PREPARING FOR YOUR FAMILY SESSION

It’s time to get ready for your family's portrait session!! I know these things can be a little stressful and overwhelming, so I wanted to put together a little help guide to make things easier for you! This is a great source to get you and your family ready and make this year's session a breeze! 

CHOOSE A GREAT LOCATION

A location can make or break a session. Trust me! Choosing a spot that is special to your family or that has gorgeous surroundings is awesome, but keeping in mind car and foot traffic, lighting, sitting fees, and availability is super important. If you’re not sure of locations, please let me know and I am happy to offer ideas. A good starting point is to decide if you want scenic with a garden or natural surroundings or urban like downtown or South Congress… once you have a good idea of what look you are drawn to, I can send great options your way.  If you're doing a Mini Session, you're all set! I've done the hard work for you already!

PLAN YOUR FAMILY’S WARDROBE

The wardrobe seems to be the most discussed and stressed detail. And, I get it! When you make family portraits happen once a year… or decade… you want to make sure you get it right. Choosing colors that coordinate is key. Avoid doing the whole matchy-matchy thing… it doesn’t photograph nearly as good as some might think. 

The best thing to do… choose one outfit for a family member that you absolutely LOVE and then base everyone else’s outfits around that color scheme.

FOR MOM

For example, say mom found the perfect dress at Zara… Like this one.  You see that the colors in this outfit are greens, grays, browns and cream. Super easy to work with. 

Moms… keep in mind you’ll be holding kids, so be sure to choose something that can move with you and handle picking up and putting down. Also, note that if you have anything to your outfit that is “fussy” where you feel like you have to tweak it or shimmy it around frequently… that’s not the outfit for a mini session and maybe not even for a regular mini session. We move quickly, so I would hate for you to not think to adjust things as we are going.

FOR DAD

Go with something super easy and light… guys always love simple outfits and comfortable shoes, so let’s be sure to focus on those things for him. So, here is a variation of dad’s outfit, but I tweaked it below to make it a bit more casual.

So, the whole family could be something like the collection below. Majority of the wardrobe is from Zara (Winter 2024).

MORE SUPER HELPFUL WARDROBE TIPS

• DO NOT put kids in collared shirts or vests unless they can walk freely on their own. Otherwise, you will be fighting the collar every time you hold them. I promise. Usually, it’s best for kids under the age of two to avoid collars.

• Please wear nice shoes! Men, please avoid chunky sneakers!! Loafers, boots, nicer casual sneakers (like above), or dress shoes photograph best. Running shoes/sports sneakers do not photograph well at all. They look clunky and out of place most of the time.

• Also avoid putting kids in sneakers… they just don’t end up photographing well. I’d rather them be barefoot than have chunky running shoes on.

• No words, logos, or characters on clothing. You want your kid(s) to be the star… not their clothes.

• Having cute hats and accessories is great! I’m all for it. I don’t expect your kid to wear them throughout the session, but if we can get one or two shots - I’m happy!

• Simple is best. The fewer patterns and distractions, the better. However, if you’re great at putting patterns together, go for it! I highly encourage each family to be creative and individuals! These are just ideas to help make this easy for people who draw a blank when it comes to this topic.

• Don’t be afraid to really dress up! Some of my favorite sessions included families who really went for it!

LOGISTICS AND TIMING ARE IMPORTANT TO NOTE

• LIGHTING! The best times to shoot outside are right after sunrise and right before sunset. Those times change throughout the year depending on daylight savings, so check with me to figure out the best time to shoot.

• HAPPINESS LEVELS! When are your kids at their best? Let’s shoot then!

• TRAFFIC! We live in a big city with crazy traffic, so be sure to plan accordingly for travel time. Plan for it to take longer than usual since prime shooting times usually fall around prime traffic times… especially on weekdays. Your appointment is set for a certain time. We cannot make up your time on the back end of your session. If your session is scheduled from 9:00a - 10:00a, it ends precisely at 10:00a.

• BE PREPARED! Give yourself a little extra time before your shoot to arrive, get the kids unloaded and all outfits straightened out. We rarely think about this when getting the family out of the car, but sometimes it can take a solid five to ten minutes just to get everyone together and ready to go. So, avoid putting that extra stress on yourself. If you have young children, arrive ten minutes early so you are ready to start shooting right at your scheduled time. I promise it will make the whole experience smoother and less stressful for you!

• WORST CASE SCENARIOS! Always plan for everything to take longer than it should/would. Always plan for someone to spill something on their outfit right when they get out of the car, need a diaper change right before we are supposed to start, or fall and scrape a knee and bust a hole in their tights. Bring back ups!

POSING

I will totally take control of this department! I know these things can feel awkward and forced and we never know what to do with our hands or bodies. Somehow we totally overthink everything we do as soon as a camera is involved. ha! So, I am here to guide you through this process and let you know exactly what looks the best!

ACTIVITIES & PROPS

Feel free to bring an activity to do with your kids for longer sessions. Books, their favorite snuggly buddy, pets, bubbles, etc… We don’t have to use it at all or we can just use them in a few shots. But that variety is great to add a new fun part to your shoot so we don’t lose their attention! This is NOT recommended for Mini Sessions as they go by super fast and there will be no time for that.

CANDIDS ARE EVERYTHING

Plan on not looking at the camera just as much as you do look at it! I love getting interactive photos of you with your kids. Talking with them, being silly, tickling, snuggling, stealing kisses, and just holding onto them. Showing your bond and connection with your babies (even the grown up babies) is what these sessions are all about. So, embrace the candid moments!

EVEN MORE AMAZING TIPS

• CLEAN YO’ FACE! Wash your kiddos' faces REALLY well right before you start your session. Eyes, noses, and around the mouths are always prone to sneaky distractions and my camera picks up EVERYTHING. If it’s runny nose season, bring tissues!! I do NOT edit snotty noses since that is something we can easily fix at the shoot. So, if you want your kids faces to look clean in the photos… make them clean in real life. I always try to do close up photos of those sweet faces, so we don't want them to get upstaged by a boogie or eye crusty.

• LEAVE YOUR BAGGAGE BEHIND! If you can avoid it, don't bring a purse or bag with you... especially for mini sessions. These shoots go by so fast and we are shooting the whole time, so picking up and putting down a bag or stroller the whole time can be exhausting for you.

• DETAILS MATTER! Check your buttons, zippers (guys), earrings, necklaces, lipstick touch-ups, and every other detail regarding you. When I begin capturing your family and chasing your babies, I don’t always notice those details as I’m distracted by getting smiles, finding the right light, getting my camera settings in line, posing everyone, and getting the attention of your kiddos. So, I’ll definitely need your help in paying attention to all of those minor (major) details.

So excited to work with you and your family!!! Can't wait!