Tips for a Successful Family Session
Tip #1 - Pamper yourself
This photo shoot is a wonderful opportunity to pamper yourself so that you feel beautiful and confident before the session. Book hair and makeup the day of the session, so you don’t have to stress. Get your nails done – or leave them natural with some clear polish if that’s your jam. My only recommendation here is not to make any drastic changes to your usual look because if you are not happy with the new look, you may not have time to change it, and may be unhappy with how you look in the photos if you don’t like your new hair style or color, as example.
Tip #2 - Get into a positive mindset
We all have bad days. Unfortunately, I don’t reschedule sessions for this reason. Thus, it is important to fake it ’till we make it. Even if your kids had been little monsters all day or you had a bad day at work, it is important to do a little positive self-talk in order to change your mindset – smile, exude a positive attitude, say outload to yourself and your family who will be involved in the photo shoot how much fun you are going to have, talk to them about the types of photos they would like to take, how they plan on posing, how they plan on making their sibling laugh, etc. Your excitement and anticipatory attitude will rub off on your family as well as yourself. Mindset is everything. If you come with a positive mindset, I promise that you will have a good time during your session, and that will come through in your images as well!
Tip #3 - Select your outfit
Be prepared for your session by having everyone’s outfits selected at least one week before. Whether you are purchasing new outfits or wearing things you already own, please ensure to try everything on to make sure clothing fit well and is comfortable. Iron out or steam clothing to remove any visible wrinkles for the most polished look. Clothing that’s wrinkled tends to look unkempt and is close to impossible to “photoshop” later on. Lay out everyone’s outfits together to ensure all items go together. Don’t forget about the shoes – you may need to purchase a new set of boots/sandals for the kids if all they wear is sneakers (speaking from personal experience here). Lastly – don’t forget to read my What to Wear guide and check my Pinterest boards with specific outfit ideas for the whole family.
Tip #4 - Rest & Sustenance
Don’t you hate it when you’re feeling hungry and all you could think of is what your next meal will be? To help prevent any potential “hangry monsters” from creeping up on us during the photo shoot, please ensure that everyone, especially little kids, has had a small meal or a snack shortly before. Likewise, it’s best to avoid overscheduling yourself on your photo day. To avoid undue stress, try to take it easy the day off and give yourself and your family time to relax and take nap if needed, especially for babies and toddlers. We don’t want a cranky toddler wining and crying because they are either hungry or tired during the session because I know that will stress you out, and when parents are stressed, they stop being fun, and that does not bode well for what should be a fun family photo session. When kids’ bellies are full, they are more likely to have more energy needed to run around, laugh, and have fun. Same goes for some adults too!
Tip #5 - Make it fun
During the photo shoot, I will direct and prompt your family through each shot to ensure everyone looks natural and carefree. That brings me to tip #4 – adults, please refrain from instructing your kids to smile, telling them to stand still or to behave, because that tends to make kids stiffen up, make those fake smiles and could even ruin their carefree mood altogether. If the kids are laughing and fooling around, try to goof off around with them – make silly faces, pick them up, tickle them, or take them by the hands and spin around with them, then go in for a hug. On the other hand, if you child is shy, your own silliness could help loosen them up. Most people are naturally shy about being the center of attention, but when you focus on each other instead of the camera with silly play, everyone will begin to feel more comfortable, and I will grab some amazing candid shots. Once the kids feel your positive and playful attention, they too will feel more at ease with the photo shoot, and you will wholeheartedly fall in love with the natural happiness that will resonate in those pictures.
Tip #6 - Enjoy!
Come ready to have fun and enjoy the quality time with your family! Try to forget all the stresses of the day and completely surrender yourself into the experience of the photo shoot. Make the most of your short time with me by getting into a positive mindset and helping all people who will be present in the photos do the same. Remember to tell all the adults in your photo shoot that it’s OK to be silly!