FAQ for documentary family photo sessions / FAQ pour les séances photo documentaire de famille

1)      What is a documentary family photo session? / C’est quoi exactement une séance photo documentaire de famille?

This type of session is all about capturing, real every day moments in and around your home. You don’t have to pose or smile at the camera. You spend time with your family as you normally would doing an activity or two while I take photos.

Le but de ce type de séance est de capturer les moments naturelles de la vie quotidienne chez vous. Pas de poses, pas juste des photos avec tout le monde qui regarde le caméra et sourit. Vous passez le temps ensemble en faisant une activité (ou plusieurs) et je prends des photos. 

2)      How long do sessions last? / Combien de temps les séances photos durent-t-elles?

My typical in home session lasts 90 minutes. This sounds like a lot to some people but I can assure you that time flies by.  I’ve never had a session where the client was looking at the clock as if to say, ok, when is this going to be over. I don’t shoot the entire time. Sometimes I ask questions. Sometimes kids want to show me their favourite things or check out my camera. This helps to establish trust and a connection that gives me those opportunities to get real shots and emotion. I could come in, take a bunch of photos and leave but this would not allow time to get past the surface and to see glimpses of the soul. 

Mes séances durent 90 minutes. Parfois cela semble peut être un peu long mais je peux vous assurer que ça se passe très vite. Je n’ai jamais eu une séance ou les clients ont demandé quand est-ce que la session sera finit. Je ne prends pas des photos tout le temps. Parfois je demande des questions. Parfois les enfants veulent me montrer leur objets favoris ou ils sont curieux et veulent inspecter mon caméra. Cela m’aide à établir la confiance et une connexion pour pouvoir capturer les moments réelles, avec émotions. Je pourrais rentrer, prendre beaucoup de photos et partir mais cela ne laisse pas le temps d'établir les liens qui me permettent de capturer la vraie vie.

3)      How many photos do you take? / Vous prenez combien de photos?

I take a lot of photos during a 90 minute session. I try different angles, different compositions and exposure. Once I sort, remove any test shots, or ones that don’t work for one reason or another, I’m usually left with between 80 and 100. It sounds like a lot but many photos are there to support the story – detail shots of hands, toys, rooms, or wide shots to set the context. 

Je prends beaucoup de photos durant les 90 minutes. J’essaye des compositions, angles et expositions différents. Lorsque je trie, enlève les photos qui sont presque pareils ou qui ne marche pas pour une raison ou une autre, ça laisse environ 80 à 100 photos. Plusieurs photos aident à raconter l’histoire – les détails des mains, les jouets, les salles ou les photos qui aide à mettre en contexte. 

4)      Can you do a photo session in a pretty location outdoors? / Pourquoi pas des photos dans les endroits dehors?

I have nothing against photo shoots in the park. If you and your family often go to a park and play a certain activity or spend the day there, it makes sense to have a photo session take place there. For my work, the only thing I ask is that the setting have meaning because it is such a big part of the story. Not sure you can find activities in your home to do for your shoot? Check out my Ideas for In-Home Documentary Sessions for some inspiration!

Je n’ait rien contre les photos dans un parc. Si votre famille visite souvent le même parc pour jouer ou passer votre journée là, ça fait du sense de capturer les moments dans cet endroit. Pour mes photos, je veux seulement que l’endroit signifie quelque chose parce que ça fait partie de l’histoire. Si vous avez besoin d’idées pour les activités à faire pour votre séance, svp voir ma liste d'idées pour votre séance guide! 

5)      How do we prepare for a session? / Comment preparer pour une séance?

Once we have agreed on a date for the session, I send clients a customized questionnaire to learn a bit more about you and your family. The answers help to guide the ideas for the session and help me to recognize what moments are important to you and your family. I ask clients to select an activity or activities that they would like to have documented – activities that are meaningful and part of everyday life. We select a time of day that would be appropriate. For example, if breakfast is a really important part of your Sunday morning, we would build the session around that time of day.  

Prior to a session, I usually ask clients to open up any curtains or drapes to maximize the natural light. I remind clients that the idea is to really be yourselves and to try to forget there is a camera around - to treat me like an old friend coming to visit. If you have little ones who aren’t in the mood for a certain activity, there is no pressure, we move on to something else. If the family needs a break from being in front of the camera, no problem, I use that time to take a few detail shots of the environment.

Lorsqu’on a choisit une date, j’envoie aux clients un questionnaire pour que je puisse mieux connaître leur famille. Les réponses aident à sortir des idées pour la séance et m’aident à reconnaître les moments qui sont importants pour vous. Je demande aux clients de choisir une ou plusieurs activités qu’ils aimeraient documenter – des activités qui sont significatives et qui font partie de la vie quotidienne. On choisit une heure de la journée selon l’activité. Par exemple, si le déjeuner est très important les dimanche matins, on construit la séance autour de cette activité.

Avant la séance, je demande aux clients d’ouvrir les rideaux pour s’assurer qu’il y a beaucoup de lumière naturelle. Je rappelle aux clients que l’idée c’est d’être eux-mêmes et d’essayer d’oublier le caméra – de me traiter comme une amie qui est en visite. Si les enfants ne sont pas intéressé à participer à un certain activité, pas de problèmes, on continue et on fait autre chose. Si toute la famille a besoin de prendre une pause, j’utilise ce temps pour prendre des photos des petits détails de l’environnement. 

6)      What to wear during an in home photo session? / Quoi porter pour la séance photo?

Wear what is comfortable and what is appropriate for the activity you will be doing with your family. It’s that simple!

Portez ce que est confortable et approprié pour l’activité, c’est simple!

Do you have more questions? Send me a message! https://www.mathieu-photo.com/contact Ottawa Photographer | Melanie Mathieu Photography

Vous avez d'autres questions? Envoyez moi un message! Photographe Ottawa Gatineau | Melanie Mathieu Photography

I Finally Got a Professional Headshot Done!

I recently met up with Myriam of Farah Photography with the plan to take photos of each other. As photographers, we aren't often in front of the camera and realized we hardly had any recent photos of ourselves. We both wanted something natural so we settled on meeting at a coffee shop. We found a corner that had great light and shot each other as we talked. Very simple. Myriam is amazing. She makes you feel comfortable and uses her warm personality to get you to relax, laugh and have fun.

As much as I was a bit worried about a public setting for the photos, it didn’t take long to forget about everyone else. Something as simple as having a cup of tea to hold helps to get past that “what do I do with my hands” feeling. 

Before the session, I think: I hate having my photo taken, I’m more comfortable behind the camera, I’m not photogenic, this is going to be so awkward, maybe I should have worn the other shirt? Sound familiar? Looking at photos of myself is kind of like hearing a recording of your voice for the first time – it can feel a bit strange and you ask yourself, is that really how I sound? However, as a mom, I’m realizing I need to get over it. I need to accept how I look on camera if I want to pass that positive self-image on to my kids and to be more accepting of the things I may not completely love about myself. As a photographer, I need to practice what I preach. Hiring a professional photographer to take your photo is a great step to get passed this. Photographers are trained to capture good angles, to try different poses and compositions to help you see yourself in a different light. 

Typically with photos of myself, I pour over them and find all the things I don’t like instead of focusing on what is good about them - what is good about me. With the photos that Myriam took, I can honestly say that there is nothing I would change. Even my “over smiling” (see this photo right above...this is my "oversmile") which typically makes me cringe when I see myself like that…but this shot actually turned out to be one of my favourites. Her talent for composition and light makes it work. 

What comes to mind when you think of the word “headshot” ? I like to think about redefining the headshot to be less formal. I think people are looking for something that feels real and shows a bit of personality. Choosing a casual setting really helps to create that. Letting some of your character shine through is a good thing. 

It was fun to do something just for me and to come away with photos of just me, being me.  

I highly recommend hiring someone you trust to take photos of just you!

Maternity Photo Session in Collaboration with Maman Chic Boutique

Collaborating and connecting with local business owners is one of the things I love about what I do. When I discovered Maman Chic Boutique through my sister (thanks again Lauri), I fell in love with the products, the concept of the one-on-one shopping experience and the fact that this incredible shop is local and carries lots of Canadian products. I only wish I had this option back when I was pregnant. The good news is, a pregnant belly is not necessarily required for many of the pieces carried in this shop. That’s how versatile the carefully selected pieces are. Sarah knows I’ve been eyeing those Spanx leggings for some time now! 

When we discussed the opportunity to work together, I was thrilled to see it all come together because I truly love this little gem of a shop. In keeping with my photography style, I wanted to create a photo shoot that was real, moody and that highlighted natural beauty. It features a real Mom who is expecting her second baby, it takes place in her own home using natural light with clothing provided by Maman Chic. Clothing she would actually wear on a day to day basis. Photos taken in the spaces that together make a home – the place that will welcome the baby boy next month. 

I think you will agree that this Mama looks stunning exactly as she is – no special lighting or backdrops required. Those curves are so perfectly highlighted by the clothes and the light hitting her just so.

It’s hard to pick my favourites but my top two would be the coloured photo of her standing by the nursery window and that last belly shot. Something about her hands and the roundness of that belly that just gets me. Scroll to the bottom to see the link to the Maman Chic blog post all about preparing for your maternity photo session!

Are you pregnant or know someone who is? It’s such a special time that many women want to document. You’re gonna want to go check out the latest blog post on the Maman Chic website to learn all about making sure those photos are exactly what you want! 

Click here  https://mamanchic.com/blogs/news/preparing-for-your-maternity-photo-session   for quick tips on how to prepare for your maternity photo session.

www.mathieu-photo.com

www.mamanchic.com

What to expect from your family photo session with me

How does a family documentary photo session work?

For those who have already had a photo session with me, you will know the answer to this but for those who haven’t, I thought I’d take a bit of time to explain the process. 

When I am first contacted by a client, I follow up with a brief description of how I work and I ask questions to get more details on what my client is looking for. I want to be sure that my photography style is a good match for what they want. Sometimes this means answering more questions or a phone call to go more in depth. Once we have agreed on a date, I develop a list of questions that are tailored to that client. I want to get to know my client before I meet them so that I can really understand what is important to them and what they want to remember about this time in their lives. Maybe it’s an object like a favourite t-shirt, or maybe it’s an interaction like the way Dad turns his toddler upside down or sometimes it’s a general feeling of the chaos and movement of everyday life. The answers to these questions help to guide the session and inspire the activities for the session itself. For example, if I read about how special breakfast time is for a family, my first thought is to ensure we set a time that will allow us to capture this. I read my clients’ responses to questions several times ahead of the session and keep the details in mind while I shoot. The idea is to create photos that make you feel something and the only way to do this is to go deeper and to connect - to capture real life moments that are authentic.

You won’t find a “what to wear” section on my website. It’s all about being comfortable and dressed according to the activity you will be doing. You don’t need to do a major clean before I arrive since those real life elements are what help the story and make it your own. No posing required, just enjoy time with your family. If someone isn’t interested in doing a certain activity that day, that's ok too, we move on and do something else. 

I give very little direction and instead let everyone fall into the routine of being themselves. I take a lot of photos. I shoot details, objects, close ups of tiny toes and wider angles to get the whole room or family in the picture. All of these pieces come together to tell the story. 

Not sure what activities to do for your family session? I'm working on a list to help inspire you. Stay tuned!

Documentary photo sessions aren’t just for families with young children – they can include anything from a simple wedding, maternity sessions (documenting life before baby arrives, preparing the nursery etc.), documenting the story of your family's older generations or how about the creative process behind a business? More on those specific sessions another time!  

I’m happy to answer any questions so don’t hesitate to hit reply and send me a message.