Lia Edwards Info Magazine 2017

How to know if documentary family photography is right for you Get those pictures off your computer and into your life!

Your personal family photojournalist

IS DFP FOR ME? LIFE BECOMES ART MEET LIA

LIA EDWARDS

AUTHENTIC IMAGERY What is documentary family photography and how does it work?

TESTIMONIALS More than a photo session: discover the true value of documentary family photography THE INVESTMENT Find the right session for your family

WWW.LIAEDWARDS.COM | 2017 | INFORMATION BROCHURE

TABLE OF

contents 03

04

What is documentary family photography?

What to expect

06

11

Investment - which session is right for me?

The experience: Hear what others say

05 Meet Lia, your personal family photojournalist

12 Turn your life into artwork

13

14

15

Giving Back

How to know if a documentary family session is for you

When to book

WWW.LIAEDWARDS.COM | 2017

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WHAT IS

documentary family photography?

Documentary family photography is your real family life, captured beautifully, so that you can remember this time in your life and preserve the memories to show to your children (and their children) in years to come.

It is a far cry from traditional posed portraiture; instead of getting kids dressed in matching outfits and bribing them to smile at the camera, the focus is on capturing genuine moments that tell a story. The story of your family at this stage in your lives.

The focus is on capturing genuine moments that tell a story...

Getting these types of images, the ones that reflect real family life is a process that takes time and skill. We can’t make these images in an hour. I like to meet my families or have a chat on the phone prior to the session, so that we can get to know each other. Before the session, just tell your kids that mom’s friend will be hanging out with you for the day, because that is exactly how it feels.

There is no getting dressed up, no posing, no directing the kids to do anything. You just do everything as you normally would and wear what you would normally wear. I interact a lot with you and the children and after a while everyone forgets the camera is there (honestly!).

I photograph the day as it happens using my photojournalistic skills to anticipate and capture the best moments.

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HOW IT WORKS

the process Getting these types of images, the ones that reflect real family life, is a process that takes time and skill

1

You read through this magazine, enjoying a cup of tea while ignoring the kids yelling in the background. You pick a session length that works for you (the whole day is the most popular option, I mean if you're going to do this, let's get the whole day documented, right?). You let me know and I jump out of my chair screaming "YES!! We are going to have SO much fun" (we are)!

2

We meet or chat on the phone, figure out a date and a payment schedule that works for you, and we both wait with anticipation until the big day gets closer! (About a week before the session, you'll have a mini freak out and probably want to have a massive clean up and cut everyone's hair - don't! I'll be with you for long enough for the house to get untidy again and I actually I love long, messy hair!). A few days before, you let the kids know that mom's friend will be hanging out with you all on Saturday. This friend of mom's, she's really cool. You'll like her.

3

It's the big day!! The day you get to keep forever (that is, if you were clever and booked the full day-in-the-life session, otherwise, it's the day you'll get to keep a little bit of forever - which is pretty awesome too!). I hang out with you and, photograph everything that happens (remember, no posing, no faking, this is real life). I photograph all of it, even the stuff you might think is mundane - you'll be surprised when you see how it adds up to the whole picture of how your life is right now: the hard work, the love, the craziness, the fun. It's all part of the story.

4

Around 8 weeks after your session, it is time for the big reveal. Your pictures are ready!!! (cue squealing with excitement). You come to me (without the kids, yup, it's like a date night, or, you know, date morning) and we spend around 1-2 hours going through the photos and deciding how you'll spend that lovely product credit and create artwork and tangible memories that you'll get to hold in your hands or admire on the wall for the years to come. And there is wine or a cup of tea, whatever takes your fancy. And nibbles. A few weeks later, you'll get a ring on your doorbell and I'll be standing there with your albums and artwork, ready to hang (you'll do the hanging bit, though, okay?).

And yes, if you insist, I'll stay for a cup of tea.

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HELLO!

meet Lia I’m British by birth, Irish by blood and Welsh by marriage. As well as being a professional photographer, I’m a mum to a high energy little girl. I’ve lived in Munich since 2011 and absolutely love it here.

I’ve been taking photographs since 2000 when I stole my husband’s camera while on a trip to Paris back when we started dating (he never got it back).

My work celebrates the fun, love and hard work of parenting. I follow photojournalistic principles, never directing or posing or moving things or changing the lights. This creates a relaxed environment, far from the feeling of being “on a photoshoot”, and allows me to create truly authentic pictures of your life and the relationships between you and your children.

I’m chatty, friendly and a bit silly and once I’ve spent a day with you and your family, you will always be part of my family.

"The days are long, but the years are short" - Gretchen Rubin FEATURES & ACCOLADES My work has been featured on numerous photography blogs including Sham of the Perfect, Life Unscripted, Beyond the Wanderlust, ByHe{Art}, The Snappy Mama, Captivating Radiance and The Long Way Home.

I teach phone photography to parents around the world and I am a co-founder of Documentary Family Photographers Worldwide, a community connecting photographers and families.

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THE INVESTMENT

vacation

The Vacation Session Fee is €3500 (including travel within Europe up to €300 and €500 product credit). This includes: • Pre-session consultation by phone or in person • travel to your vacation location within Europe (up to a cost of €300) • 2 full days of documentary photography during your family's vacation • professional editing and toning of images (at least 250) • post session consultation to assist with selection of albums and artwork to make sure the images are in your life, not left on your computer • €500 product credit to spend on albums or artwork of your images • a slideshow of a selection of your images, set to licensed music, for you to share with family and friends to give them a glimpse into your vacation • a Facebook album of a selection of your images, for you to share with family and friends

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THE INVESTMENT

day-in-the-life

The Day-in-the-Life Session Fee is €2000 (including €250 product credit). This includes: • Pre-session meet up (including travel) • up to 2 hours travel to and from your home on the day of the session • 12 hours of documentary photography of your family’s entire day – from waking up until the kids go to bed • professional editing and toning of images (at least 150) • post session consultation to assist with selection of albums and artwork to make sure the images are in your life, not left on your computer • €250 product credit to spend on albums or artwork of your images • a slideshow of a selection of your images, set to licensed music, for you to share with family and friends to give them a glimpse into a day in your family’s life • a Facebook album of a selection of your images, for you to share with family and friends

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THE INVESTMENT

1/2 day-in-the-life

The 1/2 Day-in-the-Life Session Fee is €950 (including €250 product credit). This includes: • Pre-session meet up (including travel) • up to 2 hours travel to and from your home on the day of the session • 4 hours of documentary photography of your family morning (i.e. from breakfast to lunch) or afternoon (i.e. playtime, dinner, bathtime and bedtime) or a short day trip • professional editing and toning of images (at least 60) • post session consultation to assist with selection of albums and artwork to make sure the images are in your life, not left on your computer • €250 product credit to spend on albums or artwork of your images • a slideshow of a selection of your images, set to licensed music, for you to share with family and friends to give them a glimpse into your family’s life • a Facebook album of a selection of your images, for you to share with family and friends

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THE INVESTMENT

newborn

The Newborn Documentary Session Fee is €750 (including €200 product credit).

These sessions take place on a midweek morning at your home, when your baby is 412 weeks old, and are ideal to capture those early days with the baby. The session fee includes: • Pre-session phone consultation • up to 1.5 hours travel to and from your home on the day of the session • 2 hours of in-home documentary photography of your growing family • professional editing and toning of images (at least 40) • post session consultation to assist with selection of albums and artwork to make sure the images are in your life, not left on your computer • €200 product credit to spend on albums or artwork of your images • a slideshow of a selection of your images, set to licensed music • a Facebook album of a selection of your images, for you to share with family and friends

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S SU UM MM MA AR RY Y

family sessions 2 days

Vacation €3500 (inc €500 product credit)

12 hours

Day-in-the-Life

4 hours

1/2 Day in the Life €950 (inc €250 product credit)

€2000 (inc €250 product credit)

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THE EXPERIENCE

the true value Sarah’s family had a day-in-the-life session in 2016. Six months later, Sarah wrote and told me this:

“I was recently looking again at our pictures. I saw the picture of my boy in his nappy in the bathroom at bathtime and me getting him into his pyjamas and felt very nostaglic for my baby.

I couldn't believe how much he has changed. He is such a big boy now (who puts on his own pyjamas, back to front or inside out, but by himself) and it was so lovely to know that we have captured that moment when he was still a little man.

My goodness, our weekends have changed too, the children are so busy all the time with their friends and they are so different in the way that they play and the things they choose to do. So for me your photos are a really special lasting memory of a time that I would otherwise have forgotten as just another day, and has made me notice how much the kids have changed even in such a short time.

It gives me a mixture of pride at how much we have all moved on (all of us, not just the children) and sadness that it is a time that has gone. I can't imagine how I will feel when they are much much older. Looking back gives me perspective on what is important in our home, and enjoying moments with my children. The images you made of our family make me very emotional, Lia!”

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PRODUCTS

for the home After all the time, effort and money you invest making your session happen and having your real family life documented, we are not going to finish up with a bunch of jpegs that sit on your computer taking up space and costing you money.

Are we? No. We are going to bring those images to life. My motto is that a photograph is not finished until it is printed. This is why all sessions include a product credit that you can use towards albums and prints and why we have a dedicated slot (without the kids) to decide how best to preserve your memories.

"A photograph is not finished until it is printed"

That doesn't mean you don't get all the benefits of digitals: You get a slideshow set to licensed music and a Facebook gallery of the highlights from your session so that you can share your awesomeness with the world. But ultimately, these pictures aren't just for now, they are for the future, for when your children are grown up and have their own children. Imagine sitting with your grandchildren, flipping through an album of your family life back when you were young (yes, that's right, the comments will be "wow, grandma/grandad, you were so YOUNG!")

PRODUCTS TO Deluxe 35x25cm Album, 50 pages

€595

Standard 30x20cm Album, 40 pages, boxed

€545

Desk Block 20x30cm

€150

Matted archival fine art prints ready to frame 30x40cm (print size 20x30cm)

€55

Gallery Quality Acrylic Wall Art

€250

Full set of high res digitals - Newborn - Half or Full Day-in-the-Life

€300 €600

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PRO BONO

giving back I am conscious of the power of photography and I am happy to have been involved in various pro bono projects to use my skills to help others. These are some of the projects I have given my time to: • photographing young refugees in Munich so that they have a professional headshot for their resume, giving them confidence in themselves and their ability to compete in the job market in Germany; • photographing the work of the sisters and volunteers at the Missionaries of Charity soup kitchen in Munich; • photographing 15 families in one day as part of an effort to raise funds for a child urgently needing medical treatment which her family could not afford.

"“When we give cheerfully and accept gratefully, everyone is blessed.” ― Maya Angelou I donate €100 from every day-in-the-life session booked and €50 from every other session to the charity International Justice Mission, with the aim of funding a rescue mission for a child or young person enslaved by human trafficking.

I donate sessions through the organisation Spectrum Inspired to families with children on the autism spectrum, and sessions to Memories for Families to families where a parent is undergoing treatment for cancer, so that they can also have precious memories of their family life. If you know of any families in Munich that would be interested in either of these services, please pass on my details.

I also make regular donations to Save the Children and am currently sponsoring a child through Plan International. Your support of my business helps me to support these charities that do vital work for children less fortunate than ours around the world.

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UNDECIDED?

is it right for me?

“Isn’t it funny how day by day nothing changes, but when you look back, everything is different…”

A documentary family session is right for you if: • You sense how fast life goes by with a young family and want to preserve your memories of this time • You don’t want to forget all the little moments of family life • You want images with meaning and emotion • You are rarely in your family’s pictures • You’d love to see your life through someone else’s eyes • The thought of getting dressed up in matching outfits, rushing to some location you’ve never been before and bribing the kids to smile for the camera makes you feel stressed • You want your kids to see how hard you work, the fun you have with them and how important they are to you • You want your friends and family who live far away to be able to catch a glimpse of what your life here in Munich really looks like • You love the idea of sitting down with your children and grandchildren in 40 years time and leafing through an album that showed where you lived, the routines you had, the fun and love that was had and how young grandma/grandad were!

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READY?

when to book My sessions get booked up around 3-4 months in advance, so it’s worth planning your documentary family photography session ahead of time. This also gives you the opportunity of spreading out the cost of the investment over a few months. Ready to preserve those memories? Then let’s make this happen.

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