Many people have never had a photo session with a professional photographer. Sure, we have all had our photos taken at Sears, Olan Mills, and in an indoor space with a lighting recipe that a monkey could follow. No offense to this type of photography as it has its place, but if you are truly considering hiring a professional, here are 3 things that are helpful to know going into your session.
- Plan Ahead. Book your session at least 1-2 months in advance. Do not wait until the last week of Fall, decide you want photos with the beautiful Fall color, because the majority of photographers who are worth their salt are already booked at that point or there are no leaves left on the trees. Also, photographers want to get to know you a little better before coming out and just snapping shots. A big part of photography is connecting with the subject or subjects so if there is only one or two weeks of prep, the photog has a very limited amount of time to get to know you. With that being said, talk to us on the phone. Email is great, but there is nothing like having a real conversation in which we can discuss the overall vision, any insecurities you may have, and what type of art you would like to put up on your wall when all is said and done.
2. What to wear to a family session.
1. I highly recommend you coordinate in general, but don’t match exactly. Avoid too much of a single color. Jeans are always classic, and please fellas, no white socks or tennis shoes.
2. Casual and comfortable works best! Let everyone’s individual personality show. Everyone wearing blue jeans and a solid white shirt doesn’t leave much room for individuality and looks a bit cookie cutter. Be yourselves and avoid matching each other exactly (unless you are twins, cause that shit is cute as hell and you can definitely get away with that).
3. I love accessories (scarves, hats, suspenders, and jewelry)!!
4. Lay out the clothes together a week before the shoot to make sure they look good together. If you put this off until the day of the shoot you will be in a panic and will get in an argument with your spouse because he simply doesn’t care that much.
5. Try to avoid hot pink or neon, big bold patterns, graphic t-shirts, sweat pants, or flip-flops.
6. Still not sure. Do a quick Pinterest search and you will get tons of ideas. Type in Family Photo Session Wardrobe/Clothing
7. Bring a back up set of clothing!!!! It’s insurance.
3. The Storm Before The Storm
I just want to let you know now that it is going to be a crazy right before the photo session, and at times during the session. You will most likely get stressed because you have invested a lot into this and you are not sure how they will behave. Don’t expect perfection out of your children before or during the session. Kids are humans and humans do what they want (little humans especially). If your kid needs a break during the session, we can do some shots of just you and your spouse. I love real moments in photography. If a kid is picking their nose, boom I want to capture it. Granted, you probably don’t want this shot on your wall, but it is fun to have. If they are crying or pitching a fit, comfort them and I will capture it. I have two kids of my own, so I know that kids are not always angels. INTERACT WITH YOUR CHILDREN. Interaction is where the best photos come out. You aren’t being forced to look at a camera and smile even though you aren’t necessarily happy. The true joy comes out when you toss your child up in the air or ask them what their favorite word is right now. Give them hugs, give them love, and just play with them. My main goal is to capture the relationship between family members. I can also get that “money shot” of everyone looking at the camera and smiling, so don’t sweat that and just enjoy an evening out with your amazing family.
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