First off, if you’re here because you’ve decided to have family portraits taken, kudos to you! If you’re on the fence about it, hop off and get going! Family portraits are one of the most important things you can do for yourselves and your children. It’s natural to want to wait until the “perfect” time such as when you’ve lost some weight, your kids are older and more well-behaved for the camera, or your schedules aren’t so busy. I’m here to tell you – don’t keep putting it off! Remember, your kids would rather have a photo of you feeling a bit self-conscience than no photo at all. Not to mention, psychologists say that having family photos in the home helps to boost your child’s self-esteem by nearly 40%!
Choosing a Photographer
Alrighty, now that you are ALL ready to book your family portraits, let’s talk game plan. Your first task is finding the best photographer for your family. Social media is a great place to start. If you’ve seen a friend post their family portraits and love how they look, ask for the name of their photographer. If you live in/near a larger city, try searching on Instagram using a hashtag with your city name; for example, if you live near Bay City you would search #baycityfamilyphotographer. Start compiling a list of the photographers whose editing style stands out to you – bright & airy, dark & moody, colorful?
Next, you’ll want to check out the cost and what is included with their sessions. Some photographers have a “sitting fee” for the session and then you have an ordering session later to choose the poses you like the best and purchase digital files or physical prints. Other photographers include a certain number or all of the digital files included with their session fee. They may have all this information listed on their website, but you may need to fill out a contact form to get more information on pricing and packages.
Lastly, it’s important to find a photographer who “meshes well” with you and your family. Your portraits will be dramatically better if your photographer is relatable and makes you feel comfortable during your session. If you have young children, I recommend finding a photographer who specializes in families or who has young children themselves, since little ones can be tricky!
Picking a Date, Time, and Location
Once you’ve found your photographer, it’ll be time for the two of you to decide on when and where your portraits will be taken. Here in Michigan, fall is the most popular time of year to have family portraits done because of the beautiful foliage. Because of it’s popularity, photographers book early and quickly, so make sure to reach out at least 3-6 months ahead of time to book your session. Weekends are go-to dates for families due to busy schedules, however, if you can make it work and your photographer is available, try to schedule a week-night! You’ll find that the most heavily populated parks and locations less busy during the week. I recommend leaning on your photographer when choosing a time of day and location for your session since lighting is such a key factor in how your portraits turn out. Experienced photographers know the perfect time of day and types of locations to get the best lighting conditions. Most photographers prefer to start sessions 1-2 hours before sunset for the ideal light. Again, if you have younger children, be sure to let your photographer know about restrictions such as, “My kid naps from 2-4 pm” or “My baby can’t stand being in the car for more than 30 minutes” or “My darling angel will turn into a gremlin and scream bloody murder if they can see a playground but can’t play on it.” (Zero sarcasm here!)
Coordinating Your Outfits
In my opinion, this is the hardest part! Scrolling through your photographer’s social media to see what other families have worn for their session is always a great place to start. Pinterest is also full of ideas, but can sometimes lead to unrealistic expectations of your ability to re-create a look. I suggest starting by deciding on a base color-scheme for your family. Here is a helpful “color family” reference guide.
If you’re planning to have your portraits printed for decoration in your home, try to choose colors that are complementary to your current home decor. Solid colors can be broken up with accessories like jewelry, scarves, ties, or hats. Prints are great, but can sometimes be distracting. Try to stick to larger prints rather than tiny, busy ones. I advise limiting the number of prints in a group to a 1:2 ratio (1 print per group of 3, 2 prints for a group of 5 or 6, etc.) to avoid clashing. Be sure to keep your session location in mind as well; for example, if your session will be in a park full of green grass and trees, green probably wouldn’t be the best choice.
Comfort is key as it’ll show if you’re uncomfortable in your outfit or have to constantly adjust it. Please, please, please do not wear an outfit you are not 100% happy with and then ask the photographer to “just Photoshop it”. If you are self-conscious about your arms or calves, avoid wearing a sleeveless top or short dress.
Everyone should try on their entire outfit (including shoes, socks, accessories, etc.) 2 weeks BEFORE your session to make sure everything fits correctly and you have all the pieces you need ahead of time. This will help you avoid the stress of a last-minute Target run for a pair of nylons, or Famous Footwear for shoes because your toddler’s feet suddenly grew a whole size in the last month, or your closet in tears because the bra you wanted to wear is showing through the shirt you wanted to wear and now you need to pick a whole new outfit an hour before your session (yes, speaking from experience here again from my own family portraits a few months ago, even photographers stress over their own portraits!).
The Day of Your Portrait Session
Today’s the big day and if you’re like me, you’re gonna stress out! It’s easy to say “don’t stress” but here are some “do’s and don’t’s” to help eliminate as much as possible:
Do: Get yourself & other adults ready first, then help the kiddos.
Don’t: Brush your teeth or eat/drink in your session outfit.
Do: Arrive at least 10-15 minutes early to your session for last-minute touch-ups like lipstick or tying shoes.
Don’t: Be late. This not only cuts into your session time with your photographer, but it also adds extra anxiety and rushing on your part which will prevent you from relaxing during your session.
Do: Let your photographer know about insecurities ahead of time such as the preference of a side of your face, dislike of photos from behind or sitting, acne, etc.
Don’t: Put yourself down during the session. Negative self-talk won’t help, and you certainly don’t want your kiddos hearing it.
Do: Bring snacks and bribes for kids. Bribe the heck out of them if you have to!
Don’t: Yell at or scold your child to the point of tears. I’m not saying to let them go nuts, however, too much yelling or scolding could result in a meltdown or a permanent frown, thus essentially ending your session early. I once had a parent spank a child half-way through our session then *SURPRISE* he was sad the rest of the time.
Do: Bring an extra set of hands to help if you have young children or are bringing pets.
Don’t: Bring a toy you wouldn’t be okay having photographed with your child in the event that taking it away would cause tears.
After Your Session
Congrats, you made it through! Before you leave to buy the kids that triple scoop of ice cream you just bribed them with, be sure to ask your photographer for a timeline for when your photos will be ready. If you are so inclined, you can tip your photographer. Tips are never expected but always appreciated in the photography community. When you get your photos back and are posting your gorgeous family all over social media, be sure to tag your photographer – some even offer a referral credit if one of your friends ends up booking with them because of you!
Last, have some physical prints made for your home. A couple of my favorite items are these spiral-bound books from UnitPrints (sign up for the emails and they are almost always running a sale on these and tons of their other items) and this custom hanging canvas from Smallwoods.
