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Featured Project – Aleks Gajdeczka: #DADLIFE

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Aleks Gajdeczka has plenty of childhood photos featuring her mom, but she only has two photos of her with her dad when she was young because he was the family photographer. She said “my dad was like a mythical being in our albums and boxes. Because of this, I have no memory of what it was like, being with him as a young child.” That led Aleks to start her #dadlife project after having her own children, so they would have photographic evidence of what life with their dad was like throughout their childhood.

You can find more of Aleks’ work at her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors about her project:

Leslie: Smiling from ear-to-ear over this series. I’m a big fan of #dadlife photos as well because my husband stays home with our children. How does your husband feel about being the focus of this project?

You know, it’s funny – I’ve never actually asked him how he feels about it. From long before the children were in the picture, he’s been a muse of mine. I mean, damn — he’s gorgeous, right? Over the years he’s grown so accustomed to me making photos featuring him, so for months he didn’t realize I was on to an actual project. I surprised him with the initial set of #dadlife images bound in a small paperback book for his birthday this year. He was pretty moved.

Has it inspired him to take more photos of you parenting your kids?

I think because I’m a professional with so much technical knowledge and practice at this point, he finds picking up my camera intimidating. But he does do it from time to time, and I know he’s thinking of #dadlife when he does. A while back he actually asked me for a quick tutorial on setting exposure and focus, so that he can now semi-competently and with some accuracy make a photo with me in it. I’m thankful for that.

Do you fear, that you will create a similar situation that you had with your dad not being in any of the photos because you are predominately behind the camera?

Isn’t this every mother/photographer’s fear? I do my best to get in the frame when I can – either through self-portraits or by setting my camera up for my husband (or a friend, parent, stranger, whoever) and asking them to click the shutter. I’ve become bolder with this over the years, because I know I want to be in the proverbial memory box when my children are grown. I’m actually about to do a Day-in-the-Life session trade with a favorite semi-local photographer of mine, and you better believe I’m going to ask her to keep me and my relationship with the children in focus to the extent it’s possible, since I don’t get the opportunity as much. I couldn’t be more excited to experience the other side of the coin.

Chrystal: I love that you are doing this with a specific theme in mind. Do you do self portraits too for a mom version?

I’m so glad you asked this. My first personal project – and my absolute favorite to date – is a self-portrait series called Babies & Bourbon: You Can’t Mom Alone (https://aleks-gajdeczka.com/babies-bourbon). It’s a semi-humorous view into my experience parenting two young children, who (for better or worse) are as oppressively present at every moment as they are totally adorable. This project, and the introspection that went along with its birth, changed the trajectory of my life in more than one way.

Also your composition and movement are incredible! What artists or classes have given you inspiration?

Bar none, the most life-changing class I’ve taken was one called Storymaking with Meredith Novario, over at CM. It challenged me to think about the motivations that drive me to make photos, and find the sweet-spot intersection between how I see the world, how I want the world to see me, how I see myself, and the story I’d like to tell. Once I got through all of this thinking, I came out the other end a family documentary photographer hellbent on helping my clients appreciate and feel pride in the funny, ridiculous, unpredictable, and humble nature of every day life with kids. Meredith has since retired the class, which is a real loss for the rest of y’all.

I’ve picked up some solid technical skills from Kirsten Lewis, and have drawn much inspiration over the years from greats such as Sally Mann, Elliott Erwit, and Henri Cartier-Bresson, as well as contemporary artists like Martin Parr, Nikki Boon and Justyna Mielnikiewicz. I’m drawn to the work of artists who aren’t afraid to make a busy, complex photo, and ones who have a bold message to deliver through their work and just don’t give a f*** what anybody else thinks.

Heather: You have completely inspired me to take more pictures of my husband! These are all incredible. Do you have any tips on finding the humor in a moment and capturing it?

Breakfast beer? Just kidding, kind of. Parenting is nothing if not humbling, and being able to relax and roll with the ridiculous predicaments my children put me in has made me a happier, better person. First, keeping a camera handy and set to “average” exposure settings, plus pushing yourself to shoot your everyday life daily – or at least, say, every weekend – can go a long way. Some of these photos were made with some foresight – but most were created thanks to me always having my camera in my purse, on the kitchen counter, or in the car with me. Second, I’d say that giving yourself permission to allow children (and – let’s face it, husbands) to make strange choices that may result in mess or tears, can put you in the front-row observer’s seat for some of the most hysterical scenes as they unfold. That’s been a big one for me. And third, when you know what’s important to you – and what you want to preserve – it’s easier to notice quickly when it’s revealing itself. Once I had my husband in my head as father/muse, I began to constantly see his incredible, tender, gentle, and funny interactions with our children, which made photographing for the project easier. Seeing begets seeing.

Aniya: Ok, I am BLOWN away by your work and utterly in awe of this project. Your framing is superb, layering is incredible and your ability to get such stories in one image is fantastic. Are you shooting the #dadlife project everyday? If not, how often?  Is it a discipled project, or do you photograph only when you are drawn to a moment?

Oh gosh, I wish I could shoot this project every day. Sometimes (when we’re on a family trip together) I do keep this project in mind throughout the day, and find opportunities to shoot something for it often. At home when we’re in the grind of our routines, days – sometimes weeks – will go by with nothing new. I seek out opportunities to add a piece to the story that doesn’t already exist in the collection. There are elements of his relationship with the kids that I’d like to highlight in the project, but it just hasn’t come together yet. I always pay attention with heightened awareness when those scenes are unfolding in our life, to see if I might be able to make a photo for the project. It’s fun thinking of it as a someday-to-be complete story of what a rockstar dad my heartthrob husband was when our children were little.

If you are in business, do you feel the same sort of freedom to photograph your clients in the same way you do with your family? 

I really do, and I feel so lucky for that. I am a documentary family photographer, and one of my goals is always to have this kind of access to my client families. And for the most part, I’ve been blessed with clients who are willing to let me in – all the way in – and allow me to photograph the most intimate corners of their family life. I love doing this for them. And I like to think that by showcasing my own personal life with such vulnerability (through #dadlife and my corresponding motherhood self portraits project, Babies & Bourbon), it will inspire my prospective clients to want the same for their own family sessions.

Erika: What is your end goal, if you have one for this project? Exhibit? Book? Personal enjoyment? And how does that end goal impact how you shoot and curate this project?

I’ve always thought of this project as a visual love letter to my husband, where I get to show him how deeply I admire and appreciate the incredible person that he is, the dynamic relationships he has forged with these two wild blond kids, and how much they adore him in return. That’s my goal. I had an early iteration of the project printed into a book for his birthday this year, but I hope to keep the project going for many years to come, perhaps adding books to a shelf as we go. In the long run, I’d love to publish them all together for him and the children when they’re up and grown.

But also, I often think about how every parent-child relationship is both unique and, at the same time, full of totally relatable elements and situations. This grand journey of parenting young kids is as universal as it is individual. I hope that other parents, in seeing my project, can imagine their own families in these scenes. I’ve occasionally considered expanding the project to include stories from client dads and their children, and putting together an anthology chronicling the fatherhood experience as seen through my lens. But knowing me, that’s a long, long way off.

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

Featured Project – Kristi Burton’s Lemonade Stands

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Last summer Kristi Burton, a documentary photographer in Utah with a love for personal projects, documented 18 different lemonade stands in her area. You can find more of her work at her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors about her project:

Heather: What a fascinating project. What made you decide to do a special project of shooting lemonade stands? How did you find all of them? 

Thank you. I’ve seen some pretty creative lemonade stands and one day, I just got an epiphany that it would be a great project. One of the first Saturdays of the summer I decided to drive around and see how many stands I could find. I ended up finding 6 in about an hour and a half. It was such a blast and a great start to the project. Also, I told my friends who have kids that I was planning to do it so they gave me a heads up before doing one.

Aniya: I absolutely LOVE this project! How did the parent of the children react to you letting them photograph their children? Did you go through the model release and all of the formalities to photograph this project?

Thank you. It was actually pretty funny when I approached the parents. When I asked if they were the parent/guardian of the kids at the lemonade stand, they often got this wide-eyed look as if they thought their kids had done something bad to the lemonade. I enjoyed seeing the relief on their faces after I told them what I was doing. Nobody turned me away and I didn’t have any problems getting them to sign a release.

Felicia : Do you often photograph in B&W? I love that it gives such a sense of nostalgia and timelessness to this series but I am curious how you see your images and their stories, and if colour is ever a consideration?

For these kinds of projects, I tend to like them better in black and white. Yes, it creates a sense of nostalgia and timelessness which I was going for. I didn’t want to distract from the subjects and their lemonade stands and color would have done that for certain images, but other images look great in color too.

Leslie: Love that you have a passion for personal projects. How many have you done so far? What’s been your favorite project to date?

Thanks. Yeah I love them. I’ve done about five major projects. My favorites are the most recent two, the lemonade stands and the one before that was couples who have been married 40 years or more holding their wedding portrait. Really enjoyable as well.

Lisa: How do your personal projects influence your client work?

My projects give me a chance to show my voice as an artist so that clients know what I love to do and hire me more for my specific style.

Jessica: Is there something you’d like to try stylistically that you haven’t yet- or some subject you’d like to photograph that you haven’t yet?

Usually when I do home documentary sessions, I do them of families with young kids. I think it would be fun to do one with teens or young adults.

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

Featured Artist – Angela Douglas

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Angela Douglas is a mom of four and a documentary photographer in Virginia who is in the middle of her second 365. You can find more of her work at her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors:

Jenny: I love your images! And your compositions are incredible! There is so much happening in all of your images with your amazing use of layering. It certainly doesn’t seem to be chance, so do you set out to capture layers in your frame and just wait for the right moment when everything comes together? Do you have any advice in using layers?

First off, thank you so much for the compliment. Both my husband and I come from large families so I’ve really been forced to learn how to shoot with lots of layers and complex compositions. I find that I’m drawn to the chaos of that though. Once I learned how to utilize micro-composition in my photography (from a class at Clickin Moms), I started using that technique much more often in my images. I find myself hanging out where the scene seems to flow the best and waiting for that perfect shot. My advice to you all would to be patient and shoot a lot more often. The more shots taken, then better your chances are of that one perfect image.

Jessica: You do a fantastic job of capturing your family life and the feeling of your kids’ childhood. Having four kids myself and three of them being teenagers, my shooting of them has changed. Do you find that your kids’ attitude about you making pictures of them has changed at all? Do they mind you documenting their lives? How do you respect their privacy and still follow your heart (and eye) as an artist?

At the moment, the only child of mine who gets upset and sometimes asks me not to post something on InstaGram or Facebook is my 7-year-old son. My daughters really don’t seem to mind at all, I guess you can say they are well adjusted to being behind the lens. I do my best to stay cognizant of the fact that my older girls are on Instagram and I wouldn’t want them to feel embarrassed about something I posted. I sometimes will ask them if they approve of me posting before doing so. And I do still make it a point to photograph them when they’re upset or displaying their quirky habits, I just choose not to post those ones for the world to see. There has to be some privacy, right?

Gemma: There is so much quirkiness and personality jumping out of your images! I love how you have honed into the feeling of the moment and representing the characteristics of each person over all else in each frame. Is there something that has helped you develop this style as you approach a scene? Any tips you have learned along the way to achieve this level of authenticity with your older children?

I love to find the humor in our everyday lives. The normal day to day activities. When the kids spill milk all over the dining room table, instead of getting mad or upset, we laugh a little then clean it up. I do my best not to sweat the small stuff. I feel very fortunate to have children who are very comfortable in their skin and are not afraid to be goofy. They help me create these images by having these larger than life personalities. My older girls have grown up in front of a camera and don’t seem to mind being photographed all the time, although I keep waiting for the day when they finally decide they’ve had enough and fuss at me about it.

Meg: Your photos seem to tell the story of the love your family shares. Do you feel like your kids are able to see that in your photos? What do you think is your biggest reason you take these types of photos of your family?

I hope they can. I want my children to not only see the love I have for them but the love they have for each other when they look back through our annual family albums we create. My biggest reason for doing what I do is the memories, I get to capture all these memories of my children growing up that I can look back on and they will be able to look back on as well. Growing up, I was always that child that loved to look through old photo albums….wondering about the families in the pictures and what their stories were like.

Kym: You capture such great action; how many frames do you tend to take before you get THE ONE?

Some days it feels like I’m taking thousands and thousands. For example, this week we’ve been camping and some of the days I have 300 frames and others, I actually do have around 1,000. I shoot so much that I recently had to get the shutter replaced in my camera. I told you, the more you take the better.

Robin: Since this is your second 365, do you find yourself shooting differently than from your first 365?

Definitely. This time around I am more relaxed about it. With shooting a 365, I’ve realized somedays I feel more inspired and others not so much, so if I miss a day, I don’t let myself feel guilty for it. Right now I am also doing a monthly Day in the Life, so sometimes I take a break the day after so I don’t feel burnt out. The camera and I need a breather too sometimes.

I also consider my street photography as a part of my 365 where as before, I had rules in place for it, that family was all that I was allowed to shoot. I’m learning to let go and not sweating the small stuff.

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

Featured Artist – Laima Drukneryte

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Laima Drukneryte is a wedding and family photographer in Lithuania. Previously she shot lifestyle sessions for families but now she uses a documentary approach. You can see more of Laima’s work on her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors:

Leslie: Lovely set of images! I noticed a similar theme in the colors, specifically blue and yellow. I think it’s a nice touch that lends to your strong unique style and voice. Is this on purpose? Are you drawn to certain colors to tell your story?

I love radiant colors. I love blue sky, bright sun, warm weather and warmth in relations. Sometimes I feel like I see life, people, emotions more colorful than they really are. And all that reflects into my photos. This attitude didn’t change or transform in my photos for 8 years, being a professional family and wedding photographer. And for these colors I’m recognized by my clients and followers. I love to come back to my client’s home year after year and see walls with my photographs and my radiant colors. They are telling one-piece story, not a trend of post processing.

Michelle: Your work is really captivating… It’s clear you’ve found your style and your voice. But what do you struggle with? What are you working to improve right now and why?

I’m struggle with living in a small market (Lithuania is a country of 3 million people), long periods of rainy – snowy weather and low light (3200 ISO). I struggle with strong competition of families choosing between documentary photography vs. all daily needs; lawns, private kindergartens and schools, digital toys. I struggle with families’ attitude “live right here right now” vs. wish to invest into future memories – professional photos of the families. This year I’m working on educating marketing on family documentary in my country. Also working on my international portfolio. I do this, because I believe in a value of not posed and not faked photos. Through my working years I’ve experienced stories how fragile and changing families’ lives can be. That is why it’s important to document peaceful and joyful periods of life in pictures.

 

Erika: We see lots of quirky, humorous moments in the collection of family images you sent us (which I absolutely love). Do you find that you are drawn to the same types of moments in your wedding imagery? And have you found the transition from lifestyle to documentary a challenge with regard to booking clients? And if so has it posed more of a challenge for your wedding work or your family work?

I do not let myself be so humorous in wedding imagery as I am in family documentary. Weddings have strict schedules, makes people stressed and are less natural, less relaxed. In weddings lot of time I work as a psychologist first and after that as a creative photographer.

I was doing family lifestyle photography same amount of years as weddings. For so many years moms were bringing all family members for “unposed photoshoot” and I was entertaining all of them by singing, playing, telling jokes, acting stupid to get all this “unposed photos”. And all this time in my mind I was telling myself “Laima, stop it!!!” And I stopped. When I found documentary approach. At last I feel the most myself and comfortable with my work. My loyal clients have some worries about family documentary (home space, picture privacy, how children will treat), but I convince them easily.

Carrie: Beautiful work! My favorites are the one inside the trampoline (the colors are so rich) and also the one of the boy and the side of the house with the window & reflection of clouds & amazing shadow! Aside from your subjects, what draws you in and stops you to pick up your camera during a session? Do you find yourself drawn to light, lines, settings, or do you find yourself more subject-driven?

Thank you! I do not love boringness in photography. I find myself drawn to choreography and dynamics of shoot. Most of my shooting time I can guess future – when all elements (light / lines / people) will come in one frame. Also I’m always ready for odd things that children can make and what reactions these moments will cause. These moments are miracles and I can’t guess none of these.

Actually in family sessions the biggest challenge I have is my subjects (children). Most of the time they are too close to me to shoot! 🙂

 

Chrystal: Oh my goodness that image with the baby carrier is one of the best I’ve ever seen. So much feeling. And it’s hilarious! Do you have any advice on how photographers can get more of those moments? Sometimes I think it takes a special, more willing client to get the most honest images. What do you think?

Thanks! My advice is be close and be invisible the same time. And bring unconditional love to each family session. Family documentary is not about showing how great you are. It’s about how great your subjects are. When you will be adoring your client on your shoot, you always will get reward – honest images.

Lisa: You have a great variety of moments: funny, quiet, loud, capturing details and also very interesting compositions. What inspires you to create the images in the way you do?

Childhood by itself. I can see childhood as a most positive period of person’s life. Because at that time child has less reproach and more hopes for life. In childhood daily life happens right here right now: moods, emotions, relationships, brilliant ideas, freedom. All this dynamics exists in each every family. It’s mine, as a photographer’s choice, to select particular moments, to tell family story. So I chose positive ones.

 

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.

Featured Artist – Caitlin Gallivan-Gaertner

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Today’s featured artist is Caitlin Gallivan-Gaertner. While she’s been shooting weddings with her husband for several years, she just recently left her job in social work to pursue family photojournalism full-time. You can see more of Caitlin’s work on her website, Facebook, and Instagram. Here is what she had to say to our contributors:

Jenny: I love your work Caitlin. Your families all seem so relaxed in front of the camera and happy to go about their daily lives. How long do you spend with the families shooting? Are these from day in the life sessions, or shorter? Do you ever shoot older children? And if so, do you use a different approach to shooting them than that of younger ones?

By far, the best work I’ve ever done is from a full day in the life. That’s how I prefer to work because it gives me time to build rapport with the family. After a few hours, they hardly notice I have a camera in hand which allows me to get really honest candids. A day in the life is around 12 hours, so I arrive at around 7am and leave at around 7pm. It’s always wonderful when you can take an image that can stand alone, but the full story is much more important to me than a single image.

I do work with older kids, but it’s a very different feeling. With younger kids, I am goofy and more energetic, but with older kids I am more subdued and calm. I think the largest challenge with older kids is that they are more used to having their photo taken and know the expectations that usually come with that. Some are more camera shy, while others tend to instinctively “pose” for me. It’s harder to get their real personality to come through. I think the key is to build a relationship with them. If they trust me, I am more likely to get a photo of them that I love.

Felicia: Thank you for sharing your thoughts on what this genre and what it means to you. As an introvert, what are your challenges about working with this approach? What are some of the most trying situations that you have come up against because of your personality as an introvert? When that happens in the field, how do you confront that challenge and work past it?

For me, as an introvert, working in this way is the most comfortable. I think posed family photos require a lot more direction and “false interaction” where I am trying to elicit a smile rather than it just happening all on its own. When I started shooting in this way, I found the need to interfere was gone, and I just got to dive deeper into my own creativity. It’s the best!

I think we are all trying to balance the desire to push ourselves into areas outside our comfort zone and the desire to go with what feels right. With family photojournalism, I went with what felt right and built on my strengths rather than trying to overcome my introverted nature. In many ways, being invisible is more of a strength with this type of photography.

Erika: In your write up you talk a lot about how children seem to guide your sessions and that appears very evident in your work. Your camera not only is frequently focused on the child(ren) but seems to take on their life perspective as well. Have you come across a child who was excessively shy or overly excited about the camera and perhaps made it a challenge to connect with them in a more personal way? How do you go about trying to meet more challenging kids in the middle to make honest photos?

This is a constant challenge, and doesn’t come up as much with younger kids because they are still new to the awareness of cameras. I have had a few situations where a kid wanted nothing to do with me or my camera, but it was usually in situations where I was trying to pose them (usually a day in the life will involve at least one formal portrait for the Christmas card). When a child is really struggling to feel comfortable with me, I put my camera down and ask them to show me their favorite place, or their favorite toy. I talk with them and play with them until I feel that they are comfortable with me. Often times, I have to go back and do the same thing several times in a shoot. Put the camera down, talk with them, ask them questions. I find if I genuinely care about what’s important to them, they will open up to me and my camera.

One thing I’ve learned is that if I resist in any way what the child is doing, the child will resist me even more. So I try to make everything okay. Being shy is okay, being excited is okay. It’s all part of the story.

Robin: Do you feel like your background in social work helps or has influence the way you document families?

YES. My work with domestic violence survivors helped me see and appreciate the infinite ways in which love shows up in our lives. I was, and still am, incredibly inspired by the ability of mothers to protect and love their children, even in the most difficult situations. That immense respect and appreciation that I developed while working in the anti-violence movement informs my work as a photographer every day.

Lisa: Are you more drawn to a particular type of moment over another (quiet vs loud)? How does this affect the way you tell a family’s story?

I wouldn’t say I am more drawn to a certain type of moment. Family life is really a full spectrum, and I love every part. The one line that connects every part of the story is love, and I am fascinated by love it in all its forms.

Celina: So many of your photos seem to be out and about. Are these taken during a day in the life type of sessions or do you typically go out with families even on shorter sessions? If so, how do you keep your clients feel at ease in public?

Most documentary photographers can probably relate to the difficulty of shooting inside a home. The lighting is often tough, so a large portion of my submitted photos were out and about. I usually encourage families to plan an outing during their day in the life session because I think it creates a more compelling story. Taking your kids out of the house is stressful, fun and chaotic. I love to see all of that happen!
I usually encourage clients to plan their outing for the afternoon. By that point, they are used to having me around. I keep a low profile when I am out working. Just one camera around my neck and no extra lenses. I think most people assume I am just a family member taking snapshots. Since I am not directing anything, or saying much, most families don’t seem to be uneasy with me following them around in public.
 

*****

Want information on how you can be a featured artist? Check out our submission page for all the details.