How to best prepare for a photo session.
Family Session Prep
So, you have a family session coming around the corner and trying to get everything figured out. Don’t worry - I’m here to help cover the bases! I’m sure that your only concern right now is what to wear yourself, but let’s be more focused on how to have your little one(s) best prepared for the photo shoot!
Children Prep
You want to make sure that your kids are as comfortable as possible during the session. One of the best pieces of advice I can give is to NOT leave it a surprise for your kids about the photo shoot. You want them to be aware that photographer (A friend of the family!) will be photographing them that day. To get the most out of them during the session, make sure that the little one(s) is well rested, hydrated, and have snacks available during your shoot. I would HIGHLY encourage that the snacks are non messy and dry for a quick clean up for the follow up photos as well.
Teen Prep
I got your teen kids covered too, don’t worry! Preparing your teens will be roughly the same. You want them to be as comfortable as they can be during a photo shoot. Don’t try to surprise them either, because it will quickly make them likely to be upset, or uncomfortable, resulting in making the photo shoot more difficult.
One last thing I would recommend for your kids no matter the age is to give your photographer some info about your children’s likes and dislikes. Educating your photographer tremendously helps the photo shoot be as successful as possible. It’s also important to let your photographer know about any poses or fun games your family likes to play so they can help set those up within your family session.
Now that we covered that, let’s get into the other, equally important question……
WHAT DO I WEAR TO THE PHOTO SHOOT?!
We want to make sure that everyone is comfy as possible during the shoot. This doesn’t mean that evveryone would wear sweatpants and a oversized t-shirt, but we don’t want to go overboard in a fancy attire either, even though you may want to do so. I have found that if a child is uncomfortable in their outfit, it’s going to show in the photos. When picking the outfits, ensure there’s no itchy tags or stiff material that would make them uncomfortable in their outfit, it’s going to show in the photos as well. This can be fixed by allowing your kids to try the outfits on prior to the shoot so you can make sure they’re comfortable and have time to make any changes if necessary. Double check that they can move around freely too!
I recommend to coordinate the families outfits around the parents/guardian first if possible. So, if you’ve had that one outfit you love or have been saving for the right occasion, this may be that time! If you are wanting to purchase outfits for yourself or the kids for the occasion, don’t break the bank!
Consider the time of year that would be best for the outfits you have in mind. To be more specific, the weather! You wouldn’t want to have a short sleeve shirt/dress in the winter season, or a sweater/coat during the warmer seasons. The goal is to be comfortable, not sweating or shivering in your photos. If you’re asking yourself “when is the best time for family photos”, I have those answers on another blog post HERE!
Allow the kids to be apart of selecting their outfits. No, really! Giving them multiple options that will coordinate with your outfits and letting them choose what they want to the shoot will give them that freedom. They will be more confident to shoot knowing they were a part of the planning process. It will very likely get them more excited about the shoot instead of dreading it!
Lastly, don’t be afraid to accessorize! Adding a few layers with a jacket, hat, scarf, or jewelry will add character to the outfits. This is a great way to get everyone excited too!
To summarize everything, the end goal is to make sure you and your loved ones are all comfy and confident as possible. That way you can focus on enjoying your photo shoot. I can’t wait to capture you and your Family!