Here is what to expect during outdoor family photo sessions. Lets see if we are a good fit for your next photo session!

Pre outdoor family photo session

Questionnaire

When you book a session with me, I will send you a questionnaire.  My goal during family photo sessions is to capture your family’s connection and personalities. Your questionnaire helps me get to know your family and come up with ideas for the session.

Outfit advice for family photos

I will send you tips for what to wear before the session to help you pick out your outfits. I am also happy to help you narrow down your choices. You can email me photos of outfit choices and I will give you suggestions.

During your outdoor family photo session:

Natural and genuine interactions

My goal is to capture your family’s connection and personalities.  I want my photos to capture this moment in time for your family to look back on.  I will do some posing and guide your family during the session, but I also like to come up with activities/games for the family so that we can get as natural of pictures as possible. This can be anything from cuddles to Simon says.  I find that getting families moving and playing creates natural interactions.

Shot list

I have a list of photos in my head that I try to get. I try to get individual photos of kids, sibling photos, family photos, parents individually with kids, and just parents. Each family and session is different though, so I may not always get each of these. I try not to force anything to get each of these photos. A child who is shy and doesn’t want to leave mom’s arms will stay where they are comfortable. I want the photos to accurately portray the dynamics of your family.

Follow children’s lead

Although I will try for specific shots, I will not force anything. I will follow your children’s lead. Some kids don’t want to be held, so we photograph lots of walking and exploring. Others are shy and want to be with their parents, so we do lots of cuddling and playing with parents/siblings. Usually kids warm up to me, but if they don’t that’s perfectly okay too; I will photograph them as they are.

Reinforcement

This isn’t always necessary (and you know your kids best) but if it follows your parenting style, I recommend planning a reinforcement for participating in the session. A reminder of what they are earning can be helpful in getting in some of the above shot list photos. I would talk to your children before the session about expectations for participating and what they can earn. Some things families have done before are: a special snack/dessert, time with a favorite toy, a tv show, a special family outing after the session.

Have fun and relax!

I want this to be an enjoyable experience.  Everything doesn’t have to be “perfect.” Sometimes the best pictures are the unexpected ones. I want to capture natural moments for you that you can look back on for years and remember this time as it actually was.  

See more outdoor family photo sessions here