POV · A family session, 0:20

Documentary family photography · Los Angeles

Twenty years from now, this is the part you'll miss.

I photograph families at home, as they are. The noise, the mess, the tenderness. From inside, these years can feel like a grind. From where I stand, they're beautiful.

Check availability → See a session

The approach

What makes your family yours is already happening. I'm just here to catch it.

Every home has a love that animates it, and it lives in small gestures. A tug of the hand. Blowing on a spoonful until it's cool enough for a little mouth. These are the quiet signs of the love that binds your family, and they're what I document.

Want one of everyone looking at the camera? I'm happy to take it. It's just not required, and it's rarely the one you end up loving most. Those come from the moments nobody planned. What you get back is an honest record of this exact season, the closeness and the chaos of an ordinary day.

Parenting is hard right now. Someday you'll look back at these and be reminded how much love was in the room.

A wide view of an open kitchen. Parents cook at the counter while one child stands at the island and the youngest sits on the wood floor.
The whole room, 1 hr sessionFr. 11

The work

One family. One afternoon.

17 frames · Tap to view full size

Is this for you?

This style isn't for everyone. That's the point.

This is for you if

  • You know parenting is messy and hard, and you believe the real version is worth remembering, shown with care.
  • Your kids are anywhere from newborn to high school, and you know this stage won't last.
  • You want to capture the dynamics of your relationships rather than how everyone looked.
  • Your home bears witness to your stories and is a character in your lives.
  • You're fine with a little chaos in the frame. Toys on the floor. Toothpaste on a chin.
  • You can relax with someone quietly documenting close by.

This probably isn't for you if

  • You want to be posed for every shot.
  • You need perfect studio light.
  • You expect every blemish and stray hair to be smoothed away.
  • You want detailed direction: chin up, arm here, look this way.
  • You want the holiday-card version of your family, not the real one.

Sessions & pricing

Three ways in.

The main event

At Home

$7501 hour · 30–40 images
$1,1502 hours · 60+ images

I'm in your home during a real part of the day. Breakfast, homework, making dinner. Whatever actually happens.

  • Full edited gallery, in color and black and white
  • Delivered within one week
  • Travel within 45 minutes of Culver City included
Book At Home →

Outdoors

Golden Hour

$65045 minutes · 20–25 images

A place that means something to your family. Your street, the park you walk every weekend, grandma's porch. Shot in the last light of the day.

  • Full edited gallery, delivered within one week
  • Rain in the forecast? We reschedule.

Light and weather are out of my hands. That's part of it.

Book Golden Hour →

A first taste

Pop-Up Portraits

$29525 minutes · 8–10 images

Short outdoor sessions on announced dates. A good way to see how I work before inviting me home.

  • Families up to 5
  • Private gallery to pick your favorites
  • Full gallery upgrade +$175
See pop-up dates →
30% retainer reserves your date Balance due 24 hrs before Reschedule up to 24 hrs before Galleries in 1 week Prints available Beyond 45 min: travel fee quoted up front

Add-on

The Reel

$20030–60 seconds · vertical

I wear a small POV camera while I work. Afterward I cut a short film from that footage and your photographs: your family moving through the day, and what it looks like from where I stand.

Ready to post on Instagram or TikTok. Delivered within one week with your gallery.

Sample from a real session · Tap for sound

Pop-Up Portraits

Twenty-five minutes, outside.

A few times a year I set up somewhere outdoors in Los Angeles and book a short run of twenty-five-minute sessions. Same approach, smaller window. Want a posed shot? I'm happy to take one. With minimal direction, it's even better: walk, play, hold each other, and I'll find the frames.

Good for a growing baby, a new sibling, a birthday, or a family that wants to try this before booking a full session.

First dates, winter 2026Announcing soon

Get dates first

Pop-up slots are limited. The list hears about new dates before I post them anywhere else.

How it works

From hello to gallery.

  1. InquireSend a quick note. It takes a minute.
  2. A short callWe talk through which part of the day to photograph and whether this style fits you.
  3. Reserve your dateA 30% non-refundable retainer locks it in. The balance is due 24 hours before the session.
  4. The sessionDo what you'd normally do. I'll quietly document.
  5. Your galleryDelivered within one week by private link. Prints available if you want them on the wall.

Kind words

“These are amazing. I love how they're a reflection of our life in 2026. It makes these photos even more special. This already makes me want to do it again next year.”

Yumi Fisher · At Home session, 2026

A father kisses his toddler son, who holds his father's face with one hand.

About

From strangers to families.How I learned to see people.

Over the years I've made portraits of hundreds of strangers on the streets of Los Angeles. Most of those encounters last only a few minutes. What they taught me is that an honest moment doesn't need much time. It needs the right environment.

Sometimes that's a conversation about someone's childhood, or how their neighborhood has changed. Sometimes it's a compliment, or simply listening and watching. Then a small pocket of space opens where someone stops performing and reveals something true, sometimes something beautiful, about who they really are. I live for that moment, and I'm ready to receive it with the light and composition already in mind.

I bring that same practice into your home. I'll engage when it helps and give you room when it doesn't, so you can move and breathe in your own space. That's where your family's honest moments come from.

I'm Hajime Birnbaum, based in Culver City, and a parent. I know how fast these years go because I'm living them too.

See the street work · @streetpovtraits ↗

Hajime Birnbaum in a black shirt and bandana, holding his Fujifilm camera, in black and white.
Hajime Birnbaum · Culver City

Exhibitions & collaborations

  • Galería Claroscuro Mexico City · Solo show
  • Monochrome Gallery Los Angeles · Exhibition
  • Japanese American National Museum Los Angeles · Collaboration
  • Insta360 · Viltrox · TTArtisan · PGYTECH Creator

Questions

Things families ask.

Do we need to clean the house first?

No. The laundry on the couch and the cereal on the floor are part of your life right now. Tidy if it makes you comfortable, but it's not required.

What if my kids won't cooperate?

They don't need to. I'm not asking them to sit still or look at me. A meltdown, a sulk, a kid racing down the hallway: that's often where the best frames are.

What should we wear?

What you'd normally wear on that day. No matching outfits. If you want a little guidance, avoid big logos and wear something you feel like yourself in.

Color or black and white?

Both. I decide image by image, based on what each photograph needs. Most galleries end up a mix.

How many photos will we get?

Pop-Up: 8–10 of your choice. Golden Hour: 20–25. At Home: 30–40 for one hour, 60 or more for two. All are fully edited.

How long until we see them?

Within one week, by private link.

Do you retouch?

I edit color, light and tone. I don't smooth skin, remove blemishes or reshape anyone. You'll look like you.

What if it rains?

For outdoor sessions, if rain is in the forecast we'll pick a new date. At Home sessions go ahead in any weather.

Where do you travel?

I'm based in Culver City and work across Los Angeles. Travel within 45 minutes is included. Beyond that I'll quote a travel fee before you book.

What's the deposit and cancellation policy?

A 30% non-refundable retainer reserves your date. The remaining balance is due 24 hours before the session. Emergencies happen, especially with kids. If something comes up, you can reschedule as long as you let me know at least 24 hours before the session, and your retainer moves to the new date.

Can we order prints?

Yes. I work with a professional print lab and can help you choose sizes and paper.

What is the Reel?

A 30–60 second vertical film, cut from behind-the-scenes POV footage I record while I photograph. It's an add-on for $200 and arrives with your gallery.

Inquire

Start with a hello.

I take a small number of families each month so I can give each session my full attention. Booking now for late October, early November, and December onward.

A boy in a blue soccer jersey laughs with his eyes squeezed shut while his grandfather hugs him from behind in a green armchair.
Check availability →