11 Tips to Prepare for Your Family Photo Session
As photographers, we want you to look and feel your best for a successful photo session and understand some of the worries you might have going into it. Below are a few tips to prepare for your upcoming photo session.
#1 Outfits: Choose Neutral Colors
Choose outfits and try them on in advance of (not the day of) your session. Please make sure that your outfit choices are comfortable and attractive. If you’re struggling with what to wear for your body type, you can visit this blog post for more information.
I strongly recommend neutral colors with soft, flowing fabrics — creams, very soft pastels, oatmeals, light browns, tans, grays, and slate blues because they go with my natural style and won’t cast strange color tones on faces. Neutral tones also create a natural glow on the skin (think anti-aging, ladies) and have a timeless look.
Avoid heavy patterns or bright neon colors. They can be overly distracting and shift the focus away from beautiful faces.
Accessories like scarves, headbands, hats, etc. can add a modern twist and sassy flair to your images. Visit my Pinterest page for more photography outfit ideas.
Avoid bulky sweaters. They, not the camera, somehow manage to add about 15 pounds to an otherwise svelte body. ;-)
For larger groups, choose 2-3 predominant colors to coordinate. You don’t need to be “matchy-matchy” but a color theme will lend itself well to a timeless, cohesive family photo.
#2 Day OF: Prep Your Clothing
Have pets? Run a lint roller over your outfit before your session starts.
Please iron all clothing, especially collars and near buttons (which can tug or pull). Removing wrinkles may result in expensive retouching fees or a subpar photo.
Grab an extra outfit for the kiddos. You never know what messy surprise awaits.
#3 Be Well-Rested And Fed
Block off your schedule that day and avoid overloading with activities. A full day before a photo shoot exhausts children which can greatly affect their mood or attention spans.
Be well-fed before our session. No one wants hangry parents or kids! Please don’t show up to a session on an empty stomach, but I also request no food en route to your session to avoid spills or stains on clothing.
Bring snacks (bribes) on the day of our session.
Consider scheduling your photo session to accommodate your child’s nap rhythm, if possible. The best time for outdoor lighting is the two hours before sunset and after sunrise. If this is a bad time for your children, I’ll push for an indoor session.
#4 Buffer Extra Time To Avoid The Frazzle
Moms: If you have time to get hair and makeup done to make YOU feel great, go for it.
For the family, create plenty of time for showers, baths, dressing, and grooming. When a family shows up to a family photo session rushed and disorganized, it sets the tone for a stressful session and it does reflect in expressions or frustrations. Give yourself extra time so that you arrive early for your session. Consider it a dressy playdate.
#5 Dads: Fake It ‘Til You Make It
Dads, we know you’re here because you love your wife. Or maybe she didn’t give you a choice. :-) But please cheerfully participate. Snarky comments and complaints only make a session more painful for everyone.
Please smile, encourage and honor your family throughout the session.
#6 Relax. Seriously.
Please do not punish your kids during the session. Opt for encouraging words (vs. “no” or “stop”) and let me take the lead.
If kids think they’re being punished for not smiling the right way or for being a kid (vs. bad behavior), to go with the flow. Please don’t yell or demand your kids to look at the camera and smile. It’ll only stress your children out (not to mention me) and result in poor photos.
Relax, breathe and allow me to naturally interact and talk with your children. Do a tickle time. Prompt with a memory or bribe them a treat afterward. This will result in natural, gorgeous smiles.
Don’t forget the extras like bug spray if we are working in more natural areas, or during mosquito season and you are prone to getting bug bites so stay relaxed.
#7 Have Fun And Treat Your Session Like A Playdate
We’ll get a mix of posed and candid photos. Don’t be afraid to pick up your children and toss them in the air.
Tickle them.
Give your wife a sweet kiss on the cheek.
Tell your husband how much you love him and appreciate him for being there for your family.
Have fun. Laugh. Joke. Embrace. Snuggle. Play.
Doing these things will allow me to capture the emotion and true beauty of your family.
#8 Bring An Activity As a Back-Up
I’ll prompt you to consider bringing an activity. Why? It gives you something to do vs. focusing on the camera while getting candid photos in the process. Small “props” like a book or a favorite toy also work well for mini-sessions. Ideas include:
Reading books
Getting ice cream
Making pizza or cookies
Playing a collaborative board game
Sports, like hiking or sledding
Enjoying a picnic
Building a sandcastle or skipping stones at the beach
#9 EMBRACE THE MESS
There are times when the session will feel chaotic. Don’t stress. Most sessions with children can feel crazy and disorganized (how can you possibly get any good photos from this chaos?!?) but the photos always turn out well.
The best photographs are often the ones where everyone is engaged or interacting with each other, not always facing the camera, although I do get posed images.
#10 Choose Your Words Wisely
Photography sessions are counterintuitive to how children normally engage with their world. Families that cherish carefree fun can lock up and become very uptight in a heartbeat because the pressure of a paid session forces the need for perfectionism.
I’ve noticed over the years that words like “stop that", “don’t do that” or “don’t make that face” can shut down a session fast. As soon as we bring attention to a “problem” it becomes an actual problem. I will lead the session, but parents, you can help by shifting your kids’ behavior with a positive tone.
Example: Instead of “Don’t make that weird face,” try saying, “I love when you make that goofy smile, but can you give me a sweet smile for this photo?”
Kids might be testing you, but they do see a photographer as an authority figure so I’ll gently step in to lead the charge. Remember, photos are is a tradition we want everyone to enjoy.
#11 Self-Care Leading Up To Your Session
During the summer you’re naturally spending more time outside. Please lather up on sunblock to avoid sunburn or peeling skin leading up to the day of our session. Try to avoid heavy sun exposure within 48 hours before our session.
Avoid chemical peels or waxing/sugaring 3 to 7 days in advance of the shoot (please consult with your esthetician).
Hydrate well. Try not to rush frazzled into your planning for the photo shoot. Value yourself, these memories and this investment.
Fall/winter transition? Slather on the chapstick! Chapped lips require extra editing so give yourself some time to soften those smiling lips. I recommend one with coconut oil and natural oils, as the harsh chemicals in most commercial chapstick can actually make your lips worse.
Contact me with any questions!
Shout-out to ClicknMoms for several of these great tips and tricks.
