Yay, you’ve decided to shoot with me! What now?
Let’s start by setting clear expectations on exactly what we’re wanting to achieve with this session. First I will have you tell me a bit about yourself and your family. Names, ages, personalities and current interests. If I don’t know you already, I like to know who I am working with, it helps me prepare prompts that we will use to achieve sincere and candid images throughout our shoot.
Then, we will decide upon a location that’s fitting for the vibe of your personalized session. Depending on the season, and the sentiment that we’re going for, this could be in the comfort of your home, the magnificence of the mountain range, the golden glow of an open field or even the bustle of a cityscape. There are so many great options!
The last and most important part is to get into the right mindset. From trying not to get too caught up in what to wear or the need for your children to hold still and smile perfectly while looking into the camera. Although we will attempt to get at least one of those, that isn’t going to be our focus. Do set clear expectations with your family, let them know what you want from them. Tell them how meaningful these photos will be to you and let them know that it’s only a short period of time.
To simplify they styling process i’ve teamed up with https://styleandselect.com/ to help you decide on a color scheme, and outfit for everyone in the family. You can read more about that here .
Although I love a good Pinterest board for inspiration, I love having some images to be sure that we’ve got the vibe right… but we aren’t trying to re-create anything here. The goal is really to compose a visual representation of the relationships that you cherish the most. The love you share for each other and all the little details of your now. What are the things you most want to remember when you look back o n these photos. The dimples in their tiny hands, the scrunches in their nose when they grin…
From the moment we schedule our session I want you to begin visualizing that you’ve easily found the perfect outfits for everyone. Something that shows each of your personalities, and makes you feel confident and comfortable. Imagine everything going smoothly, you’re having a perfect hair day and the husband and kids are excited to spend some family time together.
If it just so happens that things don’t go as planned and you feel like you’re at a loss for what to wear, it’s ok!
Life can be messy, and so can your photos! Embrace it. When you look back in 10 years, you might realize that those were some of your favorite images! Not because they were perfectly planned out, but because they were true to where you were at that time in your life.
The words Family picture day don’t need to be associated with stress and anxiety! I have so many stories from clients about all of the things that have gone wrong while getting ready for pictures. Things from spills on the clothes they were supposed to wear to getting burned with the curling iron just as they were about to walk out the door. The tension usually runs high as mom is screaming to get your shoes on and make sure that everyone looks (and acts) their best. Or maybe that’s just me? The thing is that doesn’t need to be our expectation, nor should it be.
I understand that you’re investing in these photos and you really want them to look great, but I wan to put you at ease. You session should be something to look forward to! Take a few days to appreciate all the sweet memories that you’ve made with each person in your family and encourage them to do the same. Ask them what their favorite moments together were and the things they enjoy doing with you. The emotion of these thoughts are what we want to portray in your photos. Relax and enjoy each others company!
I can’t wait to capture it for you
