5 Tips for Stress Free Family Photo Session
Feeling stressed about your upcoming family photo session? From picking outfits to coordinating shoes and ensuring everything is ironed and ready, planning a family photoshoot can feel overwhelming. But with a little preparation, you can stay in control and reduce the stress! Here are my 5 tips for a stress-free family session:
1. Prepare 2-4 Weeks Before the Session
Choose outfits early: Select outfits that fit the session’s theme, such as spring, fall, or Christmas. Check out this AWESOME infographic from Marlen James’ blog for inspiration.
Try everything on: Don’t forget shoes, hats, and accessories. Make sure they fit, are clean, and free of holes or stains. Iron them if needed and set them aside in a safe place until the session.
Prepare for the unexpected: If you have toddlers or young children, consider dressing them at the photo location to avoid accidents on the way (and pack an extra outfit just in case—trust me, you’ll thank yourself later!).
2. One week before the session.
Start talking to your children daily about what to expect on picture day. A little trick to make them behave well is planing a BRIBE to get them excited! An ice cream treat after the session, or wrap a gift for them to open after the photo session, etc. You could also tell the little ones my name to help them to feel like they already know me when we meet! If you’re planning to bring a treat or snack with you to the session, make sure it’s NOT chocolate or anything that could make a mess on their clothes or faces. Letting your significant other know we will creating cherish images for a life time, and a few years later, all of you will enjoy spending time sit down on the couch to flip those pages, look at those beautiful pictures and relive that day!
3. One day before of the session
Making sure your bag with bribery items, the snacks, props, bottles and formula pacifier, diapers, wipes, a pair of flip flops to walk in if wearing heels, hair or makeup items that you might need during the session for touch ups.
4. The day of the session
Give yourself plenty of extra time to get ready. Make sure everyone is fed, teeth are brushed, little ones are napped. If you like everyone all look at the camera, parents could be always photo ready and smiles, and I will have little tricks to get kids’ attention to look at the camera. However, sometimes the most beautiful moments are no one is looking at the camera when all of you are interact each other and having fun!
5. Make it Quick!
Mini Sessions as the time is short enough to be a good fit for most family, the reality is most kids and parents come to their portrait session wanting it to be over as quickly as possible! Trust your photographer, try to remain calm and relax, be fun and be memorable.
