Whenever I started doing documentary family photography sessions, I would get a lot of confused reactions from people. "You want to photograph my regular everyday LIFE? But...its so boring!?"

To that, I call shenanigans. If you have young kids, even the most mundane of tasks can (and often does) become wonderful chaos. Chaos and memories that are the most likely to get lost in all of the other chaos that comes with raising a family. That's why I wanted to do this particular kind of family photography. Sure posed shots, where everyone is looking at the camera, are nice for your wall, but I want to give you memories--real memories--not just the ones where I tell you to frolic through a wildflower field and fake smile like you love each other. I want to capture the real laughter, the messy faces, the kissing boo-boos to make them feel better parts of life.

But, this form of photography is just now starting got get a foothold in popularity. We've seen (and had taken) all of everyone's perfect family photos on Instagram and how we're ready to see and remember real life. Like everyone, when I approached her for a portfolio-building session, Katie was a little apprehensive. She told me, “I planned a trip to the Zoo, but other than that, we’ll just be doing chores and going grocery shopping.”

I stopped her right there. Grocery Shopping!? I LOVE GROCERY SHOPPING!!

While sessions can be anything, including documenting once-in-a-lifetime events, the mundane everyday photos are what really makes my heart happy. These are the moments in our life that fade and all run together in the tapestry of life. I love getting to pull those memories out of the fog and shine a spotlight on them.

So we went to the Zoo, but we also went grocery shopping, and the grocery shopping--as predicted--ended up being my favorite images of the day.