Tips for a Successful Family Portrait Session

So you started to think about booking that portrait session. You think you know the date you’d like. You’ve even thought about location. You start thinking of what to wear. Then how to co-ordinate all the kids. What about the dog, should the dog come along? (The answer is usually yes!) You think back to your last portrait session. Joey would never look at the camera. Joanna just wanted to be in dad’s arms. The dog kept trying to eat the squirrel. Even your Christmas session the year before seemed like a disaster! You thought you had the outfits in mind that you wanted, but in the rush of putting them on everyone as you were already late running out the door you realized that your heels were actually filthy, your husband discovered the shirt you picked out didn’t fit anymore, and no one can find the dogs new shiny collar. You arrived to the studio in a huff, you realized your hair didn’t even get brushed, and the kids were all hungry.

This is not how it needs to go!

I’m going to give you my top 5 tips on how to have a successful family portrait studio - and the last one will probably give you a ‘what, are you serious?!’ vibe. Read on!

TIP #1 - CLOTHING SHOULD NOT BE PICKED OUT THE NIGHT BEFORE

Once you know your location for your portrait session, time of day, and season, it’s time to plan the outfits! What you wear will make a huge difference in how you all feel during your session, what you think of the images afterwards, and how the session flow really goes. Ideally you want to start putting together outfits a few months in advance if possible. Once your have your outfit choices, lay them out together. Does Ralph’s shirt really go well with Jena’s dress? What about accessories, do we have earrings, necklaces, bracelets, watches, and hair accessories picked out? Did you pick out matching buffalo plaid shirts for everything but now after your session is over and you’re ordering your prints you realize you don’t want these up in your boho inspired living room all year long and will just tuck them away until next Christmas rolls around?

When families are working with me I like to guide them through outfit choices. You’ll get a full consult where we can plan out what you envision for your session and what you want to do with these images. This will help guide the outfit choices as we have a direction of what room you may want to hang your portraits up in. We will do fit checks well before your photo session - ensuring your son’s pants you bought him aren’t suddenly turned into flood pants, or that the dress you lovingly picked out your daughter refuses to wear because the tulle is unbearably itchy. I’ll share my Wardrobe Inspiration Guides with you when you book and it will include a lot of helpful guiding tips on how to choose outfits for your beautiful photo session.

TIP #2 - BRING SOME HELP

I’m huge on help! I have six kids, there’s ALWAYS a need for someone to help us wrangle children! Your session outcome can improve immensely if it’s not all on you. Bringing along their favorite auntie, or your next door neighbour, to help you out. They can help hold extra sweaters, pull a wagon for you, hold the snacks, keep the wipes handy, hold Fido’s leash while we’re taking photos of just the people for a second. Sometimes kids need a little extra help looking at the camera when it’s needed, so having someone back there that they recognize and can work together with the photographer following directions can be SO helpful.

Honestly, if you aren’t stressing over where you left Jimmy’s sippy cup because your helper already snagged it for you, it can flow a lot easier.

The same goes for in studio sessions! Having a helper there to hold the baby while I take pictures of just mom and dad, or fix your makeup for you a few minutes before your session starts can be amazing.

TIP #3 - WELL RESTED AND FULL TUMMY

I know this will probably sound like a no brainer, but make sure you all get plenty of rest and eat before your session. This holds especially true for people that get cranky when they don’t eat (husbands and toddler I’m looking at you!). If you’re anything like me, I probably stayed up way too late the night before, then I was busy getting everyone else ready for the day, and then whoops, it’s almost time to go and I’m exhausted and haven’t eaten a proper meal all day! I want you to slow down. I want you to pack some snacks the night before that you’re going to bring with you. I want you to have the other details like wardrobe planned far in advance so you aren’t rushed and worried about them on the day of. Make the meals for the day in advance, or call it a take out day. We have no-supper Saturday’s here that tend to fall on Photoshoot nights but they’re basically just a bunch of cut up fruits, veggies, meats, leftovers, etc, all put into the middle of the table for everyone to snack on so we have a night off of cooking.

When scheduling your portrait session, think about your baby or toddler’s nap time. If they typically nap from 12pm to 3pm, do not schedule a session for in the middle of their nap, or even for directly after it if possible. If baby skips their nap for the session it never ends the way a parent envisions it. That being said, if we’re doing an outdoor shoot and we’re doing the hour before sunset, we want to see about getting that baby a little extra nap or some extra snuggles to help them be awake for the session later on. Plan for a stay in-snuggle type of day following your session - they’re hard work for everyone!

TIP #4 - PREPARE YOUR CHILDREN, AND THE PHOTOGRAPHER

Alright, I have some spicy children with a healthy mix of neurodivergence in our household. Some of mine need a little more preparation than others. Some of them can’t know until about 2 hours before because they’ll worry about it for six weeks or ask me if it’s time for their portrait session each morning they wake up. You know your children best. If they do well with ample notification of an event, then let them know about it. Let them know where you’ll be going, get their input on outfits, have them try them on so they know what they feel like. I’d be happy to meet with them before hand if they are anxious or apprehensive of their session so they know who they’re meeting (this goes for parents too, I wholeheartedly believe we should all meet in person for your consult and planning session so we can all ensure we vibe together just right!) I have an about me section on my website you can read them. You can look up photos of the location we are shooting at, or even visit it before hand.

All in all I want you and your family to feel comfortable with your session. I want you to know that my sessions are fun! I will absolutely try to get that photo of all of you looking at the camera for Grandma’s mantle, but games are my jam and playing through your session is absolutely where my heart lies.

TIP #5 - OK, HERE IT IS, WHAT DO YOU THINK IT WILL BE?

Here we are. The final tip, for now. I want you to remember that above all, nothing in tips 1 to 4 are set in stone. You don’t book a portrait session so you can all end up in tears just to get everyone looking at the camera and smiling. (I promise you that won’t happen if that is your be all end all goal of your session). I want you to take a deep breath. We are going to relax. We are going to lower our shoulders. Straighten your back. Take a deep breath in. And blow it out slowly. Your portrait session is important, but probably not for the reason you’re thinking. I don’t want you to have that pinterest worthy family session portrait just so you can put it on the ‘gram and call it a day. I want you to look at these memories we create together as they fill your home. As your children walk through the hallways of your home and giggle when they see the photo of their puppy licking their faces in a big pile of family snuggles. I want you to look at that giant family portrait above your couch where not a single one of you, except baby Cody because I had a silly voice going on, was looking at the camera. But it doesn’t bother you. Instead it fills you with absolute joy because you see your husband looking at you like he’s loved you for 30 lifetimes over and would do it all again in a heartbeat. I want you to look at your daughters messy hair and know it got messed up a few minutes ago because she was running at you at lightening 5 year old speed for the biggest squeeze hug you could imagine. And I want you to imagine, another 10, 20 years from now, looking up at those portraits as your children are off on their own and your house is now quiet, and see what you feel then. Do you remember the smell of your son as his hair snuggled up against your chin while you carried him around?

This is why we do portrait sessions. I want to capture these fleeting moments for you. To cherish. To hold on to. Gosh knows these years go so incredibly fast. So we’re going to do our best to work together to create a stress free, well planned out portrait session, but we’re going to get the most beautiful memories for you while we’re at it no matter what.

There’s going to be no ‘look at the camera or you don’t get a sucker’, or stop running around because you’ll dirty your dress. I promise you I’ve got it. You can put your trust in me that I have done this countless times. I want you to take some deep breaths, have some fun with your children, and really be present with everyone at the session. I want your husband to look at you and think of all the reasons he married you. I want you to look at him and realize he has 6 more greys than he did the last time you really looked at him. We’re just going to go with the flow (usually in the direction of the kids lol), and know that we will get the best portraits that way and you’ll have amazing images to cherish for generations to come.

BONUS TIP

The best sessions are the ones where you don’t come rushing into your session because you were already at something in the morning, and then you’re also strapped for time during your session and keep rushing your kids along because you need to get to your plans afterwards. Slow down, make a day of your portrait session so you have plenty of time beforehand and after. Don’t bribe your kids before coming to the session that they’ll ‘get a treat’ if they smile for the camera. It sets up the expectation that this is something they should already dread and instead pump it up like Miss Jennifer is coming to take some photos while we play! Then, when you’re done with your session that’s a great time to whip out the treat and praise them on what a fun time you had with them together and thought you’d like to share a treat together. It might not seem like lots but phrasing it like that can sometimes make all the difference.

I hope that helps you prepare for your next family portrait session! If you would like to learn more about our process and how we can help guide you through your session and beyond I would love to chat some more. Fill out the form below and I’d be happy to touch base!