Who is them? Your children, your grandchildren, your spouse or partner, your descendants. We cannot go back in time and meet our family that came before us. We cannot go back in time and make our children small again. We cannot go back and photograph ourselves with our loved ones who may have passed. We can only give that gift if we take action now, because these days are ever changing. 

In the words of Henry David Thoreau, “It’s not about what you look at. It’s what you see.” I believe in photographing those little things you might not even notice.

There’s no need for perfect poses, perfect weather, perfect outfits, or a perfect location to capture the perfect memory. It’s about a snapshot in time - those photos that allow you to hold a feeling in your hands.

You're Buying it for them.

You're not buying this for you.

($150 due at booking)

CURRENT RATE: $650

  • Travel within 25 miles of zip code 22301
  • Full-gallery of high-resolution digital downloads

2 Hours of
documentary photography

"MILESTONE Session"

2

($250 due at booking)

CURRENT RATE: $975

1

PRICING DETAILS

PRICING DETAILS

Documentary family photography sessions are story-telling sessions that involve no direction and instead allow your organic moments to happen as you live your normal life. All sessions give you priceless photographs of every day funny moments that you'll look back on and laugh about for the rest of your life.

  • Full-gallery of high-resolution digital downloads
  • Travel within 25 miles of zip code 22301

Best for capturing milestones or birthdays, environmental portraits of people doing their thing, and short family stories

Best for capturing a more complete family story and results include a larger variety and breadth of photos.

4 Hours of
documentary photography

"SHORT STORY SESSION"

3

"FULL STORY SESSION"

8 Hours of
documentary photography

Best for families who want to document a full day's worth of activities at multiple locations and families who want to capture a morning or evening routine. Results in a more complete picture of family dynamics.

  • Full-gallery of high-resolution digital downloads
  • Travel within 25 miles of zip code 22301

CURRENT RATE: $1,900

($700 due at booking)

5% of every session is donated to Critical Exposure, a local DC-based non-profit whose mission is to train DC youth to harness the power of photography and their own voices to fight for educational equity and social justice. Learn more about Critical Exposure

Giving Back

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

FREQUENT QUESTIONS

These are evidence of your lived life, how you felt, how you looked, what you did, but all of the little things. A photojournalistic style imparts more feeling into a photograph. When you look back on these types of photos, you get to relive the moment with all of the feels. 
Why invest in these photos?
Do you struggle to get your family out the door? Experience power struggles when getting your kids to sit still, wear matching outfits, or smile for family photos? Imagine not dealing with any of that, just letting everyone be how they want to be, where they want to be! 
HOW Hard is this going to be?
You. Your family or friends. Your pets. Your mess. Your stuff. Your beauty. Your complicated self. Your overlooked details. Everyone as their authentic self in their normal environment, whether that's at home, at the job site, or your local hang out. No posed or prearranged scenes, just you, as you are, doing what you do together (or alone)!
What do i photograph?
If you like raw and journalistic style photography, that doesn't edit out the mess, the funny or upset faces, the bloopers, then YES, this style is for you. You'll receive documentary-style photos that depict you and your family as you are. You'll see a fresh perspective on your everyday interactions through a lens of a camera. You'll have evidence of the way you lived, the love you felt, the little things you did for your family and friends when no-one was looking. 
Is this right for me?

your questions. answered.

As minimally as possible. I like to capture your real moments, so don't worry about coordinated outfits or tidy spaces. Lets just meet as you are!
How Do WE prepare?
At a location of your interest that your family feels comfortable. Most often, that's your own home or yard. Wherever you want to document your everyday moments is where I will come.
WHERE DO WE MEET?
Yeah, me either. Is that a toddler thing? If someone finds the solution, let me know. No worries, I've seen it all and am happy to document your family in any way they are for your personal records. Don't worry, no photos of your nude children will ever be posted for public viewing.
I can't keep clothes on kids
You are beautiful just as you are. I don't drastically alter anyone's appearance. I do make minor stylistic edits to photos and remove distracting eyesores from scenes when possible. I try and reflect the reality of the scene. I don't use trendy filters that can become dated. I use timeless, true to color and b&w edits.
DO I RETOUCH PHOTOS?

Additional FAQ

We want to include our dog. Is that ok?

1. 

Hot diggity-dog (yes).

WHAT ABOUT A SNAKE?

2. 

Snakes to snails, bring on the exotic parts of your life!

Should we plan a family activity for our session?

3. 

That depends on what you want to document! Family activities can be great opportunities to document interactions, but they can be as simple as a game of chase in the yard, jumping on the trampoline, or preparing lunch together. It's best to make sure that kids won't want to be napping during the full extent of the session or spending the entirety of the session with screens, which can limit opportunities to capture interactive photos.

What should we wear?

4. 

Whatever you wear, make sure it is comfortable. Neutrals will always make photos a little less chaotic and bring the focus more to the people and activities. I always recommend that people avoid large graphic designs, logos, or large wording on clothing. That’s because anything we can read automatically draws our eyes and we spend our time reading rather than noticing other details. But, if that graphic shirt is the only thing your kid has been wearing for weeks, DO NOT FIGHT THEM ON IT. If someone has a very wild outfit that reflects their current interest or personality, ROCK IT. What you wear is not as important as being comfortable or making you feel confident and like you. Make this as easy on yourself as possible.

What if I am self-conscious about my body?

5. 

As a mom, I GET THIS. I have been working hard since having kids to find self-acceptance in a body and emotional state I don't even recognize (and even people who knew me before kids don't recognize me when they run into me)! I'm not there yet.

The biggest thing I have to remind myself is WHAT DO MY KIDS SEE WHEN THEY LOOK AT ME? Do they see the weight I've gained, the dark circles under my eyes, my ill-fitting clothes? Not really. They see their mom. They see the person they feel safest with. When they are grown, they won't care what I looked like, just how I made them feel. They will see how I made them feel in those photos.

Just like when you look back at your old family photographs (if you are lucky to have any)! You focus more on what was happening, who was there, and what the photo makes you remember about that time. And I promise, it's probably not how your caregivers looked.

How long does it take to receive the photos after the session and how will those be delivered?

6. 

You should receive a sneak peak within a week. Full gallery delivery will depend on the length of the session and how many photos will be delivered, typically 4-6 weeks for longer sessions. Learn more about the experience on my Experience page.

What is a "model release"?

7. 

A model release in family photography is a legal document signed by the subjects of the photographs, typically the individuals or family being photographed. The purpose of a model release is to grant the photographer permission to use the photographs for various purposes, such as display, publication, marketing, or commercial use.

In the context of family photography, a model release would typically be signed by the parents or legal guardians on behalf of themselves and their minor children. By signing the release, they give the photographer consent to use the images featuring their family members for the agreed-upon purposes stated in the release.

Why do you require a model release?

8. 

I want to be able to showcase every family and event I photograph. There are many reasons for this. First, I am proud of the work I do and believe all families are beautiful. Second, being able to show every session I complete helps show others who are interested what type of work I produce and what they can expect. Lastly, I want every family to get their time in the spotlight, as I work hard to show the beauty in their normal every day moments. Note that I will never post photos of full nudity or photos of breastfeeding without explicit written permission.

A model release exception is not available for promotional portfolio building pricing.

I have questions about the contract, help!

9. 

No problem, send me a text or call at (202)-460-5920 or send an email to janaebixby@thesedaysphoto.com and we will work through your concerns.

Discounts?

10. 

Yes! Active duty military families receive a 10% discount (valid ID required). Families who book a new session within 6-months of their previous session receive a $75 discount. Families who directly refer friends or family who book a 4-hour documentary session receive $75 print credit towards their own client gallery.

Why is it so expensive?!

11.

Is it expensive? That depends on how you view “expensive.” Something can cost a lot of money but provide exceptional value to you, making it cheap (think of all of those Legos, providing you hours of uninterrupted peace and some valuable STEM learning, even at the expense of the safety of your toes)! Something can also cost very little but provide no value, making it exceptionally expensive (think of the stupidest toy your kid has brought home in a party gift bag that immediately broke and got tossed under the couch).

How much do you value your family history and your memories? To someone who places a lot of importance on these values, it may seem less expensive. Something can also be worth a lot to you and you can still not be able to afford it.

So the real question is not “why is it so expensive?” The question is whether you have the funds available AND feel that this provides significant contribution to your family history. It’s ok if that’s not what you value as a priority. What’s important to one family does not need to be important to another, and that’s exactly what I look for in my target clients: they don’t feel the need to be doing what everyone else expects- they make their own decision based on their own values.

BUT, if you want to know what goes into pricing a session, here’s the low-down. There’s my time that I spend with your family taking photos. That’s the part you see! Here are just some of the parts you don't see:
The cost of the equipment like camera, lenses, computer, and photo editing software! Post-production time to sort through photos and edit. Time spent communicating and planning with you. Insurance & Taxes, yuck! Website costs. Time spent blogging and sharing your photos, partnering with local vendors, and continuous learning.

Photos THAT ARE A feelING