Relaxed Photoshoot Tips
A relaxed photoshoot is usually what you are envisioning as you scroll through Pinterest or Instagram and dream about scheduling a photoshoot with your family, isn’t it? Or maybe it’s what you’re hoping for if you’re more of a realist. In this post, I want to offer some tips to make a relaxed photoshoot with your family a more attainable reality. If we’re being honest, even just trying to leave the house can feel chaotic if you’re in a season with young children. However, I promise there are steps that you can take to make the experience more enjoyable for everyone involved.
1) Choose the right photographer for your family.
A photographer is a photographer, right? They can photograph anything, right? Wrong.
There is a wide range of photography genres. Each genre requires its own skill set, and sometimes even different equipment. A photographer who primarily captures landscapes wont necessarily know how to pose people in flattering, natural ways. While you’re wedding photographer may have been great fun and done a fantastic job of capturing your big day, that doesn’t mean he or she has a lot of experience handling newborn babies or coaxing toddlers out of a temper tantrum.
Therefore, to ensure a relaxed photoshoot with a beautiful end result, I highly recommend that you hire a photographer who has a specific focus on family photography. Many photographers do work within more than one genre. (So you’re wedding photographer may actually in reality be a great fit for a family session). The best way to determine this is go check out their portfolio. Does their website or social media feature sessions with families like your own? Choosing a photographer who has extensive experience working with families will go a long way towards ensuring you experience a controlled, relaxed photoshoot.
Indeed, it may also be worth splurging on the more expensive family photographer in your area. With the higher fee should come a higher level of service. What do I mean by “higher level of service”? More experienced photographers will provide often give you extensive support through the process of choosing a location, planning session wardrobe, preparing your family for the photography session, and designing professional print products after the session. Even though I am a photographer myself, I have also schedule photography sessions for my own family. Less expensive photographers offer generally offer less support. There is minimal communication before the session. Sometimes I’ve even found myself having to reach out to the photographer the day of the session to confirm location and plans. I noticed that this lack of support increased my sense of anxiety before the session.
2. Plan out your wardrobe at least a week before the session.
Planning your family’s wardrobe for your photography session is not a task to procrastinate on. Nothing will trigger anxiety like realizing your child has outgrown their outfit minutes before you need to leave for your session. (I am or may not be speaking from experience.)
As mentioned in the previous section, if you’ve hired an experienced family or newborn photographer, they will likely send you a style guide or offer a style consult before the session. Take advantage of these tools! Have everyone try on their planned outfits at least a week before the session so that there’s plenty of time to shop for something new if needed. While you’re at it, send a phone pic to your photographer to see if he or she has any input. Some pattern and fabrics actually don’t photograph well. Your family photographer will know to look for these. Specifically, small patterns, like checks, and thin stripes can cause an aberration in digital cameras call “moire”. This distortion can be nearly impossible to completely edit out.
Make sure you take the time to steam or iron your clothing. Some wrinkling is natural and may be able to be touched up by your photographer (assuming you have hired someone who includes retouching as part or his or her package). However, extremely wrinkled clothing may be outside of what most photographers are willing to correct without charging an extra editing fee.
Pro Relaxed Photoshoot Tip: Wait to change babies and toddlers until you arrive at the session location. No one wants to deal with stains from mysterious carseat goo or diaper blow outs. Plan to arrive a few minutes early to change little ones in the back of the car.
4. Plan to arrive early and come prepared.
Life is unpredictable. You may hit unexpected traffic on your way. The parking lot where you expected to easily find a spot may be totally full. Maybe being a few minutes late doesn’t bother you and it’s the way you live life. I won’t judge you, however, I would highly discourage arriving late to a mini-session. Photographers who offer mini-sessions schedule them back to back. If you’re 10 minutes late to a 15 minute session, you likely won’t love the results.
I personally get easily stressed out when I’m running late. Unfortunately, this often results in me acting less patient with my family and more prone to bark orders rather than offer gentle direction. I’m working on this weakness in my parenting, but the fact remains that I am more at ease and able to lovingly connect when we’re on time. If you’re like me, make every effort to arrive to your session early.
Speaking of being impatient, come prepared to meet any needs that may come up for your little ones. Consider packing water bottles and a non-messy snack. We all know that little kids struggle to ignore or push through discomfort like thirst, hunger, dirty diapers or bug bites. Set yourself up for a successful, relaxed photoshoot by thinking through what needs may arise.
5) My BIGGEST tip for a relaxed photoshoot with your family: Prepare your children for what to expect.
Even for adults, having your photograph taken can be a slightly uncomfortable experience if you don’t know the photographer well. Many of us feel uncomfortable being the center of attention. However, as an adult, you understand what’s happening and what the end result will be. Don’t take for granted that a family photoshoot is not an everyday experience for most children. Even if they participated in a family photoshoot last year, they may not remember that experience at all! Even a professional camera can be a totally foreign object in this age of cell phone cameras. (I always smile at the look of total curiosity babies and toddlers give my big camera.)
Take some time to explain to your children what will happen during the photoshoot. Show them pictures of where you will being going. Pull out past professional family portraits and tell them stories about your last family pictures. Most importantly, show them a picture of your photographer from their website or social media. Tell your children their name and explain what they will be doing during the photoshoot. This will go a long way in helping your children feel comfortable and relaxed with this person from the start of the session. Also go over your expectations for their participation and behavior. It never hurts to plan a treat for after the photography session. (My crew is a big fan of post-photoshoot milkshakes.)
Now you’re almost ready for a relaxed photoshoot with your family.
My last tip? Take some time to take some deep breaths and examine your own expectations and stress level as you enter into the photography session. Physical tension shows up on the camera. Wiggle and roll your shoulders. Release tension wherever you tend to hold your stress. Clear you mind and remind yourself to focus on lovingly interacting with and savoring your family during your session. Your mood sets the tone for your children. They will feed off of your emotions. Make every effort to step into your photoshoot relaxed and ready to connect!