What to expect
I have a lot of fun getting to know and photographing people. My main goal is to transfer that attitude to my client - so you and your kids walk away loving your experience.
People typically book a family photographer once a year at certain times, whether it’s the spring, the holidays, or to celebrate a new addition to the family. Or maybe the family books sessions throughout the year. I want to get to know the families briefly on the phone, learn everyone’s names, and learn about what the children like to do. It is also important to know how their children typically behave in front of the camera. Some children really love the camera and others might not want anything to do with me.
It is always helpful to know this information ahead of time so I can be a match to the family’s goals and expectations of their family session.
Once I am able to gather details from the family that will help me capture the connection and tell a story through images, I mention to them what to expect.
3 tips for
Lifestyle Family Session
1.Have FUN
First and foremost, getting your photos should be fun! I know it can be stressful to figure out what to wear, or figure out the best location for your family, but hopefully I can take the stress out of that for you and share ideas for What to Wear. Aside from that, clothing doesn’t really matter. What matters is that your family has fun. Have fun!
This family had two young children, that at times were interested in the camera and other times didn’t really care that much. It’s important that I keep your family close together while you keep your children engaged in fun! This can mean tickling your little guy, or seeing how he can pile up and hug on Mommy. It can also mean allowing your little guy to play with leaves and talk about the color or shape! Or maybe your little girl just wants to he held. I’m there to document that for you!
2.Follow Your Childs Lead!
Once we get the important shots out of the way, you know, the ones for the grandparents with everyone looking at the camera, we can relax a little bit. My favorite images are always the ones where we allow the child to naturally explore and get into something he or she wants to do. When we let the child lead the way, they will naturally be motivated to interact and play, and this helps to bring out natural expressions from the child as well.
This little guy would stick with us for a few shots and then wanted to explore nature. He wanted to collect leaves big and small, and he wanted to look at the little bugs crawling on the stone. It was totally fine, we are at a park! Let’s have fun and allow me document your child’s interest at this age. Let’s let them lead the way! Sometimes if your child doesn’t really show interest or maybe there is something that you know he or she will like, we can plan an activity.
3.Engage Your Child in an Activity!
I was actually photographing Mama and baby girl for a little while when I glanced over and saw this little guy exploring the rocks. Dad was already there supervising for safety so I encouraged Dad to stay close to the little guy and just be with him and that I would photograph them. And that’s exactly what happened. I didn’t need to set up this activity, it was already going with the two of them. You can see how engaged they were in this activity to be climbing up the rocks. We didn’t really know this ahead of time or before the session that the child would be interested in just that, but the activity naturally unfolded. I love the way they are together and enjoying what they are doing.
1.Pick a Color Palette That Complements Your Session's Location
Start by selecting a palette of 3-4 colors as your foundation. Think in terms of tones—blues, earth tones, neutrals, pastels, etc. Each family member can express their personal style within the chosen palette while still maintaining a cohesive and well-coordinated look.
Your location plays a big role in how your images will feel, so consider the natural colors of the environment when choosing outfits.
- Spring by the Rio Grande – Soft pastels, like blush, sage, or light blue, will complement the fresh greenery and bright foliage.
- Late Summer by the Rio – The greens deepen, making earth tones such as rust, mustard, olive, and warm neutrals a great choice.
By selecting colors that work with your surroundings, your photos will feel more natural and visually harmonious!
2.Don't Match. Coordinate
Now this doesn’t mean everyone has to 100% match with khaki pants or jeans and a white shirt! You want to complement each other’s outfits by choosing colors that work well together. I find that if everyone is wearing the same clothing, people will all tend to blend in together and there won’t be too much pop and life to the images.
Muted tones look beautiful together in a family picture. When picking patterns, choose smaller ones that won’t pull attention away from the main subjects, and only put one person in a pattern. When thinking about texture, choose different ones that will give photos some interest such as lace, corduroy, denim, and knits.
3.Layering
One of my favorite “tips” for clothing choices! In the Summer months, this may be more difficult to pull off but during all of the other seasons, definitely layer your outfits. Not only will it provide more visual interest in each photo but it will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and poses. Have a ton of images of yourself in just your dress or cute top and jeans? Throw on a little sweater or jacket and a hat and you have entirely different look.
4.Be Timeless
For some fashionista’s, this may be a difficult concept, however you are going to want these images to stand the test of time. Pick outfits that aren’t considered too trendy, but will be able to be enjoyed and displayed for many years to come.
5.Plan Ahead
Make sure you have given yourself enough time to think about all of the details of your session. Plan ahead so that #1 you can truly think about your photos and everything you want out of the session, #2 you aren’t rushing and stressing out right before your session, and #3 if you have decided to go for a new look for your session or someone gets a bad haircut, you still have time to fix things if you need to.
If time allows it, bring another set of outfits. Again, you will get a lot more variety in your shots so why not capitalize on the opportunity and get the most bang for your buck!
Things to Avoid:
You and your family are the main focus in the images, so avoid these following things that can be distracting and unflattering in images.
Hair & Makeup
While always a treat, getting your hair and makeup done professionally for your photo shoot is not required. A natural and fresh look is always best for your photos. If you are doing your own makeup, I would advise to avoid using anything flashy (bronzer, glitter, etc.). In photographs, a good matte finish will look the best. Don't forget the lipstick, and add a little more blush to your cheeks.
If you do decide to treat yourself for your session, let me know and I can send you referrals of a few of my favorite professional make-up artist here in El Paso!
It's totally okay if you don't typically apply makeup. To avoid shine, it would still be a good idea to gently dust some translucent powder over your face before the session.
Please don't forget about your nails. If you wear open- toed footwear, this is an excellent justification to treat yourself to a pedicure! Nothing ruins a photo shoot more than chipped nails. If you are unable to have madi/pedi please, make sure to remove any old nail polish you might have on before our session.
Posing
I make every effort to ensure that your photos do not appear "posed" instead, I'll point you in the right direction and tell you what to do, and then it'll be up to you to make it your own. I'm not going to instruct you exactly where to put your hands or how to stand. My instructions are often vague, allowing you to be yourself. Plus, I don't think I need to teach you how to be a family, you're already pros!
The best tip I can give you is to NEVER STOP MOVING. Seriously, the more movement you do he more photos you will get. You'll get one shot from a pose if I give you a direction and you stand still. But if you follow my advice and move around, you'll get a lot more variety. This type of photography is ideal for children because they are often unaware that they are being photographed. Fell free to deviate from any of my instructions, kisses, hugs, and tickles are all welcome at any moment!
We're going to have a lot of fun. I'll be making a fool of myself in in the hopes of making your kids laugh, and I fully anticipate them to be silly as well. I want to encourage as much individualism as possible, and I recommend that you do the same.
Be true to yourself! Remember, these are photos of you, so don't thrive to look like that family photo you saw on Pinterest. We'll try a few different shots, and it's fine if not all of them work out. The ones that do come out will be the most authentic and beautiful representation of you and your family!
Gallery Day
After your session date you will receive your final gallery within 2-3 weeks.
You’ll be able to have access to your private online gallery and download all of your images. Your gallery has an expiration date so please make sure to download them and have them back up everywhere! This means your computer, a flash drive, a cloud storage system.
other tips:
- Before the session, talk to your kids about it. It's better not to catch them off guard. If they know what's coming, they can prepare themselves (even toddlers require some forwarding!). You can show them my photo and tell them that a silly buddy will be taking their pictures, but don't worry, they won't have to sit and smile for an hour!
- My outdoor session are usually held at sunset. Shooting around sunset creates the beautiful light you in photos. In the summer, some families' sunsets are later than others. Please consider having your child nap alter in the day or scheduling your session for sunrise.
- Arrive on time and prepared to begin your session. Because your session is timed according on the light, please factor in traffic and other things. If you need time to get your children ready or settled, arrive early to the session.
- Make sure everything is ready the night before so you aren't scrambling in the morning, you don't want to be stressed out before your session!
- Speaking of food, make sure the children are well fed, hydrated and rested before the shoot, it's also good to keep it light the morning of the shoot. You can always bring some snacks especially if we are adventuring!
