I've
always been
storyteller.

But I never set out to be a photographer. I was (and still am!) going to be a writer. And then as I worked toward that writing goal, someone put a camera in my hand and asked me to try telling stories with something besides words. So with an English nerd's love for character and tone, a romantic's love for poignant beauty, and a realist's love for imperfection, I dove in.

meet LAURA

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I've
always been a
story-teller.

That was back in 2010.

Since that time, photography has changed much of my life. It's brought me some of my dearest friends. It's reshaped the way my husband Danny and I view serving others. It has even literally taken me around the world. One thing that hasn't changed: my soul-stirring desire to tell stories that feel so real you're sure you knew them before you heard them. Or saw them. It's my privilege to tell those stories for my clients, and for the generations of their families still to come.

meet laura

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What are Lifestyle Photography and Family Documentary Photography?

Thursday, September 10th, 2015

For several years, I introduced myself as a wedding photographer — an introduction that was pretty self-explanatory. Now, the introductions aren’t quite so simple. Most people don’t know what lifestyle photography is, or what family documentary photography means. It’s a job title that requires a little bit more of an explanation.

So here it is:

Lifestyle photography and family documentary photography, as I define them, are actually fairly similar — but they aren’t your standard family portraits where everyone just smiles for the camera.

When I talk about lifestyle photography, I mean photography that is largely spontaneous, natural, candid-looking. Sure, I offer a lot of guidance when it comes to posing for portraits, but my clients receive far more images of themselves interacting with one another than cheesing into the camera. I showcase their personalities in their images, and create portraits that will look stunning over mantles and in albums. Lifestyle photography can take place in any kind of setting; it frequently includes carefully selected and coordinated outfits, and a location chosen for its aesthetics.Daytona Beach family and maternity photographer

My definition of family documentary photography is slightly narrower. I use that term to mean capturing families as they really, truly are — most often at home, simply living their lives the way they do when there’s no photographer present. I provide direction for my clients, but less posing — my input will be centered around simply scooting to the other side of the room where there’s better light, things like that. We’ll take time to pose for a few more traditional portraits, but that won’t be the focus of the session, since family documentary photography is all about providing a record of the way a family lives.

The photographs will be of parents getting children dressed for the day, playing games together, reading stories, cooking, eating together, cleaning up, taking the dog for a walk — the simple, often-overlooked moments that make up real life. That’s why family documentary photography lends itself especially well to being displayed in albums, which can tell the whole story, versus choosing just an image or two to frame on the wall. With documentary photography, there’s less emphasis on outfits, and the location is selected for its significance (typically the family’s home) rather than for its beauty.View More: http://laurayangphotography.pass.us/babyethanI hope this clears up questions about what I do with my photography, and the purpose of my portrait sessions!

While I want to make beautiful images for my clients, that feels almost beside the point. Of course the images will be beautiful — I believe that should be a guarantee with any photographer who has worked to hone her craft. What I truly strive for, what I need my images to be is authentic, evocative, transcendent.

I want the photographs I create to transport the family back to a very tangible moment in time, to a memory they’ve lived a thousand times over and know they never want to forget.

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