Having a family photo session can be a daunting task especially if you have young ones.  I have helped hundreds of families captured their family photos.  With my experience here are my family photo session tips to help you better prepare for your family photo session.

1. Have Fun with your kids – My Favorite Tip

Family photo sessions should be a fun time for the whole family. When you hire me as your photographer, you are expecting beautiful candid photos capturing the love in the family.  In order to make this happen the whole family needs to be having fun.  Fun brings smiles out of everyone; it is definitely something that shows up in the photos.  

Some of the ways I get my clients to have fun at the photo session is to do something the family enjoys together, like playing, running, jumping, laughing, catch.  Different families have different ways to express their happiness with the family. 

So just come to your family photo session and get ready to have fun with the whole family.

2. Communication and Preparation

As your photographer,

  Together we will plan out the best outfit for your kids, and what you and your husband should wear for the shoot. 

But beyond what to wear there are many other little things that should be thought out and planned.  If there is something that your kids like to play, like bubbles or a ball. We can incorporate them into our photos.

Lastly, we will communicate about the weather when closer to our scheduled date.  If it will be raining, we can always reschedule for the next available appointment.

3. Clothing Choices

Your clothing choices can directly impact how your family photos will look like in the end.  Together we can to create the most beautiful family photo. 

Which is why I always stress on a plain solid color clothing.

Plain solid color avoids grabbing too much attention from our eyes in the photo when we should be focusing on the face of a person.

4. Sleep and Feeding Schedule

Planning your photo session around sleep and feeding schedule can have a significant impact on the outcome of your photos.  Interrupting a child’s nap for the photo sessions will end up having a grumpy child and not a whole lot of good photos.

So, parents, plan your photo session at a time when your child is well-rested and well-fed.  Your child will thank you for it and your photos will be that much better.

5. Extra Time to Get Ready

       

Let the kids run around and play around for a while before the session starts. This is especially true when we photograph at parks where there is a play area.  Once the kid sees the swings, they will be wanting to play and be unhappy for the rest of the photo session.

Less stress.  Let’s be honest, rushing to get to your photo session can be very stressful.  There are enough of things that are going on and time doesn’t need to be one of them.  Plan accordingly to arrive well ahead of the scheduled session time.

6. Happy Kids = Beautiful Photos

Do whatever you can to make and keep your kids happy during your photo session.  That can be:

Tickle your kids

Say something funny that will make them laugh

Have some fun together by bonding

Hugs and Kisses

Sing their favorite song

Make funny faces

There are so many ways to make your kids smile and laugh.  Plan for a few ways that can make your kid laugh before your photo session and I guarantee you will see better results in your family pictures.

7. Don’t stress

Finally, don’t stress over your family portrait session.  Allow me to help you with your planning or any concerns you might have. 

Allow extra time to get ready, plan to arrive at the session early to reduce stress.

If you have any concerns you can always contact me to discuss. 

I hope these 7 Family Photo Session Tips for Parents can help you plan for your next family session.  Capturing family photos can be a great time for everyone. So, let’s go out there and capture some beautiful family photos together.