Perfectly imperfect pictures
with documentary photography
By Francesca Alviani
Documentary Photography and Visual Storytelling. Munich & where you need.
I’m an Italian visual storyteller and documentary photographer
I was practically born with a camera in my hand. When I was a child my father had an analog film camera and used it to document our family life. After school you would typically find me spending all my pocket money on films, running around taking pictures of almost anything I could find, and developing them with my father in our little dark room at home.
The photos we took back then have become my most cherished memories of my childhood. Now, I aim to give families that same feeling with my photography.
I know how it feels
Being a new mother is a beautiful thing. But most of the time is also a demanding time full of challenges… it doesn’t feel or look like the perfect photos we see too often on social media.
You probably feel exhausted, stressed, or your baby cries a lot (I had one like this) and the house is a mess.
That’s the reality of parenthood: Raising little humans is a lot of work. But in our photos we want it to seem like it was a breeze.
Why hide it? Why dress up and drive to a studio or to an “ideal” location just to pose and act like life is perfect?
When you look back at pictures from your pregnancy and postpartum period, your newborn, your little family… Do you want a “perfect, polished image” or do you want real memories? To look back at your pictures and remember the reality of your life, the place you used to love? To see how far you’ve come? To cherish all the obstacles and challenges you have overcome.
I believe in capturing reality with all its imperfect beauty. And without judging ourselves for that reality.
Speaking of: A mother’s reality isn’t exclusively motherhood. We’re daughters, sisters, partners, athletes, artists, business owners… Our own personal brand.
I also accompany personal brands with documentary photography for businesses. As a business owner myself, I understand that a lot of business is based on building trust with a community of people that are more than just “clients”.
With documentary photography you can show off your authentic self, stand out from the crowd and communicate your brand’s true core values.
Creating a movement for parents...
To me, seeing photos from my childhood is therapeutic. It makes me reminisce.
Through these pictures I know my own history and that of my family. I get to revisit intimate moments I might not even remember. Brushing my teeth with my parents, going for a walk, cooking dinner together.
In these pictures I am authentically myself.
My mission is to create a community and movement of parents that prefer the reality of parenthood and family life over staged moments that, in 30 years time, will tell us next to nothing about how we used to live and spend our time together.
...And a community of small business owners
Together we’ll show you and your brand off while staying authentic and providing value. Your story, your passion, your professionality in one visual story.
1984-
Today
1984 - Castel Di Sangro
Born in a beautiful mountain village in Abruzzo, Italy
2002 - Rome
Moved to Rome to study media and communication at Roma Tre University
2008 - Bergen
Moved to Bergen in Norway to do my master’s degree in marketing and communication at the UiB. Ever since then I have lived abroad.
In Bergen I started my professional career as an interior photographer. I also met my German husband there and fell in love with Norway and the Norwegian lifestyle.
2015
I joined a Yoga Teacher Training and realized one of my biggest dreams: enriching my personal growth by becoming a certified yoga teacher.
2017 - Rostock
Relocated to Rostock, Germany with my husband and started a family with our beautiful (yet demanding) daughter.
In Rostock I worked as an editor for a scientific journal at the Max Planck Institute for Demographic Research.
During this time most of the pictures I took were of my own little family.
2020
Our 2nd baby arrived: a calmer boy who completed our family
2021 - Munich
Moved to Munich, Germany
2022
Started working as a marketing and communications manager in Munich
2023
Enrolled in a course on documentary family photography and rekindled my love for photography
2024
Enrolled in a course on printing photos as art walls and hired a designer and a copywriter to give my own personal brand a new look and a new digital home (this website!).
Today
I live in Munich and use my camera to capture fragments of families’ and business owners’ authentic lives.
I create lasting memories that visualize the unique personality and situation of every single one of my clients.
As a documentary photographer I refuse to work with sterile studio settings and awkward poses. Instead I document your normal everyday life. I offer stress-free photography sessions where you and your kids get to stay in a comfortable environment (like your own home) and just be yourselves.
I look forward to getting to know you and capturing your family and/or business story!
I work in German, English, Italian and Norwegian too!
I wholeheartedly recommend Francesca: she is a great photographer who has mastered her craft perfectly.
Francesca accompanied us for an afternoon and documented our everyday life between picking her up from nursery and kindergarten, dawdling home, cuddling, playing, collecting natural treasures, crafting and much more. She was completely in the background at all times and almost unnoticeable (my daughter even said after 3 hours: “When is she finally going to take a photo of us?”). This is exactly how she created unmistakable and authentic photos that are already so emotional and beautiful to look at and that will certainly be a huge treasure when our children grow up.
