I’ve been mulling over this post in my head for YEARS (no lie) trying to come up with the a guide to helping families make the most out of their photo session experiences. While editing these images for Kody (a photographer herself!), I realized that her session was one of the BEST examples for what to do to get meaningful, authentic, fun, and relaxed family images. (Kody, I hope you don’t mind being the star student tonight ;-). So here you go…these are my Top Ten Tips to Having a Perfect Family Photo Session (or as close to perfect as you can get):
1. Make it authentic to YOUR family. Kody lives on a farm. They spend most of their days there at home and playing outdoors. One of her favorite parts of the day is getting dressed with her baby girl and it was very important to her that we captured this memory and this time. These photos are very authentic to her family and I know they will trigger powerful memories for her and her kiddos down the road.
(My favorite image from the “getting ready.” Please have this up somewhere on her wedding day. kthanksbye.)
2. Hold your session in a place that’s meaningful to you…in this case HOME! Truly. Being at home for your session allows us the chance to photograph memories for you and your children that you/they might not even realize until years and years later. Plus, everyone is more comfortable at home and there are usually no surprises (traffic, crowds, closures, etc.). If the kids get hungry, break for a snack (see below). If something spills on an outfit, change clothes. Easy. Peasy.
3. Grown ups should be just as involved in the photos as their children. You can’t expect your kids to take a photo shoot seriously or even want to be a part of it if you’re not willing to do so yourself. I love, love, love that these two are excellent role models for their kiddos for photo sessions (and actually, life in general).
4. Let your kids be. Think for a moment if you had some stranger with a big ol’ camera in your face AND your parents were constantly telling you, “Smile! Smile! No, not that way! A *real* smile!” Would you be able to smile a real smile? Would you want that to last for an HOUR or more?? Probably not. Take a cue from this mommy and daddy and just hang out with your children. Snuggle and play and tickle and be silly and let your actions and love bring out those natural, real, authentic smiles (read: laughter) in your children instead of barking commands or threats or bribes.
5. Go with the flow and let us create together. Yes, it’s important to have an overall vision for your session, but keep it broad enough so that you leave room for you and your photographer to create. Kody did a great job of this, telling me a couple of key moments she wanted captured, but then stepping back and letting me go wherever the kids and the light took us. If we were having to stick with a Pinterest Board of 30 different family poses and five outfit changes and a super detailed shot list, we would never have had the time or been open to seeing amazing photographic opportunities as they played out all on their own.
6. Pad your schedule. While this typically doesn’t apply to a session at home, it is probably a good idea no matter what to simply add about 15 minutes before AND after your scheduled shoot time. SOOOOOO much goes into setting a shoot start time and it is not arbitrary by any stretch of the imagination. If you’re late to your session (even by just a few minutes) OR if you arrive on time, but you still have to get dressed/put on make-up/eat dinner/knit an afgahan, that will cause a domino effect and you may miss out on amazing light or amazing temperatures or inadvertently shorten your session time.
Surprisingly, the same principle applies to after your session, too. It’s not a good idea to schedule something right after because #1 everyone is probably going to be tired and hungry and #2 it adds pressure to finish a session exactly at a certain time which can put a damper on creativity.
Once again, these guys get an A+ in this department. Of course, their session ran long because it was soooooooooooo good, but fortunately, they had no where else they had to be…except in bed, which also provided some wonderful photographic moments for us.
7. Dress comfortably and be willing to get dirty. If you’re trying to chase around after your kids in stilettos and your hubby is miserable in a suit and tie in 100 degree weather and your kids are fussy because their clothes are scratchy or uncomfortable…well, it becomes a losing battle trying to keep everyone happy. I totally understand wanting to dress up your family (I definitely do it for my family’s pics), but just try to be reasonable in your choices. Kody did a fantastic job of having everyone look nice, but also feeling comfortable. She let her kids play in the dirt (YES!!!!!!!) and she even got down there herself (DOUBLE YESSSSSSSSSS!!!). Trust me, her babies are going to CHERISH these images when they get older.
8. Never assume we can just “…Photoshop that out…” (or in ;-). Yes, photographers have tools and tricks to help make images as pleasing as possible, but some things are just not simple fixes or cannot be addressed in 60+ images. If your child gets a boo-boo (especially on the face) right before the session, send your photographer a photo so s/he can decide what to do. If someone cannot make it to your session last minute, let your photographer know, because no, we can’t just Photoshop that person in ;-). If someone is wearing glasses/transition glasses, again, let your photographer know ahead of time so plans can be made. There are a multitude of examples and I can’t possibly name them all, so when in doubt, just talk to your photographer BEFORE the session. Kody totally gets this and there were no Photoshop surprises waiting for me when I arrived at their house (xoxoxoxoxo).
9. Enjoy the experience. It sounds so simple, but when the time comes for your actual photo session, your hard work is already done. It’s the photographer’s turn to take over, so you can just sit back, relax, and gush over your beautiful family. Don’t get upset with your kids if you think they aren’t cooperating. Instead, help your photographer find something that will keep them happy (once again, these parents were wonderful at redirection and keeping the kiddos involved and entertained). Family photos do not have to be a miserable experience for you or your kids and the best way to keep it positive is to be positive yourself. If you are anxious, your kids will pick up on that and become anxious themselves. If you’re calm and having a good time, they will eventually mirror your reactions.
10. Do it again. Children change SOOOOOO quickly and so do the dynamics of your family. Letting 5 years pass without pausing to record this metamorphosis is time lost that doesn’t come back. Yes, we are fortunate to live in a day when we can easily get snapshots with our mobile phones and that’s awesome for getting day-to-day memories captured, but it’s a very different experience allowing a photographer to show you what s/he sees in your family. Family photo sessions are kinda like going to the gym. Sure, it’s tough at first, but once you do it enough, it becomes familiar and a bit easier and more relaxed each time. (Okay, maybe the gym comparison isn’t 100% accurate, ‘cuz yeah, I will never feel relaxed after leaving the gym, but you get the idea 😉
P.S. This family totally gets bonus points for the red hair and freckles ;-).
And finally, from Kody (an amazing photographer herself):
1) Tell us a little bit about your family… My husband and I with our two little red heads are about as goofy as it gets. We love our life out in the farm and cherish the privilege we have to raise our kids in a quiet environment like in the “good ole days.”
2) What made you decide this was the time to do a photo session? Were you marking any special occasion, etc? This is the third year we’ve used Michele to capture our family. I enjoy the colors of fall and the cooler temperatures so we always try to book in October.
3) Where was your session held and why? At home, we want images that reflect our everyday life.
4) What did you like about your session location? Michele found so many forms of inspiration on our property. I see the homestead as a bit unfinished (as we are still getting the place just right) but she was able to find so many spots with hidden beauty I never would have thought of.
5) What was your favorite part of your session? The end with all of us reading he’d time stories just like we do every night. It’s a special time in our life with the kids this age and I wanted images of this to hold onto when the kids no longer want us reading stories and tucking them into bed.
6) Was there anything you were nervous or worried about before the session? Not at all, Michele is the best at what she does. Being a photographer myself I’m extremely picky when it comes to our images. Michele is the best at genuine moments on camera, crispy clean images and wonderful memories.
7) Any funny stories or interesting happenings during your session? Our daughter is going through her becoming independent stage, and fought against every moment of babying we tried to throw her way.
8) Any advice to other families before their photo sessions? Relax, getting your picture taken is an awkward feeling. But if you just trust Michele and allow yourself to have fun she will make magic happen!
9) What made you choose Pinkle Toes Photography? She’s the best at what she does, candid moments with real interactions between family members.
10) What do you hope your kids/family will say years down the road when looking at these images? Wow we had a magical childhood on the farm!
