Day in The Life
An extraordinary story of an ordinary day.
What is Day in The Life?
A Day In The Life is an absolutely unique experience where I spend either 8 hours or 4 hours (Slice of Life) with your family documenting your life the way it is now.
Instead of giving directions, during this documentary photography session, I’ll capture all the little moments that are the essence of who you are but might be gone forever unnoticed because of how hectic life is.
Your Day in The Life package has two parts: a Session Fee and a Collection that best suits your needs.
I’ll provide more information and answer all of your questions during our call.
Angie's Family Day in The Life Session
Angie, a talented photographer and filmmaker herself, never had a documentary photography session for her own family, while making a living capturing raw and real moments for her clients. I was fascinated by how Owen, Mason and Cora were choosing to play together all day long. I loved capturing the strong bond between them while also showing their individual personalities. The day was filled with laughter, tender moments of connection, and outdoors fun too. I learned so much from Klaus’s family not only about parenting, cooking, and gardening but also about how to appreciate every moment of your life – and for this, I am forever grateful.
I treasure our photos from the Day in the Life with Polina. They mean so much to me, especially as a photographer myself, because they reflect the love I feel for my family just simply living our everyday life. Since I am always behind the camera and rarely in photos with my kids, my favorite images Polina captured were of me connecting with my kids and my husband. They are priceless memories we have from this season when life is busy and full of laughter and love, and for that I am so grateful to Polina for her creativity and skill.
Angie
Photographer and filmmaker
Angie Klaus | Photography + Films
During this day in your lives I will become a part of the family.
I’ll get to know all of you and we’ll basically hang out together, rather than me just being a “fly on the wall”.
There is no way to capture all the fun, intimate, full of love moments unless I am very connected with my subjects.
So we’ll talk, laugh, play, and have tea together. Or coffee. Or wine.
Day in the life sessions are available in Greater Philadelphia and on the Main Line.
Marlys' Family Day in The Life Documentary Photography Session
Marlys and Brian have had six shorter 2 hours sessions with me over the last eight years. This Summer I captured their Day In The Life.
After all these years of seeing each other on a regular basis and following each other’s adventures on social media, it was an incredible experience to dive into their busy and fun everyday life. Sebastian always loved goofing around, entertaining the crowd with silly and sometimes quite dangerous tricks. Of course, this time wasn’t any different and he gave me plenty of moments to capture. From the very first session we had together, it was obvious that Matteo is crazy about soccer. He brought a ball with him to every shoot. It didn’t surprise me that during our Day In The Life he had not just one but two soccer games scheduled. Norah, their little sister, was always a girly girl who on one hand wanted to be a little princess and on the other didn’t want to miss any of the fun with her brothers. I learned a new thing about her too, we have something in common; a sweet tooth.
And of course, Marlys and Brian continue being my heroes, inspiring me to be a better parent one shoot at a time.
I am forever grateful to Polina. She has photographed my family every year since 2012. Each year she surprises us with the best, most unexpected shots. Me and my husband always say the same thing after each session: “There is no way she got anything good this year!” And then she does it again! I can’t recommend her work enough, you need to invest in your memories of your family. It’s all you have left when they fly from the nest.
Marlys
Why Day in The Life in Greater Philadelphia?
For people who believe in recording memories of childhood for their kids, I do this job for you by spending a day with your family capturing all the little moments that are the essence of who you are but might be gone forever unnoticed because of how hectic our life is.
I am building the bridge from today to the day in the future when you are going to miss today badly. And then you’ll be able to cross this bridge in the opposite direction and find comfort in it.
You’ll be amazed at how much love, hard work, and appreciation go into your everyday life. I see that and capture it for you. In years to come your children will see it too.
Jessica's Family Day in The Life
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Next
Most of the inquiries that I receive are from families with younger kids, usually under the age of five. I think the main reason is that kids grow and change so much during those first years, it adds a sense of urgency.
And then we get settled into a school routine, the years seem pretty similar and that sense of urgency is lost. We might wonder how this session would be different from the one a year ago?
This 4 hours Slice of Life features Jessica with her three teenage kids and two dogs. While we often try to fill our kids’ Summer with fun trips, Summer camps, and play dates, those unstructured days when we are trapped at home all together without any particular plans bring out some of the best moments. These images capture not only the relationships between the family members and their individual personalities but also the overall mood of a lazy Summer day. How many of these Summers are left until the kids are off to college? And all of a sudden it’s urgent again…
Documentary Photography: Extended family vacation Day in The Life
Previous
Next
Summer… This word itself brings so much joy!
Kids work hard all year in school, but I believe that real learning often happens during the Summer break. That’s when they have time for adventures, for friendships, for getting bored, and thus coming up with some amazing projects. That’s also the time to connect with the family by doing things together!
Dovid and Sori did something incredible – they’ve built a magical place in Upstate, NY, where six of their grown-up kids with their spouses and over 20 grandchildren can get together during the summer to build life-lasting memories.
On the day of our session four generations were there: kids, parents, grandparents and great grandparents! Photographing a Day In The Life for such a big family was a new and exciting experience. My main focus was on the kids and what their summer feels like. It was also very important to capture the connection and love the family members have for each other.
Caroline's Family Day in The Life
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Next
Caroline and Marcelo received a Day In The Life package as a gift from family friends when baby Gabriela, their fourth child, was born. You know how fast time flies when you have a baby in the house, so a year later we finally scheduled date and decided that Sunday would be perfect for that. Sundays have a pretty settled routine: starting with breakfast at the family’s apartment, followed by sports activities, and then a relaxed day with Caroline’s parents at the house where she grew up, right across the street from her elementary school.
I was amazed by the beautiful connection that family members shared, how much they enjoyed spending time together no matter what they were doing: cooking, walking a dog, organizing a closet, or giving a bath to the baby. It was an ordinary Sunday with no special agenda, yet we captured the most special memories.
I believe in the importance of printing your pictures!
Not so long ago I visited a very special 86 year old lady. We sat at a dining table and she was showing me the album from her son’s Bar Mizvah. The pictures were taken 50 years ago and had they not been printed in a beautiful album, we wouldn’t have had a chance to enjoy them. We laughed, we cried – the story of her life was unfolding as we were flipping through that album.
50 years from now would you still have the same laptop or phone? Would you still have the same USB drive?
Would your new computer even be able to read a 50-year-old USB drive?!
An album will never change. In 50 years it will mean everything to you, your children and your grandchildren.
Anna's Family Day in The Life
Every parent of a grown-up child knows those mixed feelings when your baby is about to leave home and start a new chapter in their life. You feel scared yet proud, sad yet full of love, wanting to stop time yet excited to see what’s next…
This Day in The Life was for Anna who is a documentary photographer herself. Anna felt the urge not only to have this time in her family’s life recorded but also to be present in the frame with her loved ones. Her oldest daughter Phoenix was getting ready to leave for college in a week’s time and every little moment with her seemed so very precious.
There are so many photos from our Day In The Life with you that I absolutely love, but these are my four favorites. Sorry if that’s too many, I can’t narrow it down any further. I think I started with 20!!! Being a documentary family photographer myself, the ones I am most drawn to, those I plan on enlarging and framing, are these – the ones that I can’t take myself. Not just for the simple fact that I’m in them, but because you have truly captured the love I have for not only each of my children, but also for my husband. They are my everything, and I’m pretty sure anyone can tell from these photos. No matter how hard I work at it (and I do), there’s just no way I (nor I daresay anyone) can take self-portraits like these. Thank you so much for your talent and time!
Anna
Photographer
Anna Holden Photography
Let's chat about your Day in The Life today!
Day in The Life FAQ
- HOW DO YOU PICK A DAY TO DOCUMENT?
That’s the best part of it! And it’s especially true for bigger families with multiple kids and crazy schedules – you don’t need to find a perfect day for your shoot. ANY day is a perfect day! You don’t need to find time to clean up because in real life with little kids how long would your home stay perfectly clean? You don’t have to shop for new outfits or schedule hair and makeup appointments. We want it to be your real everyday life! This session is not only the best option for capturing the most priceless memories, but it’s also the easiest one for parents!
- How do we prepare for our day in the life?
No preparation needed! That’s the whole point of it – to capture your REAL, ORDINARY life. I’ll capture how hard parents work, how much love goes into our everyday, the real personality of a child, the connection between family members and so much more. From my experience – the more of the everyday routine the better. For your clothes – wear what you usually wear every day! Because how often do all of you have breakfast in matching outfits?
- How long is a Day In The Life session?
Day in The Life session can be either 8 hours or a shorter Slice of Life version, which is 4 hours.
- Do we have to feed you?
For an 8 hours session – yes, please. Think of it like a friend coming over for the day.
- Would you really shoot for 8 hours straight?
No, not really. These sessions are moment-based, which means that when something is happening I’ll be taking lots and lots of pictures to select the very best moments for you. Then during the less active parts of the day, such as baby’s nap time, there will be periods when I won’t shoot at all. That’s when we’ll chat and get to know each other better!
- What if our kids don’t behave?
This is my favorite part – the crazier the better, we’ll have more fun moments to capture! I don’t expect kids to behave a certain way or do certain things. I want them to be themselves; this is exactly why working with kids is my favorite thing!
- Do you take any posed portraits during Day In The Life sessions?
If you would like to have some posed portraits from your Day in The Life session we can devote up to 30 minutes to those. Also, other than traditional portraits, during this session I’ll capture environmental portraits of you and your family. These portraits will include your everyday surroundings, helping to tell a deeper story of who you are today.
- WEEKEND MORNING WITH NO MAKE UP AND IN SWEATPANTS?
Yes! It’s exactly the way it is – a weekend morning with no make-up and in sweatpants. And the whole point of it is to embrace it and see the beauty in it. This session is about how it feels not how it looks. Your family and your kids see you like this every weekend morning, they love you this way and you are the most beautiful person to them. What do you think they will remember about weekend mornings? My guess is; morning cuddles in their parents’ bed, the most delicious pancakes that Mommy cooks, some fighting with their siblings over toys, silly faces that Daddy makes during breakfast as he doesn’t have to rush to work. I can go on and on!
- WHAT IF MY KIDS DO NOT WANT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED?
This type of session is perfect for kids who are not usually willing to be photographed, or older boys, for example, who are just too cool to pose for the camera. Since there is no posing whatsoever in this session it feels very different. As long as you have real moments being together as a family we’ll have great pictures.
- How do you get people to be themselves?
The way I work with families helps them to relax very soon after we start our session. I talk a lot, I ask questions and I play with the kids. This session feels like I’ve come over for a day, not like a photoshoot. Very soon I become a part of your day and my camera becomes “invisible”.
Why Day in The Life in Greater Philadelphia?
For people who believe in recording memories of childhood for their kids, I do this job for you by spending a day with your family capturing all the little moments that are the essence of who you are but might be gone forever unnoticed because of how hectic our life is.
I am building the bridge from today to the day in the future when you are going to miss today badly. And then you’ll be able to cross this bridge in the opposite direction and find comfort in it.
You’ll be amazed at how much love, hard work, and appreciation go into your everyday life. I see that and capture it for you. In years to come your children will see it too.
Jessica’s Family Day in The Life
Previous
Next
Most of the inquiries that I receive are from families with younger kids, usually under the age of five. I think the main reason is that kids grow and change so much during those first years, it adds a sense of urgency.
And then we get settled into a school routine, the years seem pretty similar and that sense of urgency is lost. We might wonder how this session would be different from the one a year ago?
This 4 hours Slice of Life features Jessica with her three teenage kids and two dogs. While we often try to fill our kids’ Summer with fun trips, Summer camps, and play dates, those unstructured days when we are trapped at home all together without any particular plans bring out some of the best moments. These images capture not only the relationships between the family members and their individual personalities but also the overall mood of a lazy Summer day. How many of these Summers are left until the kids are off to college? And all of a sudden it’s urgent again…
Documentary Photography: Extended family vacation Day in The Life
Previous
Next
Summer… This word itself brings so much joy!
Kids work hard all year in school, but I believe that real learning often happens during the Summer break. That’s when they have time for adventures, for friendships, for getting bored, and thus coming up with some amazing projects. That’s also the time to connect with the family by doing things together!
Dovid and Sori did something incredible – they’ve built a magical place in Upstate, NY, where six of their grown-up kids with their spouses and over 20 grandchildren can get together during the summer to build life-lasting memories.
On the day of our session four generations were there: kids, parents, grandparents and great grandparents! Photographing a Day In The Life for such a big family was a new and exciting experience. My main focus was on the kids and what their summer feels like. It was also very important to capture the connection and love the family members have for each other.
Caroline’s Family Day in The Life
Previous
Next
Caroline and Marcelo received a Day In The Life package as a gift from family friends when baby Gabriela, their fourth child, was born. You know how fast time flies when you have a baby in the house, so a year later we finally scheduled date and decided that Sunday would be perfect for that. Sundays have a pretty settled routine: starting with breakfast at the family’s apartment, followed by sports activities, and then a relaxed day with Caroline’s parents at the house where she grew up, right across the street from her elementary school.
I was amazed by the beautiful connection that family members shared, how much they enjoyed spending time together no matter what they were doing: cooking, walking a dog, organizing a closet, or giving a bath to the baby. It was an ordinary Sunday with no special agenda, yet we captured the most special memories.
I believe in the importance of printing your pictures!
Not so long ago I visited a very special 86 year old lady. We sat at a dining table and she was showing me the album from her son’s Bar Mizvah. The pictures were taken 50 years ago and had they not been printed in a beautiful album, we wouldn’t have had a chance to enjoy them. We laughed, we cried – the story of her life was unfolding as we were flipping through that album.
50 years from now would you still have the same laptop or phone? Would you still have the same USB drive?
Would your new computer even be able to read a 50-year-old USB drive?!
An album will never change. In 50 years it will mean everything to you, your children and your grandchildren.
Anna’s Family Day in The Life
Every parent of a grown-up child knows those mixed feelings when your baby is about to leave home and start a new chapter in their life. You feel scared yet proud, sad yet full of love, wanting to stop time yet excited to see what’s next…
This Day in The Life was for Anna who is a documentary photographer herself. Anna felt the urge not only to have this time in her family’s life recorded but also to be present in the frame with her loved ones. Her oldest daughter Phoenix was getting ready to leave for college in a week’s time and every little moment with her seemed so very precious.
There are so many photos from our Day In The Life with you that I absolutely love, but these are my four favorites. Sorry if that’s too many, I can’t narrow it down any further. I think I started with 20!!! Being a documentary family photographer myself, the ones I am most drawn to, those I plan on enlarging and framing, are these – the ones that I can’t take myself. Not just for the simple fact that I’m in them, but because you have truly captured the love I have for not only each of my children, but also for my husband. They are my everything, and I’m pretty sure anyone can tell from these photos. No matter how hard I work at it (and I do), there’s just no way I (nor I daresay anyone) can take self-portraits like these. Thank you so much for your talent and time!
Anna
Photographer
Anna Holden Photography
Day in The Life FAQ
– HOW DO YOU PICK A DAY TO DOCUMENT?
That’s the best part of it! And it’s especially true for bigger families with multiple kids and crazy schedules – you don’t need to find a perfect day for your shoot. ANY day is a perfect day! You don’t need to find time to clean up because in real life with little kids how long would your home stay perfectly clean? You don’t have to shop for new outfits or schedule hair and makeup appointments. We want it to be your real everyday life! This session is not only the best option for capturing the most priceless memories, but it’s also the easiest one for parents!
– How do we prepare for our day in the life?
No preparation needed! That’s the whole point of it – to capture your REAL, ORDINARY life. I’ll capture how hard parents work, how much love goes into our everyday, the real personality of a child, the connection between family members and so much more. From my experience – the more of the everyday routine the better. For your clothes – wear what you usually wear every day! Because how often do all of you have breakfast in matching outfits?
– How long is a Day In The Life session?
Day in The Life session can be either 8 hours or a shorter Slice of Life version, which is 4 hours.
– Do we have to feed you?
For an 8 hours session – yes, please. Think of it like a friend coming over for the day.
– Would you really shoot for 8 hours straight?
No, not really. These sessions are moment-based, which means that when something is happening I’ll be taking lots and lots of pictures to select the very best moments for you. Then during the less active parts of the day, such as baby’s nap time, there will be periods when I won’t shoot at all. That’s when we’ll chat and get to know each other better!
– What if our kids don’t behave?
This is my favorite part – the crazier the better, we’ll have more fun moments to capture! I don’t expect kids to behave a certain way or do certain things. I want them to be themselves; this is exactly why working with kids is my favorite thing!
– Do you take any posed portraits during Day In The Life sessions?
If you would like to have some posed portraits from your Day in The Life session we can devote up to 30 minutes to those. Also, other than traditional portraits, during this session I’ll capture environmental portraits of you and your family. These portraits will include your everyday surroundings, helping to tell a deeper story of who you are today.
– WEEKEND MORNING WITH NO MAKE UP AND IN SWEATPANTS?
Yes! It’s exactly the way it is – a weekend morning with no make-up and in sweatpants. And the whole point of it is to embrace it and see the beauty in it. This session is about how it feels not how it looks. Your family and your kids see you like this every weekend morning, they love you this way and you are the most beautiful person to them. What do you think they will remember about weekend mornings? My guess is; morning cuddles in their parents’ bed, the most delicious pancakes that Mommy cooks, some fighting with their siblings over toys, silly faces that Daddy makes during breakfast as he doesn’t have to rush to work. I can go on and on!
– WHAT IF MY KIDS DO NOT WANT TO BE PHOTOGRAPHED?
This type of session is perfect for kids who are not usually willing to be photographed, or older boys, for example, who are just too cool to pose for the camera. Since there is no posing whatsoever in this session it feels very different. As long as you have real moments being together as a family we’ll have great pictures.
– How do you get people to be themselves?
The way I work with families helps them to relax very soon after we start our session. I talk a lot, I ask questions and I play with the kids. This session feels like I’ve come over for a day, not like a photoshoot. Very soon I become a part of your day and my camera becomes “invisible”.
