Half and Full Day Documentary Family Sessions in Maine
As a documentary family photographer in Maine, one of the most common questions I hear when talking about 3-5 hours of coverage for a family session is, “Do we really need that much time?”.
It’s a fair question. Many families are familiar with the one hour (or less) sessions in a beautiful location, and those can be a wonderful way to begin telling your story. A documentary approach to family photography for a longer span of time simply allows that story to unfold more fully. There’s room for deeper portraits, along with natural details and interactions that represent this season of life.
Why I Created The Everyday, Documented Half and Full Day Sessions
Throughout the years, I’ve found that one hour sessions only touch on the very beginning of photographing families in a way that results in those deeply rooted portraits and details.
As I dove into my own family’s box of prints, I found that the images I was drawn to were the ones that felt real — the portraits that brought me back to familiar emotions, the ones that weren’t perfectly posed. They were the portraits that told a story of everyday life and the routines that actually happened. This sparked the idea of The Everyday, Documented — my half day (3 hour) and full day (5 hour) sessions. Longer sessions allow me to step into a family’s real rhythm — not to direct it, but to quietly document it as it is.
To give a sense of what that looks like, one dad shared this after a half-day session with their family:
“She spent a random summer morning with our family, just documenting real life—no posing, no matching outfits, no stress. The result was photos that feel like us and truly capture this moment in time.”
“Do We Really Need That Much Time?” What More Time Makes Possible
When families ask this, they’re usually wondering what actually happens beyond the first hour and whether it’s worth it. It’s a great question!
More time means a family becomes more comfortable with me there which encourages your personalities to come through. When I’m around long enough to feel familiar, families settle into their normal routines and activities, helping bring to light genuine moments and creating that natural, home-video feel.
A half day or full day session allows families to move at their own natural pace — whether that’s time at home or in a favorite place you want to remember 10, 15, or 20 years from now.
One family put it perfectly after a full morning together:
“None of us are particularly comfortable in front of the camera, but she put everyone at ease and captured the most beautiful, natural moments.”
For the Parents Who Are Usually Behind the Camera
For parents who are usually behind the camera, this time is a chance to step in and really be seen. Longer sessions give parents the space to be present and to see themselves reflected in everyday moments.
There’s no need to rush — this time lets your kids warm up and allows you to really sink into being with your family. It’s an opportunity to fully experience your family’s story while I record it. One mom wrote:
“Sienna gave me the gift of seeing myself in my mothering—not as I think I look in the chaos of everyday life, but as my children see me.”
An Unhurried Way to Document Your Family
These are your Maine getaways, your family home, the places you return to year after year. If you’re looking for a documentary family photographer in Maine who values real moments and meaningful places, a half day or full day session gives your family time to just be together and to have those moments remembered. If you’re curious about the experience, I would love to chat with you!
