With spring just around the corner and thoughts of sunshine, warmth and color blossoming I thought I’d do a little post on tips for making your next family photo session a success. There are many things that can help make a family session successful, but I’ve narrowed it down to my top 5 tips.

1. Photographer

I would love to say that I am the photographer for you and maybe I am, but it’s important to do your research. What style of photos are you looking for? Do you want someone who’s very traditional and poses each and every image? Do you want someone to follow you and your family around and have a lifestyle, candid, documentary type session? Or maybe something in between? For me, I like to do a mix of posed and candid. I like to see everyone’s faces, but also love the connection that you see during the “in-between” moments. Do you like the photographer’s style of editing? And don’t forget about the investment. There are many of us out there and there is someone who will fit your budget and style. Take the time to look through a variety of artists, see what stands out to you, and go from there.

 

2. What are you going to do with your photos?

Yes, it’s nice to get the disc with all the images, but what are you going to do with them?? It doesn’t do much good if they’re sitting tucked away on a disc in a drawer! And remember that technology is always changing… one day you may not be able to view your photos that were on CD, DVD or even USB. If you ask me, having your pictures in print is so much more valuable than on a disc or USB.

Think about where you’d like to display them and how! Do you want a massive canvas for a specific room in your house? Do you want an album for the coffee table? What about a stunning photo gallery wall (like the beautiful example from Heidi Allred below)? Do you plan to use the photos for a family blog or journal? Are you wanting to do announcement or holiday cards? Knowing what you want to do with the photos will help with deciding things like colors, outfits and even location. It can also help when deciding what package to go with. If you’re needing an updated family photo to send as a Christmas card you might want to select a smaller package. Or on the flip side, if you want to update a gallery wall you will most likely want more time and options to choose from, so a larger package might be the best option.

3. Outfits

Choose outfits that suit your personality and style – do you want to dress it up or be cozy and comfortable? Whether dressed up or casual you want to be comfortable in whatever you’re wearing! If you’re not, it will show. Try to select colors that coordinate, and avoid being too “matchy”. Think layers and texture – lace, ruffles, jackets, scarves, accessories. These are important especially in black and white images. Make sure that clothes fit and are not something that the kids will “grow into”. Not only will it look better, it’ll be more comfortable too. Have you decided where you plan on displaying your images? Let’s say you plan on getting a large canvas as a focal piece in your living room and the room is decorated in grays and red. You might want to reconsider the pink, purple and turquoise that you chose for the outfits (speaking from experience haha). What season are you having your photos done? Don’t forget to bundle up in the winter! Scarves, boots, jackets, toques, etc can be great for adding color and texture AND keeping you warm! I am more than happy to help clients out with outfit choices – text or email pictures of what you’re thinking and together we can work to make your family look even more beautiful for your session.

4. Location

Location plays a big part in the look of your photos, as each location will give your photos a different feel with a wide range of texture and colors. It can also help in deciding what colors to choose for your outfits and whether you want to dress things up or be more casual. What feel do you want your images to have? Soft and natural? Rustic with peeling painted barn and fence, tall grass? Urban downtown with tall buildings and a lot of lines or even a little more grunge feel with back alleys? Mountains? Open fields? What about a place that has special meaning to your family? A park, little urban cafe, where you and your significant other got engaged. I love when a location has meaning to the family 🙂  If you aren’t sure what you want be sure to talk to your photographer who will be able to work with you on the style you’re going for and will be able to offer ideas. The seasons will also impact the location and can affect the time of day you have your session. In the winter months the sun can be down as early as 4:30pm, so sessions (for me) don’t start any later than 3:30pm. Whereas in the summer months we can sometimes start as late at 7pm. Spring and fall are the most popular season for family sessions and some photographers book months in advance, especially for those times of the year. If you’re looking to do fall family photos, you might not want to wait until September to book.

5) Relax, have fun and trust me (or your photographer)!

We all want the “perfect” family photo. I know. I’ve been there. But the more you can relax and enjoy the experience, the better it will be. And honestly, the better your photos will turn out. The last thing you want is to have yourself forever captured scowling at your kids because they weren’t listening. If your photographer has any experience with families they will know what to do to get the kids’ attention. For example, I like to play games – whether it’s “telephone”, “tag” or whatever. I want to keep you interacting and having fun (and yes I will still pose you as well), but you will love the natural smile much more than the forced “you better smile now” one.