Family Storytelling Christina Travaglini Family Storytelling Christina Travaglini

Philadelphia Documentary Photographer | The Cawleys

For me, the best part about documentary photography is the setting--especially when the setting is a family's home. Embracing the silence, the messes, the chaos. Each help to tell an authentic story. 

Recently I asked my mom to send me a few photos from my childhood for a project. While you would think my uneven bangs and acid wash sweatpants/jeans were the focal point, I couldn't stop staring at everything in the background. The furniture, the "electronics", the home decor, the holiday decorations--together they all told a story of a moment in time. I'll save the photos my mom dug up for a future blog post (I'm sure you can't wait!) In the meantime, my hope is that when I share authentic life (either my personal work or clients) with others I can give them the permission to see how beautiful everything in the picture is and that their "chaos" is too. 

Liz and Jamie invited me into their beautiful new home last weekend and it was awesome! No need to clean up or wear matching clothes. Just authentic family life. I hope that when Liz and Jamie's children (and nieces and nephews who also joined in on the fun) ask for photos of their childhood in 20 years they have the same feeling I did when they look at these. 

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Family Storytelling Christina Travaglini Family Storytelling Christina Travaglini

Philadelphia Documentary Photographer | Pop-Pop

This blog has become a place where I can share both personal and professional work. My hope is that it will be a way for me to look back upon my adventures with photography in years to come and reflect.

There are days where I struggle with finding a balance. How do I ensure I remain true while also representing my business in the way I wish it to be seen?  I may not ever find the answer, but what I do know is that documenting my everyday can only help me refine my skills and ultimately translate into better work for my clients.

So I guess what I’m trying to say is… here is another personal post!

“If you want to know what someone fears losing, watch what they photograph. ”

This quote couldn’t sum up this set of photos any better.  I took these almost 2 years ago on a random Saturday afternoon. All I wanted to do was document my Grandfather at home—the home that I grew up in.  These photos show a snippet of his morning rituals, love of crossword puzzles, and the kitchen table (it’s had 5 generations gather around it over the last 20 years!) where he spends a lot of his down time. This man sacrificed so much to help raise me and I truly hope he knows how much he means to me. These photos will always tell the story of a kind, generous, loving soul. 

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