Pictures of everyday life matter more than you think.
The other day, I was chatting with a friend about my son’s hair. We tend to style his hair in a mohawk because when he was little it used to naturally grow in the sweetest little mohawk. It would get so tall that it would eventually fall over into this perfect little wave that just made me smile every single time I saw it. As I was telling her about it, I realized I could actually show her what I meant – and I pulled up this photo on my phone.
It wasn’t from some elaborate photo session. There was no special location, no coordinated outfits, no plan. Just a mama with her camera who saw something that made her smile about her little boy and decided to take pictures of everyday life.
And now? Now I have this little memory of how he was at that age forever.
Table of Contents
Why This Is So Important
As a New Jersey family photographer, I’ve had this on my heart for a while now – the need to share why pictures of everyday life are just as (and I would even argue MORE) important as those annual family photos done with a professional photographer.
Don’t get me wrong, I absolutely love creating those beautiful portraits for families. There’s something magical about your family spending focused, quality time together in a special location.
But here’s what I’ve observed after years of photographing families: the images that make parents tear up during gallery reveals aren’t always the perfectly posed ones. They’re often the candid shots or the details I capture between poses – the moment when dad snuggles a little one to soothe them, or when the toddler breaks free to run and spin.
Those annual family portraits? They’re absolutely essential – especially for getting mom in the frame (because let’s be honest, you’re usually the one behind the camera). But pictures of everyday life? They’re like a visual journal for moms about what you love about your kids, what makes you smile each day. They’re the documentation of all the little things that make your heart full – the way your daughter’s nose crinkles when she laughs, how your son concentrates so hard when he’s playing, the ritual of bedtime stories that you never want to forget.
The Magic Lives in the In-Between
The moments that make your heart squeeze tight aren’t always the milestone ones. They’re not always the first steps or the birthday parties or the perfectly posed family portraits (though those are beautiful too).
They’re the Tuesday evening after a messy taco dinner when your toddler is kicking water in the bathtub, and making a bubble sculptures. They’re the afternoon when dad lifts your little one up for an impromptu basketball game by the pool, both of them laughing so hard they can barely breathe. They’re the quiet moment when your baby discovers the joy of a ride-on toy, their face lit up with pure delight as they cruise down the hallway.
These are the moments that make up the real story of your family.
The Photos That Tell Your True Story
I think about the photos I treasure most from my own motherhood journey, and they’re rarely the formal ones. They’re the ones where my son is being exactly who he is – messy hair, silly expressions, caught up in the pure joy of being little. They’re the ones that transport me back to a feeling, not just a day.
When I look at that photo of my son’s little mohawk, I don’t just see his hair. I see how small he was. I remember how his little hand felt in mine. I can almost hear his giggle echoing through the house. That one simple photo holds an entire season of our lives.
Why Pictures of Everyday Life Matter Most
Mama, your everyday is extraordinary. The way your baby’s feet splash in the pool water. The absolute joy on your toddler’s face as they navigate their little car around the house. The way the afternoon light catches your child’s profile during an ordinary moment that feels anything but ordinary to you.
These pictures of everyday life are fleeting – more fleeting than we ever want to admit. Your baby won’t always have that perfect little wave in their hair. Your toddler won’t always fit on that little red car. The way they laugh, the way they move, the way they look at you with complete trust and love – it’s all changing, every single day.
Start Where You Are
You don’t need a fancy camera. You don’t need perfect lighting. You don’t need everyone to be dressed up or the house to be clean. You just need to see the beauty in your right now and have the courage to capture it.
Because someday – sooner than you think – you’ll want to remember exactly how it felt to be living this beautiful, chaotic, perfectly imperfect life with your little ones. And those photos you took on a random Tuesday? They’ll be the ones that bring you right back to this season, this moment, this love.
Your everyday moments aren’t just worth capturing – they’re the ones that matter most.
This is the first in a series about capturing your family’s everyday moments. In the coming weeks, I’ll be sharing practical tips about gear (spoiler: you probably already have everything you need), simple techniques for better photos, ideas for organizing and preserving all those images, and ways to make documentation feel natural rather than overwhelming. Because your story deserves to be told, and it deserves to be remembered – and I want to help you do both beautifully.
Hi there! I’m Kate – a New Jersey Photographer celebrating and photographing all stages of your unique motherhood journey. From the exciting days during your pregnancy, to the whirlwind newborn moments, to the beautiful chaos of life with littles, my goal is to beautifully photograph each stage so you and your children can have and hold those sweet memories in your hands forever.
You can see more of my work on instagram, learn more about me, inquire about a session – I would love to get to know you and your family and create beautiful memories together!
This post just hit me. It’s important to have those professional portraits taken but it’s equally important to capture all those everyday photos. Not just when it’s birthday or dinner, but all those familiar things that happen and tougher build the everyday life. Because that’s what we want to remember.