Family photography is near and dear to my heart. The birth of my son Shepherd truly made me appreciate how fleeting these sweets moments with our little ones are. They change so rapidly, and we’ll never get the early days back. Family sessions can be done to celebrate birthdays, holidays, family reunions, or just because! You really don’t need a reason to book a session other than the fact that you want to capture these memories for a lifetime.
I want your family session to be as stress-free as possible. I’ve put together some “what to expect” points below. There are so many articles online you could read to prepare for your session. But if you take anything away from what I’ve written below, it’s that I want you and your family to just be your true selves. Your kids don’t need to look or behave perfectly. It’s just not reality. Odds are you like my work because I capture images of stiff, uncomfortable families. I want to capture the messy, real moments of you and your family.
Here’s how we can do that…
1.) We’re nervous!
It’s more than okay to feel nervous. Please know that I do not expect you to be models. My job is to direct you in a way that helps you relax, feel natural, and be your true comfortable selves in front of my lens. You do not need to practice poses, study Pinterest or let the nerves take over. Just know that 99% of my clients tell me beforehand that they are awkward and feel nervous. I personally feel the exact same way when I’m photographed. All you need to do is show up and put your trust in me, and we will have a great time, promise.
2.) Taming the kiddos
Here’s the thing: I don’t WANT you to tame your kids. We’ve all heard the phrase kids will be kids. This is especially true when photographing them. I’m not looking to make your family appear to be perfect. We all know it’s just not reality. I want to capture the REAL moments of your beautifully imperfect family. Yes, I will sneak in some “posed” photos of everyone looking at me and smiling. But the majority of your session will be focused on fun activities to get everyone interacting and genuinely enjoying themselves. So don’t worry about your child’s hair being perfectly slicked back, or whether or not they’re smiling at the camera. I’ll worry about directing, you just enjoy the time with your family. And if one pose/activity just isn’t working for the littlest of kiddos, we will move on to the next!
3.) Date & time
I make myself available on Tuesdays and Fridays for non-wedding photo sessions. If you can make one of these days work, that would be great. If not, I have limited availability on Saturdays and Sundays and can do my best to get you on the books for one of those days!
For outdoor sessions – I usually prefer to shoot during “golden hour” – i.e., the hour before sunset OR the hour after sunrise. If that time doesn’t work for you or you have a specific vision during another time, that’s totally ok! We will just want to opt for a location with some shade to avoid harsh light if it’s a sunny day.
4.) Rain, rain, go away
It stinks to talk about, but we should discuss less than ideal weather conditions. If it rains on your session date and your location is outdoors, we have a couple options. We can try and find another date that works for all of us. Or, I have 2 clear umbrellas on deck that can be used (additional umbrellas might be needed depending on the size of your family. I want you to be excited about your session and not stressed out, so I’m here to help.
5.) Props, etc
If you’re wondering about how you can make your experience personal and memorable, feel free to bring along any props that are special to you. This of course is totally optional. Maybe it’s a hobby or game your family loves. Or it’s a food or drink that is special to you all (yes we can totally have a pizza and ice cream party!). Whatever you want in your photos, I’ll do my best to make it happen!