One thing that brings me total joy is capturing memories during family photo sessions. Meeting families for the first time, having clients return for their annual family session, and seeing how much their families have grown always pulls at my mama heartstrings. Plus the excitement watching some of my wedding couples walk into new chapters in their lives doing their first family sessions.
I’m grateful that I get to grow with my clients and watch their families blossom and capture these incredible memories.
Here are my 5 tips to Prepare for Your Family Photo Session
1. How to Pick Your Families Outfits
Remember that when you look back on these photos, you want them to speak to who you guys are as a family, not necessarily what is trending during this time period. I know the process of pulling together the outfits for everyone in your family can feel overwhelming, that is why I always recommend that you choose one of the parents outfits FIRST and then build around that outfit. I recommend sticking with neutrals and adding pops of colors. Try to stay away from fluorescent colors.
Remember that you and your family want to feel good when it comes to picture-taking time so try and wear something you will feel comfortable in. I also recommend if you have the time to create backup outfits for the kids and bring them in a bag just in case any small accidents happen on the way to the session or at the session so you can quickly change their outfit if needed.
I always tell my clients they can run wardrobe ideas or themes by me at any time leading up to our session. Here you can take a look at my Pinterest to follow along and get some wardrobe ideas for your future family session.
2. Create an Inspiration Pinterest Board and Share it with Your Photographer Ahead of Time
We all love creating good inspo board on Pinterest. Create a Pinterst board and start to pin inspiration photos/poses that you would like your photographer to use as inspiration for your families photo session. Make sure to look for various poses like siblings, couples and family photos. Make sure to pin some candid photo inspo (those are my favorite to photograph).
Here you can take a look at my Pinterest to follow along and get some Family Photo Pose Inspiration for your future family session.
3. Eat a Small Meal Before Your Session & Bring Snacks
I know it’s tempting to just go to dinner after your session but I highly recommend eating a small meal before the session so you or the kids don’t arrive hungry. Much easier to take photos with a full belly than when you’re feeling hungry and ready to just sit down for dinner. You can eat a small meal before you change into your outfits and do any makeup touch-ups before leaving the house.
Feel free to bring snacks and baby wipes are always helpful for cleaning up or catching a runny nose.
4. Make Sleep a Priority
Schedule your family session around any nap times. You (and the kids) will be so much happier when normal naps are taken and everyone’s gotten a full night of sleep the night before the session.
You will feel less stressed knowing that your kiddos were able to stick to their normal routine.
5. Don’t be Afraid of Candid Photo Opportunities
I know we need that one picture of everyone looking for your holiday card, I PROMISE you we will get that. I want to encourage you to not be afraid of candid moments. They are honestly some of my favorite memories that get captured during my family sessions. They reveal so much personality.
Capturing a family’s bond and the connection is something I’m extremely passionate about. During my sessions, I give my family prompts and instructions for how to pose or things to do as a family to capture these types of moments. There might be moments where things feel a little funny but I promise you the final product will be amazing!!!
Remember to have fun and roll with it, it’s your family’s day to have fun, let loose and celebrate your love.
Interested in booking your next family session with me? Let’s connect on Instagram! Send me a DM so we can chat about creating your families next set of family photo memories
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