7 Secrets for Successful Family Photography Session

How to get ready for a family photo session?

There are a few key elements that contribute to a successful and fun family photos. Years of experience working with babies and children helped us to compile a list of things you can do (and shouldn’t do) to successfully prepare for your family portrait photography session and make sure it goes smoothly.

  • Choose time of the day when your child is happiest.
    I always ask my clients about baby’s nap schedule, are they happy and active in the morning or an afternoon? It’s often a good idea to book a session after the first nap and following a snack/lunch.
  • Feed the kids! 
    Full belly makes everyone happy! Make sure to feed your children before the photoshoot (as well as yourself and your partner) with their favorite dish! A generous dessert will contribute to bigger smiles, taller jumps and more active time which is exactly what we need!
  • Bring snacks with you! 
    A photoshoot is a time when we actually need those sugar levels high (but not too high), and snacks will help to keep them up throughout the session. Choose bite-sized snacks, so your child won’t appear in the photo holding a slice of an apple. You won’t believe how many sessions were saved by Cheerios!
    snack at the studio

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      • Dress kids at home!
        Many children don’t appreciate outfit changes, especially those under 1! Best put on the clothes at home before you leave.
      • What to wear?
        We suggest to go with clothing styles you normally dress your kids in and to think of the stores where you usually shop. Your child will be much more at ease in comfortable clothing that they are used to and they’ll also be able to keep wearing the outfit after the shoot. A good rule of thumb is to pick three colors that would go well together and use it for the whole family. When in doubt, go with a neutral color palette of grey, beige and white. Try to avoid an excessively matching style.
      • No pressure – best practice! 
        This is an important one – the less pressure takes place before the photoshoot, the better it will go. There are a few things we recommend you DO NOT DO before the session:
        / Do not teach your child how to “SMILE” /  Do not teach them to pose / Do not put any additional pressure on kids while preparing them for the session, e.g. “We will go there, and you will need to smile for a lady photographer” /
        Let your kids be kids! Yelling, threatening or dragging back a young, unwilling subject into a place isn’t going to yield great photos we are all looking to get. In fact, an excessive pressure might result in no images at all. Instead, let them run around, jump, twirl, interact and get comfortable in the studio space. The result will be more natural photos that truly reflect the essence and personality of your child.
      • Have fun!
        There are many active games we will play in the studio! Tickle time can result in some great photos. Tickle, tickle, tickle, and then STOP for us to take a quick shot. You’ll get beautiful natural smiles from happy kids as well as great photographs!

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tickle

      • No Visitors Allowed in the Studio!
        Bringing friends or relatives to help at the studio is actually not a good idea. We want your child to fully pay attention to the photographer, interact and look at the camera.
        A grandparent yelling “Smile Danny, smile” is a huge distraction that leads to photos of your child looking AWAY.

 

 

 

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