I know a lot of Chattanooga family photographers primarily schedule family sessions outdoors. The Scenic City has many beautiful, natural back drops. I can totally understand why outdoor sessions are a go-to option. However, in-home sessions are a great option too. Indoor or in-home sessions are a popular for newborn photography, but they can also be utilized if you have a family full of older children. Here are some factors to consider:
When conducting outdoor family sessions, I usually spend the first several minutes building rapport with the children and helping them feel at ease. This is even true when it’s a family of older children. There’s been the stress of getting everyone ready and in the car on time. The session may be at an unfamiliar location.
However, I have found that when I’m on their home turf, this warm up period is much faster. Generally everyone in the family is more at ease. If a younger child needs a break it’s not a big deal because they can just step into another room. I personally love that there are always plenty of toys readily available for me to grab for smiles.
Think for a moment about what a vital role your home plays in the memories of your family. Maybe it’s because I tend to be a homebody, but I can so quickly visualize the my daughters standing at the kitchen island mixing up pancakes or hiding in their favorite cabinet. I think of them running through the house or swinging at the backyard play set. Home is most likely where you have developed your family culture. Of course we can capture your family playing and cuddling in a beautiful outdoor session (and I love) doing that, but doing it at home adds a deeply personal layer.
I have photographed a few families in homes they were preparing to move out of. Talk about emotional. For one family, the mother crammed the family into every room in the house for a photo, even the bathroom. While that may seem silly, think of how many baths she had given in there? How many times had she helped her young children brush their teeth. These rooms housed precious memories.
As I’ve already alluded, your portraits don’t have to be traditional! What are things that you love doing as a family? Do you love to play board games? Does your family read books aloud? Is breakfast your family’s favorite meal of the day? Let’s document it! When I photography in-home sessions, I bring along my own lighting. Even if it’s a cloudy day or a room with no windows, we can use it.
If you’ve followed me at all on social media, you may have picked up on the fact that I really love albums. Don’t get me wrong, I get really excited when my clients display my images as wall art and I love the gallery walls in my home. However, it’s the albums that see the most use from my children. Often when they are bored, they will grab one of our “yearbooks” and spend several minutes flipping through it and reminiscing or asking questions. A session like this is telling the “story” of your home and family.
If you are on the hunt for Chattanooga family photographers and would like to learn more about scheduling a session with me, click here to see more of my portfolio and click here to learn more details about working with me.