How to prepare children for a photo session

You have finally decided to get family pictures done. You have spent months contemplating this decision. Desperately you want beautiful images of YOU with your family since you are always the one taking the pictures. BUT secretly you fear how your kids will respond to the situation! Will they fight? Are they going to get sick the day of the session? What if they destroy their outfit before the first pose? Are your kids shy around strangers?

No worries! Every parent has these same questions and thoughts as they think about planning a session with a professional photographer. Let me put you at ease with a few tips and tricks! This will help you, your kids and me (your photographer). I am going to address some of those fears mentioned and ways to be prepared for the session.

First off the main goal is to capture beautiful family pictures of YOU and your family. We want everyone in their best moods, mom and dad included. So to ensure everyone is happy I recommend the following tips. Naps! I cannot stress enough. If your child(ren) are still in the nap stage of life, make sure they get a really good nap the day of the session. A tired kid will always be cranky which will lead to unhappy parents. Mom and Dad if you need a nap to feel refresh, try to get one too. Most sessions are done in the late afternoon, early evenings so a nap will help avoid the bewitching hour crankiness that comes out. In addition to naps to help keep everyone happy, food in another important one. You may plan to eat dinner after the session (which is fine) however, make sure everyone has a snack before the session to keep their bellies happy too. We don't want anyone to end up HANGRY during a session.

With kids, there's always germs going around. If you suspect your child is sick and not feeling well please contact me. We want everyone feeling well and if you or your child is sick, especially contagious, then we will want to reschedule your session when everyone is feeling better. Especially with younger kids, boogers dripping from their noses never looks good in pictures. ;)

How about keeping their clothes clean beforehand? I always suggest changing their clothes when you arrive to the location. Let them wear a t-shirt on the drive over, and then quickly change them once you get there. Then there is no worries on keeping them clean. In addition, if you are styling hair that may get messed up, bring some styling products to quickly fix or style when you arrive. Let's face it, I may be a "stranger" to your kids and I have this big ole camera I am shoving in their face! They may be shy...and that is ok. I love to get down on their level...giving hi fives and fist bumps. I talk to them as if they are making some of the decisions too. Just prepare you children for the session by telling them exactly what is going on. Tell them how we are going to have fun and get pictures taken and smile lots of smiles. Sometimes a reward at the end of the session like ice-cream or candy always helps. ;)

The goal of the session is to make it about you and your family. So one of the best pieces of advice I can give is to plan a session that fits your family. Kids don't like to be "stuffy" so choose clothing that fits them well, does not have "scratchy" materials and is not too hot. Shirt and tie is not always the right combination for every family. Sometimes shoes off on the beach is the right way to capture you and your family. At the end of the day I want everyone to have fun during your session. I want your kids to enjoy being apart of the family and excited to have their picture taken. I want mom and dad to be stress free in knowing they are going to get beautiful family photos. I want everyone to look their best and feel their best. As always if you have any other questions around preparing for your session, let me know. I am happy to help you!