Most family photos show who was there.
Storytelling photos show what it was like to be there.
There’s a difference and once you see it, you can’t unsee it.
Families Aren’t the Story. Life Is.
When we focus only on photographing “the family,” we tend to default to:
- everyone smiling
- everyone looking at the camera
- everyone standing still
But families don’t experience life that way.
They experience it in motion.
In chaos.
In tenderness.
In routines so familiar they almost disappear.
The story isn’t the lineup.
The story is what happens around it.
Look for What’s Happening Between People
Story-driven photography starts when you stop asking, “Is everyone smiling?”
and start asking:
- Who is reaching for who?
- Who always leans in?
- Who hangs back?
- What happens when no one is paying attention?
These quiet, unprompted interactions are where the story lives.
A hand on a shoulder.
A shared look.
A child climbing into a lap without asking.
That’s the narrative.
Photograph the Before and After
The magic rarely happens when everything is “ready.”
It happens:
- while shoes are being put on
- while someone melts down
- while parents laugh at the chaos
- while everyone settles back into themselves
Don’t rush past these moments.
The before tells you who they are.
The after tells you how they love.
Let Go of Control (This Is the Hard Part)
Storytelling requires trust.
Trust that:
- movement is better than perfection
- emotion matters more than symmetry
- real moments will unfold if you let them
The more you direct, the quieter the story becomes.
When you loosen your grip, families show you who they really are.
Photograph the Ordinary Like It’s Sacred
One day, these moments will feel extraordinary:
- messy kitchens
- bedtime routines
- cuddles on the couch
- kids being kids
Not because they were special at the time—but because they were true.
Storytelling photography preserves the feeling of a season, not just how it looked.
Photographing the Story Is a Skill—And You Can Learn It
This way of photographing isn’t accidental.
It’s intentional.
It’s about training your eye to notice patterns, relationships, and emotional beats.
And to help you start, I created something for you.
A Free Gift: The Storytelling Shot List
I put together a free Storytelling Shot List—not a checklist of poses, but prompts to help you:
- slow down
- see moments before they happen
- photograph connection instead of perfection
It’s perfect for parents and photographers who want their photos to feel more meaningful.
Because when you photograph the story, you don’t just remember what your family looked like.
You remember who you were together.
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