Top tips to prepare for family photos.
WANT TO KNOW HOW YOU CAN HAVE THE BEST FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION? HERE ARE MY TOP TIPS TO HELP.
So you’ve booked a a date to have beautiful family photos taken, but now you’re wondering what to do next.
WARDROBE SELECTION
Planning your families outfits well in advance can help you feel less stressed and better prepared for the big day (see my blog about what to wear for some more details).
I always suggest co-ordinating outfits rather than having matching outfits. Similar colours always look fantastic - consider the time of year you are having your photos taken and select your outfits accordingly - you could have autumn colours or spring colours, choose earthy tones or pastels. When deciding on what to wear, be sure to consider the location of your photos - you might wear different colours at the beach, to what you might wear in a bush setting.
PLAN YOUR TIME WELL
Make sure you plan to a bit earlier than you need to. This will make the car ride stress free, and ensure everyone arrives happy and ready to go. Arriving a little earlier can also help your kids to warm up to the area (if you’ve never been there before) and get out some wiggles before your session starts.
FEED EVERYONE
Ensuring everyone is well fed before you arrive will mean everyone is happy and feeling great. There is no worse feeling when you haven’t eaten and you are wondering when it’s going to be over, so you can grab a bite to eat. Bring a snack and a drink for little ones (or everyONE) and enjoy being together without worrying about if someone is going to get hungry and grumpy. If it’s a particularly hot day, bring lots of water for everyone!
REST/NAP
Make sure your little ones have had a nap or a rest. Plan your photography session around your little ones nap - decide if the morning or afternoon is better, let your photographer know, and plan the time of day to have photos accordingly. Little ones will be a lot happier if they are well rested and mum and dad will enjoy the session a lot more too. Getting tired little ones to feel happy and have fun can be difficult and stressful for everyone.
RELAX/BE YOURSELF
Find a photographer who you feel comfortable to be yourself around. Family photos are best when everyone is being them selves and are relaxed around the camera/photographer. If your little ones take time to warm up to people, see if you can meet up with your photographer some time before the session so they can meet (I like to do this with pets, especially dogs, if they already know me, they are less-excited on the day of the photo shoot). Photos don’t always have to be able smiling at the camera, you can play games, snuggle, and have fun together all while being captured on film. Having real, authentic photographs of yourself will be something you and your family will treasure for a lifetime.