A Waikato Photographer’s Guide to Stress-Free & Fun Family Photo Sessions
How to prepare for your session
I’ve put together this guide to help you feel prepared and confident for our session together. Family photos are supposed to be a memorable occasion so I wanted to make sure it is as stress free and fun as possible for not only the kids but you guys as parents too!
Clothing
Make sure you have your outfits organised at least 1-2 weeks before the session. Trust me – You don’t want to leave it to the day before to work out what each of you are wearing. Leaving it to the last minute is only going to stress you out. We want you feeling relaxed and excited for your session, so plan early. If you need help choosing outfits etc feel free to email me. I’m more than happy to help. In fact I really love helping with this part of the preparation!
Wear comfy clothing + shoes
We will be doing a bit of walking, dancing around and lots of adventuring so please dress appropriately. Ofcourse a pretty dress and sandals are an awesome choice and in no way discourage you from dressing up for the occasion – just keep in mind where we will be shooting, maybe bring a second pair of “adventuring shoes”. Steer clear of clothing that is super uncomfy, too tight or restricting, these make the sitting photos very awkward.
Clothing to avoid
Anything you don’t feel comfortable in
+ Matching outfits
+ Clothing with logos or writing
+ Fluorescent clothing
+ Crazy patterned clothing
+ Sports Jerseys
+ Running shoes
+ Tracksuits
+ Caps
** Remember, we want you to be the main focus and not your clothing. Your clothing is meant to compliment you in the photos.
Coordinating vs. Matching
Ok, so in no way do I mean turn up both in denim jeans and white shirts or awkwardly matching outfits, but put some thought into what you guys are going to be wearing in the session. Think of coordinating rather than matching your outfits. Stick to a colour scheme pick 2 – 4 colours and play around with tones and textures. Neutral colours are always great. Try to pick timeless outfits rather than something that’s in style right now. Classic never goes out of fashion.
Colour Combos
Some colour combos that work well together are :
White, Cream, Brown & Burgundy
Rust Orange, Beige, Mustard
Denim, Black, White & Cream
Olive Green, Browns & White
Beige, Light blue, White & Tan
Heres some colour swatches to help your envision what some colour combos look like together.
Pack a bag
Kids get dirty, they get hungry and quickly lose interest in having their photo taken, so I’ve put together a little list of things to bring along to the session.
+ A towel
Incase kids get muddy or wet during our session….you know kids love to explore! You probably don’t want your car covered in mud when it’s time to head home.
+ Shoes
More than happy for you guys to do your session in bare feet but most sessions involve adventuring around and a bunch of walking so bring comfortable walking shoes.
+ A change of clothes
If you guys wish to switch it up mid shoot and want to change up outfits, by all means go ahead! Other things you could bring along could be a wide brim hat, a jacket…anything like that to change up the look would work. Remember same rules apply with the sticking to a colour scheme.
+ Shhhnnacccccksss (snacks)
Bring along some snacks, water and even a treat! Kids more often than not get hungry/restless early on into our session. Steer clear of messy snacks that are likely to stain clothes, mouths or fingers or snacks that take too long to eat. It’s amazing how quickly they become interested after a quick snack break.
+ Touch up supplies
Anything you may need to touch up like makeup and a brush or comb etc.. Baby wipes can also be handy.
Prepare the kids
Have a chat with the kids and get them used to the idea that they will be “hanging out” with me. Refer to me as Ains, not “the photographer”, this way using my name humanises me and makes it less intimidating to be meeting a total stranger. Let them know that we want to photograph them as naturally as possible so there will be heaps of opportunity to adventure around and have fun! The best way to keep the session fun is be positive, keep the tone and talk around the photo session fun and exciting. Letting the kids know they are going to the beach or a park with you guys to have their photo taken with their family, how long it will take and how important it is to document, will help get them in the right mindset for the session.
Setting expectations will help the children do their best.
Plan a reward
Whether it is a treat or something fun planned to do after the session. This way the kids have something fun to look forward to doing after the session as a reward.
Examples could be :
+ Going out for dinner
+ Watching a movie at the cinemas
+ Going ten pin bowling
+ Rewarding with their favourite lolly
Let them show their personalities
Family photos can quickly get overwhelming for both kids and parents. The main thing to remember is we want each of your personalities to shine through in the photos. We don’t want everyone looking into the camera and smiling. I am here to capture the natural connection you have as a family, so lets refrain from using the phrases “smile!” or “cheese!” More often than not these only evoke fake smiles.
Have plenty of rest
This doesn’t just mean for the kids, this goes for the adults too! Feeling happy goes a long way in the session. Make sure you try to get as much rest as possible and eat plenty of food before your session.
Leave plenty of time
If you’re getting your hair/ makeup done, ensure its booked in and well before the session. Have outfits washed/ironed and ready to go, bags packed and plenty or petrol to get to the session. Leave early in case you hit traffic.
Perfect light has a small window of opportunity; if you’re late this will cut into your session time.
Relax and have fun!
Our session will be full of games, tickles, laughs and adventuring. Just let go, have an awesome time. The emotion of the session will really show in your photos.