Preparing For Your Mini Session
Don't let the thought of family photos be daunting to you. I have put together some tips, including a link to a Pinterest board for some outfit ideas! My goal is to make this a FUN experience for the whole family.
Plan Your Outfits
I know planning what to wear for your photo session can sometimes be stressful but I don't want you to stress! When picking out your outfits, pick out the outfit for the most difficult to dress person first (almost always me!) and then plan everyone else's outfits around that one. Remember to plan colors and patterns as if you were dressing one whole person. Too many patterns are really busy for the eye when looking at a group. For my family, if I use a pattern, it's only for one person. Check out this Pinterest Board with some beautiful ideas for colors and sample outfits for a whole family. Bright reds, shiny reds and magentas, and oranges can often leave a color cast on the person's skin standing next to the person wearing it or the person wearing it. There's no guarantee that I can edit that out.
Get a Good Night's Rest
As cliche as this sounds, getting your beauty rest a couple of nights in a row before a photoshoot does wonders! Especially if you're a family with kids, try and ensure you kids get a good night's rest the night before.
Prep your kids
Talk to your kids about your upcoming photoshoot in days leading up to it. Depending on the ages of your kids, they usually get really excited about the photoshoot if they know what to expect. You can also show them a photo of mine beforehand and introduce me as their photographer, so I'm not a *super* new face for them lol . I also find that showing kids examples of photos, and poses can really help them prepare. I will send a text the day of the session letting you know where to find me and what I am wearing. Turn that into a fun game with the kids "Hey who can find our photographer she is wearing a bright blue shirt!" If you have an anxious child, please let me know if there's anything in particular that works well to make them feel comfortable. I'm here to make your photoshoot experience as smooth and enjoyable as possible :D
Pack a snack
Being a mom of three has taught me that kids get "hungry" at the most random times! Come prepared with some of their favorite snacks! (Avoid anything that will stain their shirts and tongues *ahem - blue lollipops, red fruit roll ups* You can also use these snacks as a bribe for a successful photoshoot #GottaDoWhatYouGottaDo Protip: ensure your kids aren't hungry going into the photoshoot. If your shoot is at a time that is mid-meals, give them snacks on route!
Arrive Early
Arrive 5-10 mins early to settle in and give yourself some cushion to sort out any last min things. With mini sessions, we usually don't have time to spare in between sessions, so any delay will directly impact the length of your session.
Have Fun
Relaxed parents = beautiful images. My motto is "fun not forced". Come with the intention to just have fun! The more relaxed the family is, the smoother the session will be, and the better the photos will be! I may keep a pocketful of treats so if you’d rather your kiddos not have them, just let me know.
Gallery + Delivery
Within 48 hours of your session, you will receive a sneak peek of a couple images from your session. Your entire collection will be delivered via an online gallery within 3 weeks from your session date. Easy peasy lemon squeezy.
