documentary family photographer in ESSEx
Because you deserve it!
You must be here because:
You are looking for non-traditional family photography.
You want authentic, but beautiful photographs of your family.
You know the "perfect family" is a myth and that reality is much more fun and meaningful.
You don't like posing in front of a camera (nobody really does).
You are tired of bribing your kids (and sometimes your partner) to behave and pose nicely during a family photoshoot.
You want memories, moments, not just faces.
You want to enjoy your family photo session.
Reality is very exciting!
Kind Words
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Giggles + tears + smiles + tantrums = family
Your family photoshoot
Documentary Family Photography is all about capturing large personalities, little quirks, and everything in between. It records a small slice of your family life, just as it really is, with all the misadventures, messy faces, scraped knees, epic tantrums and glorious belly laughs.
Don’t wait for the perfect time, or the perfect hair, or the perfect weight, or the perfect weather. Don’t wait for the big milestones.
How Does It Work?
01
Get in touch & Reserve a date!
The first step is to reserve a date for your documentary family photo session. In order to best serve your family’s individual needs, I will never book more than one photo session in a day. This means that I only have a very limited number of sessions available each month, which are reserved on a first-come/first-served basis.
Once the date is reserved, we will schedule a time to meet online to start to get to know each other and to discuss the kinds of things you would like to do as a family on the day of the shoot. On your documentary family photoshoot you can do anything from eating ice cream, playing sports or dancing to staying home and cuddling on the sofa, baking cookies, reading, playing board games or just enjoying your back garden. There are no rules!
02
have fun at the photoshoot
Your family photoshoot will be tailored around your family’s habits and routines. Your documentary family session can take place at your home or in some other location that you all love. There will be no pressure, no need to pose, to smile awkwardly or to bribe the kids into ‘behaving’. Everybody gets to enjoy themselves, even dads - yes, that is possible.
My most popular session tends to be the 3 to 4-hour session. That gives you a very good taste of what my documentary family style is all about and it is long enough to give everybody enough time to relax, come out of their shells and have tonnes of fun.
03
enjoy Your products
Once the family session is done, I will personally edit and process all of your photos in order to create a beautiful collection that tells your family’s story. Some photos will be in black and white, while others will be in colour, depending on whatever will best suit the image itself and the overall narrative of the day.
When your photos are all ready, you will be able to view them in a private online gallery. I will send you an email with all the details about how to view them and how to order any products or collections you might want. You will have the option of ordering both high-quality printed products and digital collections.
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FAQ
What if we don't live close to your location?
Where exactly are you located?
That would be great news for me, because I love travelling! I have photographed people all over the UK as well as worldwide (France, Italy, Poland, Romania and the USA). Yes, I am a Globetrotter, so no worries if you are not local; I am very excited to travel to new places.
I am a documentary photographer based in Essex, UK. To be more precise, I live near Colchester, very close to the beach and I love it. Frinton on Sea and the Naze are two of my favourite places to hang out and enjoy the sea, the sand and sun (when we get it)
Where do your photo sessions take place?
My house is not always at its best and I really don’t have time to tidy it up for a photoshoot. How will that make our photos look?
I always recommend starting the photo session at your home because, let’s be honest, that is where most of your memories are made. Home is the place where everybody is comfortable, in their own element and happy to be themselves. We can also go to some of your favourite places and do some of the things you enjoy doing as a family. Eating ice cream or going on short trips are always fun. Let's plan it together.
I truly believe that a home is not defined by its standard of tidiness, but by the level of happiness in it. Also, as a photographer, I know how to avoid clutter and crazy backgrounds. Remember, I concentrate on connections and emotions, not on belongings. After saying all this, remind me to show you my favourite photo of my living room. :)
What if my kids don’t always behave? It’s exhausting to keep them entertained for long periods of time?
When should I book you?
I have yet to meet a kid who behaves all the time, but I am still young(ish), so you never know. The point of this type of session is to capture your family story and that also means capturing your kids’ personalities, their quirks, their quietness or their loudness. There is no need for you to entertain them or to make them act in a certain way; that is the beauty of family documentary photography.
Due to the amount of work that goes into each session, I can only do a limited number of sessions each month. So once you start saying to yourself: “Oh my word, this is exactly what I was looking for!” you should push the “BOOK NOW” button and we'll start planning your session. If you have any other question that isn’t listed above, pop me a message. I’ll be more than happy to answer.
Are you going to follow us around like some creepy stalker
Do you offer payment plans?
Yes, I do. They exist for pretty much everything else under the sun, so why not use them to invest in your family’s heirlooms?
Yes and no, but mostly: no. I am not going to try to be a fly on the wall and just creepily photograph your every move because that would be… well, creepy. I usually interact with the family and try to integrate myself as best as I can. The more comfortable you are with me, the most likely it is for you to let your guard down and be your natural you. I will be more like a friend with a camera taking photos throughout the day.
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Essex storytelling photography for families, newborns and brands. Because no matter where you are in life, your story is worth telling! Timeless photographs that bring you back to an exact moment in time and help you relive and remember the beauty of your life.
Email:
hello [@] raluchase.co.uk
natural, candid photographer covering: colchester, frinton-on-sea, Aldham, ipswich, great totham, chelmsford, essex, suffolk,uk and the rest of the world.