Preparing For Your Session (A.K.A. How To Get The Best Pictures)

Enjoy the experience of being together as a family and beautiful pictures will always come naturally!

The basics. 

To the best of your ability, make sure your kids are rested and fed before your session. Use the restroom before you leave. Make sure your kids' faces are wiped clean when you arrive on location. And leave early so that you’re not rushing to your session. I often have sessions booked back-to-back, so if you’re late, it will cut into your time. 

Lower your expectations. Then lower them some more. 

This is not meant to be discouraging in any way, but kids are unpredictable. If you have your hopes up too high, and your kids aren’t cooperating, you set yourself up to be disappointed instead of enjoying your time together as a family. If we focus on having fun over perfection, you’re guaranteed to walk away with images you love.

Wardrobe. 

I want your photos to reflect your unique personal style. However, I will say, neon colors never photograph well so please avoid them if possible. You may also want to avoid fabrics that easily wrinkle. Neutral colors and earth tones are my favorites. You can go dressy or casual, that’s totally up to you, but if you go casual, I would at least wear nice shoes (i.e. no dingy sneakers). If you’re having a hard time deciding what to wear, feel free to send me pictures. I’m happy to provide input and help you choose an outfit!

Wardrobe Do's and Don'ts:

DON'T overthink it. All of my advice is great, but don't overthink it. You don't have to coordinate colors or patterns unless you want to.

DO cover your child's underwear or diaper with bloomers, biker shorts, leggings, or tights. 

DO keep your baby in a bib until right before we start shooting to avoid drool stains. Drool stains can be extremely hard to fix in Photoshop depending on the outfit, so I can’t promise I can remove them during editing. I would even suggest waiting to dress your baby until you arrive at the location to avoid a blowout-in-the-car fiasco. 

DO dress kids in warm layers when it's cold. Even older kids have a hard time cooperating if they’re cold. (TRUST ME ON THIS.) You can accessorize with cute scarves, mittens, and hats.

DON'T leave brightly colored bandaids and/or temporary tattoos on your child's exposed limbs. I do edit every photo to remove or diminish temporary blemishes like bruises, zits, or small scratches, but I will not remove bandaids and lingering tattoos. So it's best to remove them before your session if you don't want to see them in your photos. (Nail polish remover works great to rub off temporary tattoos.)

And one more thing: I really want to make you look and feel your best, so if you have insecurities about anything, feel free to email me beforehand so I can approach your session with better awareness. That said, be kind to yourself. In the grand scheme of things, it's way more important that you are IN the picture and way less important how you look in the picture.

Toddlers. 

Oh man, do I love toddlers! They keep me on my toes, literally! If you have a walking child between 1 and 3 years old, it’s very likely he or she is going to bust out of your arms at some point and run away. That’s okay! But to make the most of your time with me, please be prepared to pick them up and bring them back quickly. Don't let them keep wandering off.

Throughout your session, I will coach you through some ways to engage your child and get him or her to smile and play with you while I’m sneaking pictures. Playing peek-a-boo, singing a favorite song, swinging in your hands, and tickling are some of my favorite ways to wrangle a toddler! If your child is getting overwhelmed, I may ask to work with them one-on-one. Kids will often cooperate for me because I’m giving them special attention (and to put it bluntly, I'm not you).

Bottom line: You may think your child is going to keep running away and continue being uncooperative, but sometimes it takes a few tries to find the thing that grabs their attention. So keep picking them up and bringing them back (even if they resist) while we work to engage them!

Bribes. Snacks. Etc.

Bribes can be really helpful as a last resort if kids aren't cooperating. Generally speaking, kids under 3 do better with immediate rewards. In other words, they don't always understand that they have to cooperate for a long period of time before they get a treat, and they get frustrated. If we've already tried several things to no avail, it might be good to offer a small snack or a sip of water or juice in between takes as a reward. If you smile, you’ll get ____. If you sit here, I’ll give you another ____. You get the idea. Smarties, cheerios, goldfish, raisins, and marshmallows are all great options. Avoid snacks that may cause your kids to drool like fruit snacks or that may make a mess like M&Ms. Delayed rewards like going to dinner after the session, getting ice cream, or playing at the playground tend to work best with older kids. 

Posed vs. Candid Pictures: How to get the best of both!

I like to take a variety of pictures during your session. Some will be directed and posed but others will be more spontaneous and candid. When we’re attempting a posed portrait, don’t look around at what’s going on behind me or look to see what your kids are doing, and try not to mimic my silly faces. I will be doing all sorts of things to get your kids to smile (I’m basically a circus performer behind the camera), and it helps if you just keep smiling and looking at the camera. I’ll be giving you real time feedback so you’ll know how it’s going.

If you or your partner are uncomfortable getting your picture taken, try to focus on just enjoying the quality time with your family. Stay engaged, don't look at your phone, and think of things that make you laugh. It's totally fine if you feel a little awkward. (WE ALL DO.) The best thing you can do is to laugh off your nervousness so your genuine smile comes through. If staring at the camera puts too much pressure on you, smile at your partner and your kids instead!

As we move in between posed sets, I like to capture the unique ways you interact as a family. Maybe you like to toss your 6 month old into the air. Maybe your 2 year old loves to twirl around your finger. Maybe you frequently hold your daughter in your lap and whisper something in her ear. Whatever it is you do to love on your kids when you’re hanging out at home, do it during our session. If your child is being shy or suddenly gets upset, cuddle with them for a few minutes. I don’t want you to feel like you have to be perfectly staged for every photo. I look for those tender moments, and sometimes they end up being my favorite photos because they are so genuine, spontaneous, and special! 

And parents: Don’t forget to be affectionate with each other too!!! Put your arms around each other, hold hands, and make eye contact with each other. (Remember eye contact? Crazy, right? Who has time for that these days?!)

One last piece of advice: 

These are just photos. A family photoshoot is not something worth stressing or fighting over. I know that there is money on the line for you. And I know how it feels to just want one friggin' nice picture of your kids. I promise, I understand. But I don't want you to argue with your kids or your spouse in an attempt to get that. It's not worth it! When you think back on your session, I want you to remember the way you felt, not the way you looked. Make the day all about having fun as a family. Don't yell. Let the kids have ice cream for breakfast. Let them wear their favorite handmade jewelry (even though it doesn't match). Let them part their bangs covering their left eye if that's their style (even though it drives you bonkers). Put on your favorite playlist while you get ready and enjoy yourself! Our kids can easily absorb our negative or anxious energy, but they will also absorb and emanate our positive energy. This should be something fun to do as family, not something everyone is dreading. So set your Instagram expectations aside, and let's see what happens!

Thank you so much for booking a session with me. I hope this has been helpful. I absolutely love what I do, and I want you to have the most fun during our time together! If you have any questions at all, don’t hesitate to reach out.