I know planning a photo session, especially for your family, can be very stressful. BUT… My goal is to help you make it easy and fun. Here are a few tips:
- Plan ahead
- Schedule the session at least a month ahead (more if possible)
- Plan out your clothes- select what everyone will wear and lay it out. If you need to purchase items do it right away and try on ahead of time. Make sure they fit and are COMFORTABLE. If you are not comfortable, you will not look at ease in your photos. Make sure you dress for the weather. Sweaters in 90+ degrees makes everyone miserable. Plan shoes for the terrain you picked or bring sturdy shoes to wear and change into fancy ones for the actual photos.
- I can help you with outfit ideas if you are struggling. Pinterest has a lot of examples.
- Remind family members (especially if it is a large number of people) of the date a few days before so they are not caught unaware the night before. This one is especially true for spouses who are not thrilled about the session in the first place. Make sure they know the DATE and TIME.
2. Help your kids enjoy the session
- Bring water/clear drinks for kids and snacks that are not messy.
- Let your kids be kids. Unless they are being unreasonably naughty or hurting others, let them be… If parents will just pay attention to me and not worry so much about correcting their kids, we would get so many usable images in sessions. I usually wait until the child has settled and get a great photo of them, only to find the parent is making a face or looking at the child instead of where I wanted them to be looking; thus ruining the image or making me have to do a lot of magic in photoshop to swap heads from one photo to another to get a decent shot.
- If you have a child that needs a lovey or has practices or things that help them feel more comfortable, please bring the items or tell me about their needs ahead of time. I want them to be comfortable and to enjoy their session.
3. Trust me
- I am a big goofball and will do my best to make you laugh.
- I’m a klutz and you should expect to see me trip or do something silly during your session. It just happens. Feel free to laugh. I will be.
- The calmer and more comfortable you are, the better your images will be. I strive to provide you with a fun experience and great photos.
-haylee