Top 3 Ways to Get the Most Out of Your Family Photo Session

It's Wednesday afternoon and you're supposed to be working, but instead you're browsing Pinterest and getting excited about your upcoming family session! You're dreaming of what outfits you're going to wear and where you're going to hang the perfect Pinterest picture after your session.

Fast forward to Saturday afternoon and you're in the middle of what can only be called your worst nightmare. Your toddler won't listen, your baby is crying, and your spouse is ready to just give up!

What went wrong? How did your dream photo become so far out of reach?

Here are 3 easy tips to make sure your dream photo becomes a reality:

1. Stop browsing Pinterest.

While the pictures on there are gorgeous, did you know that many of them are not real photo sessions? They're styled family shoots using professional models. Also, that picture you're seeing represents ONE image from the session. You're not seeing the other 47 images with imperfections.

Let's be real. Most up us don't look like models and picturing your photographer getting that *exact* pose is setting yourself up for disappointment. You look like you and that's amazing! Don't you want your photographer to capture YOU and how you move and interact with your family?

2. Think about your family's needs and how to best accommodate them.

Do you have a toddler who is slow to warm up to new people? If so, a mini session probably isn't for you. A full length session would give your child more time to get used to the random stranger with scary equipment.

Does your baby like to have long, leisurely afternoon naps? Try scheduling a morning session when your baby is happiest.

Does your spouse work long hours? Try booking your session on a day off, rather than after work, to ensure you've got plenty of time to get yourselves ready and in the right frame of mind to put on your best happy faces.

Most photographers are willing to work with you to ensure that the timing of your session is convenient for you.

3. Never Stop Smiling at the Camera.

You are all in position and smiling at the camera when you hear your photographer call out to your youngest child to get them to look up and smile at the camera. Immediately, you look towards your child and tell them to look up and cooperate. But do you know what just happened? Your photographer got a picture of your child looking at the camera...but you're not. My biggest piece of advice in this scenario is to keep looking at the camera at all times, unless your photographer specifically asks for your assistance with your child.

On the same note, if your photographer is taking a picture of your child without you in the frame, be sure to stand behind your photographer or as close as you can while you're making your silly sounds and singing your silly songs so that when your child breaks into that perfect smile they're also looking at the camera.

These are just three easy things you can do to make sure you love your images from your next family session.

Get in touch today if you're ready to use these tips for our next session together!