Why I Love This Photo Series—Family Edition
Photograph from a documentary family photo session in Charlotte, NC.
This is a blog series I will be doing on specific photographs I love and why.
There are some photographs that stay with me not because they are grand or dramatic, but because they feel so true to real life. This image is one of those for me.
I made this photograph during a documentary family session while the boy’s mother was in the kitchen making cookies. Nothing was staged. Nothing was directed. It was just one of those quiet in-between moments that can happen when everyone is simply living their life together. At one point, he slowly popped his head up over the counter, just enough for his eyes and little hands to appear.
That is what I love most about this frame.
You can’t see his whole face. You don’t need to. You see his eyes peeking over the edge, his small fingers gripping the counter, and his hair sticking up in every direction. It feels playful, curious, and completely childlike. There is a kind of mystery in it too. The photograph asks you to lean in a little. It gives just enough information, and that restraint is part of what makes it interesting to me.
I’m also drawn to the simplicity of the composition. The large white negative space of the counter takes up most of the frame, which makes his eyes stand out even more. Instead of cluttering the image, that empty space gives the moment room to breathe. It isolates the gesture. It lets the photograph say something quietly instead of loudly.
That’s often what I’m looking for in documentary family photography. Not just smiles at the camera or everyone looking their best, but photographs that feel observed rather than produced. Images that reflect how childhood actually feels: curious, messy, fleeting, and full of personality. The hair sticking up, the tiny hands, the half-hidden face — those details matter. They are the kinds of details parents tend to remember years later.
I think that’s why this image works for me. It feels honest. It feels simple. And it says a lot without showing very much.
When I photograph family sessions this way, I’m not trying to force moments into something polished. I’m paying attention to what is already happening. A kitchen, a parent making cookies, a child getting curious — that is enough. More than enough, really. Those ordinary moments are often the ones that become the most meaningful.
This photograph reminds me that a strong image does not always need a full scene or a big expression. Sometimes all it takes is a pair of eyes, a few fingertips on the counter, and a little bit of wild hair catching the light.
Start appreciating the “not so typical” photos
A lot of people hire a photographer to do family photos and only care about the few photos of a kid looking straight at the camera and smiling.
Don’t get me wrong, these photos are important and I always get a few “typical” images, but I urge you to reconsider images like the one above. After all, you don’t spend money on a photographer to get the photos you can snap on your Iphone. You hire them for their trained eye and their outsider perspective.
A large print of the photo above on a quality photo paper and decent frame would absolutely stop people in their tracks when they come into your home, I guarantee it. Get your money’s worth from your photographer and utilize these “not so typical” photos. Better yet, ask your photographer which images they think are the strongest, it will seriously make their day. Plus, they can tell you which images are best from an artistic point of view.
This image won an award for family photography and it wasn’t until I told the client that they started to love the photo because they started looking at the image from a different perspective.
Want “non-typical” family photos in Charlotte, NC?
I’m Brandon, a documentary wedding & family photographer in Charlotte, NC. I photograph families in storytelling form. Whether I’m spending a couple hours at your home, or at a favorite park. I let things happen naturally and capture what makes your family unique. Don’t worry, I will still take 5-10 minutes and grab your usual family group portraits, so you get the best of both worlds.