FAMILY SESSION PREP GUIDE


If you are wondering what it's like to have a Family Session with Little Loves, you're in the right place! Prepare to have a lot of fun, move around a bit, and if you chose a beach location, maybe even get a bit wet! The goal of this session is to capture your family as it is, chaos and all. Whether you have one little baby or five teenagers, we want to make sure that everyone is represented in who they are! Parents, please do not stress out if your baby, child, or teenager is not behaving how you had imagined for the shoot. I can handle the tantrums and running around like crazy, in fact, you might see me run around like crazy too! I work around the kids and their temperaments instead of trying to get them to work for me. For this shoot, the kids are in charge!

So let’s get to it!


WHAT TO WEAR

LOOK GOOD, FEEL GOOD

I have prepared a "What to Wear Guide" that you can access at any time by clicking here

This guide will help you to choose outfits for your family that will make everyone look good and feel good! If you ever have any questions, or need help or opinions, don't hesitate to reach out, I'm happy to help!


BE PREPARED

There are a few things you can do to prepare so that our session goes smoothly and we can all have a great time and get great pictures!

  1. Avoid foods the day before your shoot that make you feel bloated (fast food, foods that are high in salt or fat or sugar). Trust me, being bloated is not going to make you feel pretty during your shoot!
  2. Speaking of food, keep it light the morning of as well. For children, make sure they are well fed, hydrated, and rested before the shoot. Bring non-mess snacks. Avoid gummies, chocolate, or crumbly items, instead opt for cheerios, raisins, even mini marshmallows, white cheese (in case it gets stuck in their teeth), or a promise for a bigger treat later… I am not above bribery!
  3. Make sure everything is all ready the day before so you aren’t scrounging up your clothes once everyone gets home from work/school, you don’t want to be flustered before your shoot
  4. Don’t get your hair cut/colored right before the shoot, the best time to do it is about a week to two weeks before.
  5. Try on your outfit a couple days before the shoot, you want to make sure that you still feel great in it. If you don’t feel great, change it up!
  6. Talk to your kids about the session before. It’s best not to surprise them with it, if they know what’s coming they can prepare themselves (even children as little as 2 need some warning!). You can show them my picture and tell them that a silly friend is coming to take their pictures, but not to worry because they aren’t going to have to sit and smile for an hour!


WHAT TO BRING

You may not need all or any of these items, but it's always best to have them on hand or in the car, just in case!

Water bottles (especially for those summer sessions, it gets hot!)

A brush, hairspray, and/or gel. Do you trust your hair to stay how you want it for 1-2 hours? I definitely don’t trust mine but you’re the one who is in front of the camera!

On that same note, bring a little makeup bag for touch ups. Make sure to include some type of towel in case anyone gets too sweaty.

A change of clothes. You never know what might happen (spit up, accident, or literally anything, because well...they're kids) so it doesn't hurt to have a back up

Comfortable shoes!

Bug spray

Favorite toys or lovies that might help me to get their attention

Snacks are always a helpful bribe


THERE’S MORE?!

Okay, now that you are ready for your photo shoot, I have some great extra tips and tricks for you! This will help you with my shooting style and give you an idea of how your session is going to go.

I do my very best to make sure all your pictures don’t look “posed.” Instead, I will give you a direction or a pose and tell you what to do and then you can feel free to make it your own.

Never. stop. moving. Seriously, the more movement you give me, the more pictures you are going to get. When I give you a direction and you stand still, you are going to get one shot from that pose. But if you take my direction and move around, you’ll get so much more variety. Don’t worry though, you’ll get the hang of it while we’re shooting! This style of photography works so well with kids because sometimes they don’t even realize they are getting their pictures taken! Feel free to take any liberties with any of the directions I give you, kisses, hugs, tickles are all welcome at any time!

We’re going to get really silly. I will be making a fool of myself all in the name of getting your kids to laugh and I expect silliness on their end, and that’s okay! I want to encourage as much personality as I can and I suggest you do the same.

Try not to think of this as a photo session, think of it as a family date and you just happen to look great and be getting your picture taken at the same time!

If you are uncomfortable in any of the poses or actions, always tell me and we'll stop and adjust. If you’re uncomfortable then the pictures look forced and we do not want that!

Be yourself! Remember, these are pictures of you so don’t try to be like that person from Pinterest. We will try a number of shots and not all of them will turn out and that’s okay. The ones that do turn out will be the most natural and beautiful versions of you and your family!

It is really important to arrive on time. We are booking your session according to the light so we may be limited, it's often a race with the sun! It's best to plan to arrive a little early. I can't wait to capture your family!


Final notes:

As photographers, we all have different styles, and take different artistic liberties during the session, and in post production. I pride myself on consistency and quality. If you haven't done so already, please be sure to take a look through my gallery to ensure that our styles are compatible. All images will be edited in a style that is consistent with my portfolio, and consistent and true to the location and weather conditions. If it was a gloomy cloudy day, that is what your images will reflect, but they will be your unique images from your unique session, which is something to be proud of!

If there are any other questions or concerns you may have, please reach out!