Preparing for Your Family Photo Shoot - Part 2

Family photo sessions are fun family time!

In this post I'll try to help take the pressure off and the stress out, for both your family and ... well... me too, and give us all a time to look forward to - as well as a lasting memory.

I want to be clear here, that girl on the other side of that camera is just a nervous as you. We don't want those nerves to to get the better of us, in fact we'd like to be relaxed and enjoy our time. My goal is to get to know you so I can better serve you, and in that portray your true personalities.

A photo session can bring with it various stresses and expectations. There will be the financial investment. With kids involved, there are several things that may make them act differently: there is the break in routine, a stranger behind this black thing snapping away, the stress of the parents getting them to pose for that ONE perfect shot, etc. They'll want to run around and just be kids.

Let's look at it this way: your photo session is just another time spent as a family that I will be capturing for your lasting memory. Yes, we will try to get THAT shot with every one looking at the camera and smiling. But don't feel like you will need to pose and smile the whole time, the key is to be natural and enjoy each others company.

1... Be yourself and enjoy the time together

Like I mentioned in Preparing for Your Family Photo Shoot Part 1, the importance lies in just being yourselves. Be natural and do what you love doing together. Be it talking or walking, wrestling, tickling, or cuddling, reading or singing; whatever it is, enjoy your time. Play peek-a-boo, follow-the-leader, run around, bring your favourite game, book, instruments, a ball etc. I will be there in the background capturing your treasured moments together.

Be genuine: if you are stressing out about getting the children to smile, they will sense it and get on edge. I will end up with photos with distressed parents looking at the edgy child. I have tricks to get them to smile and will work at it, so try to be stress free and just relax.

2... Treats and Toys

Little kids attention spans can be quite short and their moods can swing - especially in an un-normal situation. We will take little breaks where they can enjoy snacks and such.

When packing snacks keep the following in mind: Keep the portions small - some kids tend to get carried away and will keep eating. Pack something that doesn't leave crumbs or much mess in or around the mouth. Juice (not too coloured) or water bottles are handy quenchers too. Crumbs in teeth and sticky faces and fingers are not always becoming in family photos - unless you want to show your child's character. 

Like mentioned above, bringing favourite toys or items can soothe the child and keep them calm. For older children maybe include a soccer ball, or for the little ones bring a squeaky toy to direct their attention to the camera.

3... Think Ahead

If you would like particular poses think of what they will entail. If you are planning on a sitting pose you may want to pick a location or "prop" (such as a blanket, bench, straw bails, etc.) that will be conducive for the photo shoot.

If you are going the blanket route try to bring one that is a plain colour - preferable a neutral colour or one that coordinates with your clothing colour choices. If need be bring a blanket you don't care if it gets dirty for underneath the good one. Make sure the good one is clean and creaseless, and tag-less, as best as possible.

4...5...6...7...etc. Relax and enjoy your time as a family!

If you have any questions please feel free to contact me! I am happy to help you in any way I can!

Preparing For Your Family Photo Shoot - Part 1

Five Tips on What to Wear

One of the biggest questions on our minds while planning to capture a moment in our families history on photo is this: "What should we wear?" Another close second may follow: "What colours should we chose?" Which get our mental wheels turning... "What do we have that coordinate well together?" "What looks good, or what do I wear most?"

I'll give you five tips here that will hopefully help to simplify the choices and make preparing easier.

1... bear in mind the Environment the Session will be in...

Think about where you'd like the session to be and what the surroundings will be. As a general rule for lighter backgrounds, lighter tones are suitable. For darker backgrounds, pick tones that blend well. (See sample 2 bellow)

2... Focusing on coordination, not so much on matching...

Family photos look great with coordinated colours. Matching outfits can be nice, but with that it can become overpowering. Coordination breaks things up, creates a warm atmosphere, and displays the characters that make up your family. Think of ways in which you can weave a common theme and/or colour through your outfits. For example: Everyone wears something carrying the same colour through differing variations. Or if everyone wears jeans and similar patterned shirts, but the shirts have different colours.

In this example there are a couple themes: wooden shoes, stripes, and colour

3... Be thoughtful and avoid certain colours and patterns...

It is commonly said: "simplicity is beauty" There is so much truth to that statement. Keeping it simple is a general rule in portrait photography. It also goes for clothing choices. Complex patterns and textures can be distracting and show up different in the photo than to the natural eye. As in the photo above, the bold stripes distract the viewers eye from the faces. Simple colours is the preferred way to go. Think of ways to add a little texture and colour: scarves, hats, socks, or other accessaries.

For colours, neutral tones, desaturated colours, or earthy tones are the most preferable, because we are looking for natural skin tones. Bright and busy tones and colours are quite distracting, and especially if worn as a shirt or accessary, will affect the lighting on the face, taking away from the natural skin tones and distracting the viewers eye from the real story - you.

A sample of desaturated or lighter tones. Note here as well that the lighter tones blend well with the lighter background, as mentioned in #1.

Here you can clearly see how colours reflect onto the skin. I realize the colour here is not reflected from clothing but still shows the importance of neutral tones for family photos.

4... Keep the weather in mind and dress appropriately

During the season changes it can be tough to predict temperatures. The temperatures, sun, and wind are key things to think about. But keeping up to date on the weather can aid in choosing your wardrobe for the session. 

In a moring session, it may start off cool so layer appropriately for comfort. If you have kids, keep in mind that you'll have active moments but also moments of being still. You don't want to be dressed too warmly for the weather or too cold. (in the first example photo, my sisters and I were freezing! The wind was so cold and our hands were going numb - definitely not the weather for a photo shoot in the clothes we chose!)

5... Be yourself!

Do not feel as though you need to dress to the nines when you usually dress down. You will be uncomfortable during the session and it will show in the photos. But do take it up a notch above your normal. Remember these are your photos and will be on display in your house. You have to be happy with them.

Here everyone was perfectly comfortable, dressed up a notch, still displayed their personalities, and coordinated.

I hope this helps you out in choosing the right outfits for your session!