Photographer Who Studied at Santa Monica College Creates "Day In The Life Photo Series To Capture Authentic Moments

MALIBU, CA — Would you allow a photographer to shadow your family for a day, in order to capture each and every intimate moment? During one of Ivonne Maria Carvajal's "Day in the Life" photo sessions, there are no poses or forced interactions, just families going about their daily lives as Carvajal photographs the family's idiosyncrasies.

Carvajal, originally from Costa Rica, keeps her photography deeply personal, stemming from her trek through motherhood, watching her daughter grow up, and her "really bad memory."

"There’s so much going on in life that we forget about, especially good memories in childhood," Carvajal said. "Photography is a way for me to remember to love those memories, the small moments."

The "Day in the Life" series originally stemmed from a photo essay Carvajal made to "honor moms" and all of the hard work they do because it's often "overlooked." Eventually, she wanted to make it a family affair instead.

Each of these unique sessions has been "healing" for both Carvajal, and her clients, she said. The final product is a real-life story of their day, and it helps remind the parents of why they're together as a couple, Carvajal said.

"It's a reminder of why they're doing this everyday, keeping up with life and routine" she said. "It’s been really fulfilling for me and I know it's been fulfilling for them too."

Temporarily inserting herself into the backgrounds of new families has been fairly easy for Carvajal, and one of the only challenges has been getting small children to ignore her. Her famous line is: "I'm not going to 'click' until you look away from the camera." After "about an hour," they forget she's there.

Carvajal studied photography at Santa Monica College, but being a mom has "helped her recognize those moments and anticipate them," she said.

"I'm chasing moments to photograph," she said. "At the beginning it's tough, because you're thinking about technical things like lighting and composition, but it's really about figuring out how to compose the picture while they're just doing their thing."

To view more of Ivonne Maria Carvajal's work, or to schedule your own photo session, visit her website.