The Experience
Why documentary family photography?
After over a decade of capturing the most personal and intimate moments on a wedding day, I’ve learned one really important thing about humans:
We want to relive our feelings.
And we want this from every part of our lives, from weddings and anniversaries to birthdays and vacations. But as important as these big events are, our absolute favorite feelings to relive often come from seemingly ordinary days spent with the people we love most.
J. La Plante Photo now offers documentary family photo sessions for past brides and grooms. You get the same great team you trusted to capture the emotions of your wedding day (Moira shoots, Jesse edits) and we provide you with an exceptional family photography experience.
When you look at your family photos, we want you to see your kids’ personalities shine through. We want you to feel the sun on your skin like it felt that hot July day you all ran through the sprinkler. We want you to hear the belly laughs and taste fresh-baked cookies made using your grandmother’s secret recipe.
It’s these real and honest memories that reflect who you are as a family rather than cheesy, posed images that look like everyone else’s.
What to expect
Before your session
We’ll kick things off with a phone call to plan the day of your shoot. Don’t worry, you don’t have any homework here. No running to Target to buy new outfits. No finding the “perfect” location. No managing your family’s schedule for golden hour photos. We’ll just talk about your family and your favorite activities and decide what kind of fun we’re going to have on your shoot!
During your session
Be present with your kids. Do your favorite activities. Don’t overthink it (I know it’s hard, but trust that I’ll do the overthinking for all of us).
You and your family have nothing to do but enjoy yourselves while I document all the beautiful moments.
After your session
About 2-4 weeks later, your gallery will be ready! I’ll send you a link to view and download your photos and we’ll schedule a video call to design your album. Then you get to sit back, relax, and enjoy savoring the memories when your prints arrive!
A little about me…
Figuring out what to write here has been the hardest part of building this site. Even more than finding the tiny piece of code I wrote that broke the entire thing.
Why was this so hard? Well, first off, if you’re here, Jesse and I already photographed your wedding, so we already know each other pretty well. You’re well aware of my obsession with dogs and my repertoire of dad jokes. I probably even showed you a photo of my niece (but in case I didn’t, she’s the one in the photo with me).
But mostly, it’s because I vastly prefer getting to know each other in-person. Nothing I can tell you in this tiny space will show you who I really am, quirks and all.
I definitely think you should know that I come from a family that is incapable of hiding our oddities (just ask Jesse). Because that’s something I’ve always loved about them. It’s given me the ability to see the unique things about other families that aren’t obvious unless you know to look for them – which makes me well-suited to capture your family’s true personalities.
I was lucky enough to celebrate your first big milestone with you. And now I want to be there for your other milestones. I want to help you continue your story in beautifully authentic images.
Because life doesn’t end at your wedding.
