A small girl and the power of family photojournalism
Watching a child grow…
I’ve been photographing the little girl in this family for several years now. Both at home and at school, when I used to be the photographer at a local Montessori school. It was the first time I tried documentary school photography - or 'the Year in the Life: School Edition”.
She has grown so much, and I’ve loved to watch it happen, and document it with photographs. There’s something very special about her. I know she’ll achieve amazing things.
At this particular photoshoot, she was with her cousins from New Zealand, who were visiting for a part of the summer. I loved spending some time with them, and watching the kids (and adults!) get up to some shenanigans.
The New Zealand family was not familiar with family photojournalism. That’s quite common, as family photojournalism is still somewhat niche. I told them all about it, and even though we took some group and family portrait photos, the emphasis was on the unposed (I haven’t shown any of the more traditional photos here, because I also want to emphasize that it’s the candid moments which are the most fun for me to photograph).
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It’s my hope that with each passing year, more and more families will experience the joys of family photojournalism, and it will spread and have an impact worldwide.
Family photojournalism is transformative.
When I say that, I wonder if people think I’m exaggerating needlessly, but I’m not.
Family photojournalism goes against the trend to achieve perfection. That trend is damaging and cruel to people. It leads to shame and self-doubt.
Family photojournalism flies in the face of all that. Families are all different, and no one has it all figured out. But if you choose to spend a few hours together, you will see in the photographs that this time was beautiful, and reflective of the kind of rich familial bonds you share every day, without recognizing it.
You don’t have a personal photographer following you around all day, that is true.
So you tend to miss or dismiss those many moments which define your character and shape your life.
When I photograph families, it is with two aims:
To make everyone have a good time
To show people the magic of their lives, through photographs that show children lost in the moments of childhood, and adults lost in the magic of the role of parent & partner.
You will see yourself as they see you: as their hero.
And you will see your children as they see themselves: as key players in the most interesting story ever told.
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I hope you enjoy the photos, and please leave a comment and follow me on Instagram @viaramileva
