Year in the Life: A Deeper Look at Long-Term Family Storytelling (Part 2)
If the first Year in the Life post was about logistics and “how it works,” this one is about the heart of it all. Photographing a family across a full year isn’t just a project, it becomes a relationship, a rhythm, and a story that reveals itself slowly. Here’s a closer look at what makes these sessions so meaningful.
1. What inspired you to start offering Year in the Life sessions?
I’ve always loved the quiet, unscripted moments that happen between the “big events.” A whole year gives me the chance to witness the transitions, the way a toddler’s feet dangle a little lower from the breakfast bench, the shift from warm layers to bare feet in the grass, the new routines that quietly replace the old ones. Families change quickly, and this format preserves the beauty in that evolution.
2. How do the photos from these sessions evolve over the course of a year?
Early sessions often feel cozy and familiar, usually indoors or in favorite spots. As the year moves forward, families tend to get more comfortable on camera and lean into their natural rhythms. By the final sessions, the photos often reflect a deeper ease, new traditions, and visible growth, everything from first steps to new sibling roles to the way the light in your home shifts with each season.
3. What kinds of stories emerge when you document a family over time?
Patterns start to stand out, the rituals that repeat, the personalities that shine through, the ways a family’s love language shows up in daily life. Maybe it’s weekend pancakes, a beloved stuffie, a backyard garden growing through the seasons, or a toddler’s insistence on wearing the same favorite rain boots for months. Over time, these threads weave together into a fuller picture of who your family is right now.
4. How do you keep kids (and parents!) feeling natural with a camera around?
Time is the secret ingredient. Because I’m visiting regularly, kids see me more as a familiar grown-up than a photographer. They don’t feel pressure to “perform,” which means I can capture their real expressions and energy. Parents tend to relax for the same reason, once they realize they don’t have to pose or direct, they simply get to be in the moment. I have actually increased my session time to 90 minutes instead of just an hour. That extra 30 minutes has helped everyone let their guard down a bit more and also allows us all to feel less rushed if there’s an activity planned.
5. Do you approach each family differently, or follow a consistent storytelling style?
The documentary approach stays consistent, but every family truly shapes its own story. Some are high-energy and outdoorsy; some are quiet and cozy; some have new babies and ever-shifting routines. I follow what’s real, your pace, your dynamic, your version of everyday life.
6. What surprises families most when they look back at the full year of images?
Almost always: how much has changed without them realizing it. Parents notice things like the way a child’s hands have grown, how their home has transformed, or how a morning routine has now become a cherished memory. It’s the subtle things that hit the hardest, the details you can’t see clearly until you have a full year side by side.
7. What’s been your most memorable moment or session from a Year in the Life project?
There are always standout moments - a first birthday, messy baking disasters, the joy of playing in the fall leaves - but the truth is, the most memorable pieces are usually small. A child inviting me into their imaginative world, a quiet hug on a couch, a routine unfolding naturally that will inevitably fade as a child grows. Those are the moments that stay with me.
8. Do these photos change in meaning as time passes?
Absolutely. What feels “ordinary” now becomes priceless later. Families often tell me that the photos mean more a year, two years, or five years later than they did when they first received them. Kids grow, homes evolve, and life shifts. The images become a time capsule of a season you can’t return to.
9. What add-ons or keepsakes do families usually choose to celebrate the completed year?
Every family receives an included year-end album, designed to tell the whole story beautifully. Additionally, families love to order prints, framed wall pieces, or an extra copy of their album for sharing with family that may not live close by. The album is especially popular because it brings the year together in one place; a tangible story you can flip through again and again.
10. What advice would you give families who want to start documenting their year?
Don’t overthink it. You don’t need perfect outfits, a spotless house, or a list of activities. The beauty of these sessions is that they’re grounded in your real life. Show up as you are, embrace your routines, and trust that your everyday moments have value. They’re the ones you’ll want to remember most.
Year in the Life Sessions: Your Top Questions Answered (Part 1)
There’s something magical about watching a family’s story unfold over time. The tiny changes in a child’s face, the way your routines shift with the seasons, the small rituals that mean everything in the moment but are so easy to forget later.
That’s why I began offering Year in the Life sessions - long-term, documentary-style photography that captures your family as you truly are, throughout an entire year. Below are the most common questions I’m asked about how it all works.
1. What exactly is a Year in the Life session?
A Year in the Life package includes a series of documentary photo sessions, either 4, 6, or 12 sessions, spread across one year. Each session is 90 minutes and focuses on your real, everyday life. Think: breakfast chaos, park afternoons, bedtime snuggles, rainy-day crafting, or weekend adventures. The goal is to document your family’s story in an honest, meaningful way.
2. How is a Year in the Life package different from booking individual photo sessions?
Booking a single session is wonderful, but it offers just a snapshot in time. A Year in the Life project shows the evolution, tiny milestones, growth spurts, shifting routines, and the beautiful mess of real life. It also creates a cohesive visual story instead of isolated moments.
3. Who are these sessions best suited for?
These sessions are ideal for families who value authenticity over perfection and want to remember the little things that often fade fastest. They’re especially loved by families with newborns, toddlers, or big life transitions, but truly, any family who cherishes their everyday moments is a good fit.
4. How often do the sessions happen, and how long is each one?
The frequency depends on the package you choose:
4 sessions: One per quarter of the year/season
6 sessions: Every other month
12 sessions: Monthly
Each session is 90 minutes, giving us time to settle in and let genuine moments unfold.
5. Can we choose the season, timing, and location for each session?
Absolutely. Each session is completely customizable. You can choose the month, the time of day, and the location - your home, your neighborhood, your favorite park, or a place that holds meaning to your family. Many families love mixing indoor and outdoor sessions to show the rhythm of their year.
6. What kinds of moments do you typically capture during a Year in the Life session?
Anything that feels true to your family. Some favorites include:
Making breakfast together
Walks to the local coffee shop
Bathtime routines
Park play and nature walks
Bedtime stories or slow weekend mornings
Family adventures around town
The everyday things are often the ones parents cherish most later.
7. Do we need to plan activities for each session, or can we just do our normal routine?
Most families do a mix of both. You don’t need anything elaborate, your normal routine is perfect. If you want guidance, I can help brainstorm simple, meaningful activities that fit your family’s personality. I also provide a booklet at the start of the year with monthly seasonal ideas.
8. What happens if we need to reschedule a session?
Life with kids is unpredictable, I get it. If you need to reschedule, we simply choose a new date. Flexibility is built into these packages so the project stays stress-free.
9. What’s included in the different package options (4, 6, or 12 sessions)?
All packages include:
Your chosen number of 90-minute sessions
A beautifully curated online gallery
High-resolution digital images
A final year-end family photo album with highlights from each session
Optional add-ons include prints, wall art, and extra books to gift extended family.
10. How do you deliver the photos after each session, and what do we get at the end of the year?
At the start of the year, after your first session your family’s year-long gallery will begin. After each session, you’ll receive an email and text alert when your most recently edited images have been added to your family’s gallery. At the end of the year, I create and design a final photo album that pulls together the best moments from your family’s year, preserved in a printed visual narrative you can revisit forever.
Decorating the Tree - Family Documentary Session - Shoreline, Wa
A quick sneak peek from a documentary family session where they decorated the tree together! Baby Frances loved watching her family decorate and wanted to be part of the action at all times! :)
5 Reasons to Document Baby's First Year!
You may be thinking, do I actually need a reason to document their first year? I mean come on! Look at those tiny toes! Well here are a few reasons you may not have thought about and why the documentary approach might be the right fit for you.
They change so fast. No seriously they do. If this is your first baby, ask anyone who has older children. That first year, one day you wake up and realize they’ve grown and changed seemingly overnight. You can’t go back in time. By the end of their first year they will be a drastically different small human.
You won’t be in the photos you take everyday on your phone. Read that again. Yes, I know you’re taking a million photos of your baby on your phone, what parent doesn’t?? But beyond the occasional selfie, are you in those photos? Will your baby be able to see you and how much you loved them, held them, cuddled them, and perhaps even superhuman multitasked with them, when they are grown and looking back at photos? Documentary photography allows you to get in the frame.
You’ll be busy. We all live busy lives, throw in a newborn and it goes up a huge notch. Planned documentary sessions throughout the year allow me to pop in, document, and let you keep on doing your own thing. There’s no outfits to coordinate, location to drive to, or stress of if baby will be in a good mood that day. You get to release all that for the entire year and just be a present parent.
The Baby Book dilemma. How many of us buy/bought a baby book for baby’s first year and never finished it? [Raising my own hand.] Think of this as a made-for-you baby book. Highlights from your sessions will all be printed in a book for you at the end of the year. Meaning no homework for you! If you are a journaler, upon request, I can even leave room for you to write notes in your book for each session, milestones that have happened, or things you’d like to remember about that time.
Your child will thank you later. Yup. Some day when they are older they will look through the photos taken and get to see YOU and THEM during that first year of their life. If you are like me, those photos of our parents and our family only grow more valuable over time. Not only will you be enjoying the photos as your baby grows into a child, a teen, and then an adult, but they will someday be thanking you for the photos that allow them to see a time they do not remember.
Whether you chose to only document those newborn days or opt for a larger First Year Package that includes multiple sessions throughout the year, you won’t regret having the time documented to relive later down the road.
Ready to document your baby’s first year?
I offer not only a First Year Milestones Bundle but can also customize any Year in the Life package to a First Year in the Life package.
Susan and Sean - Kenmore Family Session
When Susan reached out about booking a session for her, her husband, and their dogs I have to admit, she had me at dogs. We did a quick portrait session in one of my favorite locations and their dogs were good as gold. If you ever wonder if pets are allowed during any of my sessions or if I’d be okay coming to your house full of pets for a documentary session… here’s the quick answer, YES, always yes.
Here’s a sneak peek from their adorable session!
