1. Choose your clothing carefully. Clothing should coordinate, not match. Choose colors and textures that work well together. Flowy fabrics on women are always flattering and convey beautifully in photographs. Don’t be afraid to accessorize with bows, suspenders, cute boots or shoes, scarves, or jewelry. Send your outfit selections to your photographer before your session to get their opinion and helpful suggestions. Want more tips on wardrobe choices? Read more here.
2. Rest, eat, drink, repeat. Nothing’s grumpier than a hungry kid (or, let’s be real, husband), amiright? Be sure to plan a healthy meal – or at the very least, a healthy snack – before your scheduled session time to avoid those hangry cries and grumpy faces. Make sure everyone goes to bed at a reasonable hour the evening before your session, and for those family’s with little ones, make sure they nap beforehand, if at all possible! And finally, don’t underestimate the power of hydration! This is essential for glowing skin, bright, cheery eyes, and happy smiles.
3. Cheese goes well with wine. And whine. Nothing stresses a kid (or an adult, for that matter) out more than being forced to look at the camera and shout “CHEEEESE” for any length of time. These type of coerced expressions inevitably result in strained, awkward and unnatural photographs. Instead, let the photographer interact naturally with your family and achieve those expressions genuinely.
4. Have fun! Bring something to your session that your family loves to do together. (If you love reading together, bring a book you all enjoy. If you love being outside or playing a sport, bring your favorite sports ball.) If you’re working with me, I’ll have a series of fun little games for everyone to play to really get those laughs rolling, and some tricks up my sleeve to get even the most serious, shy individuals involved and enjoying themselves. And remember: not everyone has to be looking at the camera and smiling at the same time for beautiful photographs to happen. In fact, some of the best images are created when you’re not looking, during those moments you didn’t even notice until after, when they’re memories.
5. Leave the work to me (or your photographer). Don’t be afraid to step back, (mentally, not physically) and let your photographer do the work of engaging with you and your children. You’ve invested in a professional to photograph your family (or you’re considering it), let them do all the work! As the parents, your job is to make sure everyone’s fed, hydrated, rested, dressed, and shows up (no small task!). Why not leave the rest to the pros? You’ll be so glad you did.
Now taking registrations for 2018 Holiday Mini Sessions! Follow this link to the Holiday Mini Photo Session page to sign up for the wait list and be the first to know booking release date and time. (Booking will be open for 24 hrs only)
