What happens if my child doesn't behave during a photo session?

This is probably one of the biggest fears for families that have booked a session. You go through all of the stress and hard work to schedule a date, coordinate outfits, but what happens if we have “a day”? It’s ok! Just like us adults, kids have bad days, but there are a few things we can do to try and help them turn their day around and have a fun session.

Do I cancel or reschedule my session?

I definitely do not recommend canceling or rescheduling if that day works for you. Trying to wait for the perfect day and the perfect attitude is nearly impossible. Instead we can try to do things that will improve our child’s attitude and get you out of the house and off to the session. If putting on an outfit is an issue, let them dress how they want and bring the outfit with you to the session. Once at the session, we can work on getting the outfit, or parts of the outfit on. I had a client’s son refuse to wear a button up shirt. Instead he wanted to wear a special t-shirt. I suggested to him that we could wear the button up over the t-shirt, take a few pictures, and when the time was right, he could reveal his t-shirt like superman would….. he loved the idea! He was so happy and excited to show his shirt that all of the pre-reveal pictures were amazing, then it was his moment and he didn’t disappoint! Taking a difficult situation and turning it into something fun saved what could have been a rough session.

We are at the session and my child is not cooperating!

I get it, everyone is stressed! There is a lot of expectations on everyone to smile and behave. Let’s start there. Stress can be our worst enemy. I know it can be difficult, but try not to stress. The more you stress, the more everyone else begins to stress. I am here to try to turn things around with fun prompts and funny glasses and jokes. The best thing to do when you are feeling stressed during a session is to let me do all of the talking and directing. The last thing your kids want to hear is you giving them more directions when they are upset. Kids need time to calm down. If that means letting then run around for a minute to turn that frown upside down then we will do it! We will have a fun session!

The biggest thing I can’t stress enough is your attitude going into a session. I choose families to work with that don’t need that “perfect” picture. If this is you, I am probably not the photographer for you. Nothing in life turns out perfect, your photo session is nothing different. Instead we adapt to how our family is feeling that day and roll with it. In the end, when we don’t put that pressure on ourselves or our children, the session turns out amazing!

I am very fortunate to work with so many amazing families and I hope that you are one of them!

What do I wear to my family session?

Choosing the right outfit for your family photos can be stressful. Trying to order or shop for outfits, coordinating colors for everyone, and getting everyone to wear what you picked for them is overwhelming. I don’t have any magic tricks to get your family into their outfits, but I do have a few tips to make the process a little less stressful for you.

What should I wear?

I will start off by saying I am not a fashion expert…. actually pretty far from it. I have however, learned a few things about what to wear and what not to wear. Now… the first thing I will say is it really doesn’t matter what you wear! Stick with me here. I’m not saying don’t dress nice and coordinate outfits, I’m saying there are more important aspects to the session than that. This next part is something you might here from me either before the session or during. In 10, 15, 20 years from now, when you sit down to look back at all of the images you have from over the years, the outfits wont matter. You are going to remember how small your children were, or how much fun that age was, not that they had a red shirt on when it should have been blue. We tend to stress about this in the moment because we think it will make or break the session, but it wont. Your family is what is going to make it great!

So I should just not care?

Again that’s not what I am saying. I definitely think you should choose outfits that you love and think your family will look great in, but don’t let it ruin your experience. I have a daughter that loves to wear big, colorful, princess dresses. Would I love to take pictures of her in cute little outfits?…. Yes of course, but that’s not what she has in mind. I have to remind myself that this is what makes her happy. Years down the road, I will look back and laugh at the memories of how ridiculous she looked, or how much she loved a dress that she never wanted to take it off (and I had to sneak it out of her room a few times a week to wash it). I get it, its difficult to do, but if you find yourself in a situation like that, try to just go with it. For both of our sakes during the session, we need your little one happy and not upset because they had to wear the outfit you picked for them. Its going to happen anyway from time to time but when it comes down to it, having your loves ones with you to capture amazing memories is worth so much more than the fight about the outfit!

Keep it simple

All that being said, I would recommend dressing comfortably in neutral colors. Whites, blues, maroons, greys, and beige colors are always a safe option. Jeans, shorts, t-shirts, and button ups are all great! Or if you want to show up in a bright orange suit then own it and lets shoot!

How to prepare for your family session!

Getting ready for a family photo session can seem like a daunting task more often then not, but it doesn’t have to be.

What happens if things go wrong?

I am not going to lie, 99% of the time our sessions don’t go exactly how we plan…. but that doesn’t mean anything went wrong. Remember we have children at the session and they are unpredictable and make up their own rules. That’s what makes for a great session. “What the heck are you talking about” Trust me, the best moments capture are not the posed images but the pictures where everyone is being themselves and having fun during the session!

The most important thing to remember!

Always, always try to have fun. Believe me I know this is easier to say than to do. I have 2 kids of my own and taking photos of them can be stressful sometimes. The thing is, we often think that the perfect picture is the one where everyone is looking at the camera with a big cheesy smile on our faces. It really isn’t in my opinion. The best pictures are the real moments of your family interacting with each other like you normally would. Most of us are not great actors especially our children, so if everyone isn’t having fun… it will show up on camera! The more fun we have, the more relaxed everyone will be, and the better your images will turn out! Still not convinced? Well not to worry I always have prompts to give to you and your family help get the natural reactions to capture beautiful images of your amazing family!

Are Props included?

During this pandemic, I Will not be including any of my props in the photo sessions. However you are more than welcome to bring any props you would like and we will incorporate them into our session!

Not sure what to wear to your session… Click the link below to view my blog post on what to wear to your family session

Happy New Year! I'm doing this thing!

HAPPY 2021!

WOW! What a year 2020 was. With all of us hoping 2021 is a much better year than the last, I am excited and hopeful to get back in full swing and photograph all of the amazing clients I have.

WHAT IS THE THING?

I have only been in business for myself for only a few years now, and I haven’t done much in the way of blogging and answering common questions that I get asked regularly. So here I go! (I know I am way behind the times) I will be writing and posting blogs regularly to help answer questions, share tips and tricks, and let everyone know about upcoming events and specials before I announce them on social media.

THANK YOU!

I want to say a special thank you to all of my returning and new clients form this last year. With a year like we had, it means the world to me that you trusted me and gave me the pleasure of photographing your families. I cant wait to see you again this year along with some new faces and families!