Children grow so quickly, and the only way to freeze time is to capture this fleeting instant through photography. As your photographer, I’ll take great care of you and your family! From the first consultation to preparing for a photo session to the big photo reveal. You can relax and enjoy a photoshoot designed specifically for you and capture this special moment to remember for a lifetime.

You can stop troubling yourself and your family with stressful photoshoots resulting in mediocre pictures, and instead enjoy a relaxed experience that works for your family and gives you the memories you deserve. Here are my top tips to prepare for a photo session.

The Right Photographer

• Find a photographer who takes in interest in who you are. At my session consultations, I take time to ask questions about your family to to help create a vision for the shoot. I want yours to be unique to you; if you have an idea, say it. I always love to hear my client’s ideas and make it happen.
• View previous work from photographers to see that their work matches the vision you have in mind. A photographer work’s is their art and each one varies in their shooting and editing styles.

Turn JPEGs into Beautiful and Meaningful Artwork

• Photographs are created to be printed and passed down throughout the generations. With our busy lives it’s easy to let your images stay in an online gallery or only printed your Christmas card. As your photographer, I’m here to help you figure out what to with those images. Consider where you want to hang images in your home. Before a client’s image viewing session, I have them take photos with their phone of the wall space they have available to hang images. From that, I use a software program that will show us what different print options would look like in your home. This brings your images to life and transforms them from digital images to unique and meaningful artwork to display proudly in your home!

Preparation is Key

• Plan your session out in advance. Each photo session should be thought through and coordinated with care. Throwing a session together last minute can leave you feeling rushed and settling for choices that you won’t love in the end. For each session, I meet with clients well before the camera clicks to help talk through all the details such as location, wardrobe, scheduling and your end goal with your images.
• Plan haircuts, coloring, facials, eyebrows, lashes and any other beauty appointments a week in advance. It’s good to have time to get a fresh cut or color and let things settle for a few days before getting in front of the camera.

Setting Yourself Up for Success

• Have your outfits picked out one week before your session. If there is one thing that stresses everyone out with photoshoots, it’s what to wear. I encourage all my clients to plan mom’s outfit first and work the family’s look off that when preparing for a photo session. I offer a session guide with tons of coordinating and styling tips. Plus, my clients are welcome to access my photographer’s wardrobe closet for an added bonus!
• Try clothes ahead of time to make sure things fit correctly and that you have the correct undergarments for each look. Family sessions with young kids involve a lot of movement, so consider an outfit that works for moving around. I recommend bloomers for kids wearing dresses, so diapers and underwear don’t show at any time. Rompers are great for babies that aren’t walking yet and will be held the majority of the session.
• Iron clothes, layout shoes, socks, undergarments, jewelry, hair bows, and hats the day before. A last-minute scramble to find your daughter’s hair bow and Dad’s wedding ring is enough to irritate the most patient of us. Take time to plan this out the day before so you can feel confident and unfazed heading out the door.

A Little Pampering – Preparing for a Photo Session

• Treat yourself to a professional hair and makeup artist. Moms, you deserve to be pampered and feel gorgeous on the day of the shoot. I have a list of professional hair and makeup artists I recommend. They will help you shine bright on the day of the shoot.
• Get rest, drink water and eat well the day of the shoot. All of these may seem evident, but sometimes our human nature is to overlook our basic needs the day of something special. Consider an early dinner for kids if it’s an evening session or a snack that will hold everyone over.

The Most Important Tip When Preparing for a Photo Session

• Relax. As your photographer, I’m here to do the work the day of the session! Your job is to have fun with your family. Kids are smart and can pick up on when we are stressed. However, they can also tell when parents are feeling playful and that energy can transform a session. I’m not your kids’ mom, so they often smile happily for me and I have plenty of tricks up my sleeve for kids who need time to warm up.
• Don’t wait. Now is all we have and you won’t regret having images to cherish for your lifetime.

Hear more about my artistic process and book your session today!