One of the biggest sources of joy for me as a family photographer in Bloomington, Illinois is getting to document family sessions, and I say this for a couple reasons. One is that I absolutely LOVE documenting this stage of life for my clients, and the other is that it gives me a chance to show off some of the skills I’ve developed from taking family photos for 10+ years. I love hearing a client say something along the lines of “we’re not a photogenic family”, or “are you sure you can handle our kids?” I live for this challenge, but I know as a parent it can be a bit stressful to rely entirely on your photographer for your family session. That’s why today I thought it’d be helpful to go over some tips I have to help you prepare, starting with deciding on what to wear!
Decide on What to Wear
If the thought of choosing what to wear for your family photos absolutely stresses you out to no end, I’m here to tell you NOT to worry! When my clients book with me I make sure to help guide them through this process. I have a full guide I send over that breaks down everything they need to know. From choosing a color palette, to mixing in textures to your outfits, and making sure you try everything on prior to your session, the guide goes over it all. I also recently put out a blog on how to prep for an engagement session, and while the information is geared towards that style of session, the section on what to wear has a lot of info that transfers well to family sessions.
Talk to Your Kids and Get Excited
One of the best ways to prep your kids for the session is to simply talk to them about it. Explain to them where we’ll be, what you’ll all be wearing, and how I’ll be there playing games with them and taking photos as we play. Be excited as you talk about the photos and the session itself, and be sure to talk about it as a family. Let your kids know how excited you are, how much fun it’s going to be, and if you have something special planned after you can clue them in on that as well!
Take the Lead Up to Your Session Easy
Prior to your session I always recommend my clients to take things nice and easy. This applies to the day of your session as well as the day prior. Spend quality time with your kiddos before your session, make sure everyone is fed and well rested, and prep all of your outfits the night before so they’re ready to go. It’s simple steps like this that can make a WORLD of difference going into your family session. A special tip for this, if any of your kids are infants I recommend getting to the location of your session early. This allows you to get them dressed once you’re there, and helps to avoid any outfit mishaps before we start taking photos!
Let Your Kids Be Kids
I’ll say it again, let your kids be kids! As the oldest child of 5, a mother myself, and over 10 years of experience as a family photographer in Bloomington, Illinois, I’ve learned the power of play and let me tell you…
It. Is. Magic.
Your family session should not only look like it was fun, it should actually BE fun! We’re going to play some games together, we’ll make some goofy faces, we may even quack like ducks a bit. I promise you that the smiles that come from these silly games are the TRUE smiles, the ones you’re lucky enough to see every day, and the ones you’ll always want to look back on as your kiddos eventually grow up!
Those are some simple, easy to implement steps to make sure that when your family photos are taken things go as smoothly as possible! These steps can make a world of difference, but like I said before these sessions are SO fun for me. I’m going to do everything I can to ensure that you love the photos you get as much as you love the session itself! For a look at more of my work be sure to check out some highlights from my Instagram, and if you’re ready to book me as your family photographer for your session in Bloomington, Illinois be sure to send me an inquiry today!
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