Getting Ready for Your Family Session
March 23, 2022
In my last blog post I talked about what I’m all about as a photographer. Now I’m going to share what YOU can do to make sure we have a great time together during your session! I’ve have three super easy recommendations that will not only make your photos better, but it will make your experience relaxing and fun!
Wear Clothes That are Comfortable and Make You Happy
Some photographers will give you suggestions on what to wear for your photo session. I am not one of those photographers. I want you and your family to wear clothes that are comfortable and that make you happy. That’s my only recommendation. If your kid really wants to wear their Halloween costume to your photo session, rock on! Let’s celebrate the fact that your kid knows what they want and has the confidence to be themselves. Your kid is going to show up for photos beaming with pride! If it’s unseasonably cold during your spring session, let your kids wear coats. If it’s surprisingly hot during your fall session, ditch the sweaters and go with tank tops. Sometimes it’s hard to let go of the family portrait you created in your mind, but I’ve photographed tons of families and I promise you kids that are comfortable during their session are much happier kids! And at the end of the day it’s the happiest you want to capture, right?
Don’t Worry About What Your Kids Are Doing
Many parents feel like family photos are stressful because their children are unpredictable and wild. Trying to get them to sit still is exhausting so they hate doing family photos. But guess what? I don’t care if your kids sit still. I actually love the high energy that kids bring to a session, and I don’t expect them to cooperate all of the time. I come to a session with my running shoes on, and I’ve got a few tricks up my sleeve. So all I need the parents to do is relax and have a good time. Your kid may run off and find the perfect hiding spot for an amazing portrait. If your kids chase each other around I have the opportunity to capture carefree delight and authentic smiles. Sometimes it may feels like chaos, but I promise we are still getting great photos. I often hear “I can’t believe you got THESE photos from THAT session!” So trust me; there is a method to the madness. And I’m going to let you in on a little secret. When I'm editing photos it's usually the parents' facial expression or body language that leads me to discard an image, not the children. The crazy things that kids do make fun photos; parents trying to tame wild children don't. Parents embracing chaos and laughing with their children make FANTASTIC photos!
Be Mindful of How you Incorporate Food into Your Session
Basically food during your session needs to be all in or all out! If any food is present during your session, there WILL be photos of people eating. Family baking, picnics, and trips to the ice cream shop are amazing childhood memories, and I love it when families want to incorporate them into their family photos. However, if you don’t want photos of your child actually eating, don’t bring anything food or treats to your photo session. It’s really tempting to use treats to encourage smiles, but this almost always backfires! Offering treats but trying to keep them out of the photos creates confusion, stress, and unnatural facial expressions. I’m actually going to write a whole blog post about how this plays out, so stay tuned for that. The bottom line is if you don’t want to see eating in your photos, save the treats for AFTER your session.
Head over to my booking calendar to get more information, see availability, and book your session: Book a Session with Julia