1. No need to wear all white, just pick a few colors and be sure those colors fit into a color scheme. Don’t: match each other perfectly. Do: have a general color scheme with all your outfits. Basically, be sure your dress compliments each other but doesn’t “match” completely! Gone are the days where you’re all wearing jeans and a white shirt! This looks a tad cheesy and you’ll hate it years down the road (or quite possibly as soon as you receive the images, ha). Pro tip: match a shade of accessories, socks, layers etc. with each other.
2. Look around your house, do you like brighter colors or are you more nuetral? Do be aware of your house décor when selecting session attire.
3. Be comfortable in your clothes… if you know you love your outfit and feel good in it, that will most definitely shine through in your photos!
4. Avoid “busy” shirts, solid stripes, and solid white as they don’t photograph well. Textured white/ plaid/ other solid colors are great!
5. Layer! If we’re shooting at a location without a bathroom available, you can remove a scarf and/ or button down shirt (for example) and have a different look for some of your family photos!
6. Our goal is to take your pictures at golden hour (approximately 90 minutes prior to sunset) so if your kiddos need a nap, food, or anything else to ensure they’re feeling great, then do your best to make that happen before this! 🙂 Often times, food = happiness for children (who are we kidding, food = happiness for most of us, ha) so on that note, throw some snacks in your bag just in case the kids (or you :)) are getting a bit hangry at some point during the shoot!
7. Hair cuts and colors – do a week ahead of time so there’s no surprises right beforehand. Be sure all are properly groomed ahead of time. If you need an eyebrow wax, do this the day before so the redness is gone by the session.
8. We shoot many engagement sessions so our location options do feature engaged couples but you can most definitely envision your family sessions at theses spots as well! https://www.sbphotoanddesign.com/engagement-snapshots/
*If you have a park or somewhere else with beautiful scenery that is sentimental to your family then we can absolutely do a spot of your choosing if you prefer!
9. Turn photos into something “fun” for the family and tell your kids a week ahead of time (depending on your hubby, you may want to prepare him as well ;)) that they’re going to play in the park then maybe even do a countdown to keep the excitement going!
10. Here at SB, we think dogs are one of the greatest things on this planet and they’re definitely family – we totally get you wanting to add their cuteness to your session. Be sure to tell us what kind of dog you have as that’ll help us out with pre-planning poses.
*Try to have a friend or family member with to take care of your pup(s) when you’re posing without them and some treats if they’re motivated by food so we can get the most adorable shots of your furry family member(s). 🙂
11. If there’s a favorite toy (for example) that will make your child happy throughout the session, by all means, bring that with!
12. Be sure if there is something we can say or do to get real smiles to let us know!
13. Relax because you actually didn’t lie to your child(ren)… we’re going to have a blast with all of you, we promise! 🙂
