5 Tips for Successful Family Portraits

Tis’ the season for family portraits – are you ready to make it the best experience possible? Or does the thought of being in front of the lens totally stress you out?

While planning for my family’s session, I have the same million thoughts running through my head as you do yours : What will we wear? How will the kids act? What if someone doesn’t nap? What if everyone is cranky? What if we don’t get a single great picture? What if…

And then I take a deep breath and run through my top 5 things that I know will help my session go smoothly – as a mom OR as the photographer.

   

 1. LET NO MAN GO HUNGRY

Feed the kids, feed the husband, feed yourself. No one should arrive at the session hungry! Bring snacks to tide everyone over, especially if it’s close to a regular meal or nap time. The promise of a really great snack or meal at the end of the session is fun to look forward to, as well. This is so important that it’s my number one! Those snickers commercials aren’t lying – you’re not yourself when you’re hungry!

2. RELAX – JUST DO IT

Let a little Frankie Goes to Hollywood run through your head. RELAX. Everyone is going to feed off your mood, Mom. Model the calm and happy behavior you want your kiddos (and husband!) to emulate. When you get to the session, remind yourself to let the photographer be in charge and direct the littles. Remind Dad to relax, too. The 20 month old might not behave perfectly, but an imperfect child is a million times cuter than a stressed out Mom.

3. PLAN – AND THEN FORGET THE PLAN

Unless you’re participating in a “mini” session or a session that the photographer has preplanned for you, it’s important to make a plan for your session. What’s your end goal? What is your vision? Use that to plan your session theme or activity. Are your kiddos totally into having tea parties? Take a quilt to a field and have a pretend tea party. Does your family love to be barefoot in the backyard? Talk to your photographer about the best times of day to shoot there capturing you doing what you love to do. Pinterest and sites like Let the Kids Dress Themselves have tons of session ideas. (But remember, your photographer is an artist and not a copy cat – your session should reflect your family in your photographer’s style! That is why you hired him or her!) Above all, let your session tell the story of your family. After all that planning and communicating with your photographer, forget the plan and enjoy the moments your planning helped create.

4. DRESS FOR SUCCESS

My #1, A+, Top of The List suggestion for every single mom is dress yourself first. Yes, you. Envision what you want to wear. What makes you feel like a million bucks? What do you always get complimented on when you wear it? Call your best friend and ask her which outfit she thinks you rock every time you wear it. Then build around you. Cute kids clothes are all over the place and keep it fuss free and easy for Dad. (By the way, simple and fuss free are not euphemisms for sloppy or disheveled!) Have fun with a color palette you love and remember that coordination is King – not matchy matchy! Search Pinterest for “Family Portrait What to Wear” or check out a style guide for more ideas. Along those lines, go ahead and indulge in a blow out and/or makeup artist. You’ll look and feel like the best version of yourself from the inside out!

5a. SAY NO TO CHEESE

Think of all the other silly things that make your kiddos smile – for my little one it might be a round of Itsy Bitsy Spider or an impromptu dance party – anything but that dreaded six letter word. Why should you hold the cheese? When you look back at these images you want to see your kiddo’s real smile – not the cheesy fake smile they’ve been trained to! Silly “potty” or body humor works for the 4-years-old and up set and “I’m Gonna Get Mommy/Daddy/You”! is my go-to for the younger children.

5b. ON TIME IS LATE

Plan to be at your session site 20 or so minutes before your session is going to start. Being early allows time for adjustments, finishing touches, getting the littlest family members dressed, parking, potty stops … all those little things that add up to l-a-t-e. Building in a cushion is a great way to prevent stressful situations and it also allows your littles to acclimate to their surroundings.

Your masterpiece is your family and capturing them in pictures – at this special time in your lives – is the most important part of a family portrait session. Don’t let a vision of a “perfect” smile or a magazine worthy set detract from the experience. Above all else, remember you’re investing in priceless works of heART.