life Of Leena, Age 2.
The day starts quiet. A little snack before her adventure begins.
Lounging…
Eating…
Stretching…
Hiding…
Chatting…
Spilling…
Cleaning…
Reading…
Writing…(on the wall)!
Decorating…
More decorating…
Re-organizing…
A little watching…
A lot of requesting…
Some packing…(?)
More eating…
Drinking…
Tiring…
And tomorrow she’ll do it all over again.
5 TIPS
1. Snap your family as is. It’s about creating memories, not set-ups. Pass on props, forget fancy clothes, focus on the actions and faces.
2. Keep it natural light and turn off the flash. Become a light chaser. Photograph from sun up to almost sunset.
3. Use filters to set the mood. If it feels retro use sepia or black and white.
4. Create a story. Random pics are fine, but if you have a theme in mind it helps to create a story that can be made into a beautiful photo book later.
5. Get close. Seeing the wisps of hair or crumbs on their face is what brings the photo to life.
Be sure to follow me on Instagram for more pics and inspiration and check out my other post in this series on being your own photographer.
All pictures were taken with a Panasonic G5 Lumix Camera.
Disclosure: Panasonic provided me with a camera to facilitate this post. All pictures are mine.
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Hi! I'm Isra, aka The Frugalette. I took my family from fancy to frugal in 3 years, with 3 kids and 1 income, oh and found the meaning of life too! To read more about my fancy life gone frugal, 
She's a doll! You captured "a day in the life of" very well.
Thank you Freda.
I love them……………..
Thx Renee.
She is absolutely gorgeous – and adorable!
I love your tips. And your idea of focusing on one child for a day, capturing their world in film. I plan to copy you
Thx Maryanne. Please do copy and I'd love to see it after!
I LOVE the photos Isra! Great tips!!
Thanks Michelle!
What a fabulous post. I agree 100% that it is about capturing a moment, crumbs and all. Your photographs are beautiful and certainly tell a story. Thank you for sharing your tips, and your adorable little girl. My favorite way to photograph is always up close and in natural light. Nothing beats it. Thank you.
Thanks so much! Yes up close really captures their personality.
OMGoodness! I LOVE it! Looks so much like my day here at home.
And what a beautiful model!
Thanks Staci! It actually surprised me how much she really does all day, even just at home?!
Love these pics of her. You can totally see she is a Dora girl. I recall my daughter being obsessed with Dora!
She is Dora Dora Dora the explor-er!
Thanks Niri! 
You have taken at-home digital photography to the next level! I love the story of the day… Really touched my heart!
Aww thank you, that means a lot.
xo
i really love this post it was very helpful but may i please suggest you look into car seat safety, the way your daughter was in that seat is not safe at all! especilly wuth that bulky coat on. please im not trying to tell you wat to do but it could save her life. adult belts lock up in an accident, carseats dont. please look up winter coats and carseats aswell as how to restrain your child poperly. http://thecarseatlady.blogspot.ca/
Thank you so much for your concern! I have since removed the pic, that is actually not typical of how she is sits in it, I loosen the seat belt when she's sleeping and added her winter coat as we are in freezing temps here! Thank you again for your concern.
Excellent tips and they are really very basics tips that help you to make your pictures very beautiful. You have got very excellent shots that makes the pictures to express what they are doing and thinking too.