Five tips on how to prepare for a family photo session

You have booked your session! Great! But what next? Don’t worry as I have it covered for you – five tips on how to prepare for a family photo session will make it super simple.

Prepare your children

The most common question I receive from parents booking a session is how to prepare the children. We all want our kids to look their best and have fun during a session. Here are simple things you can do to help kids being happy and cooperative. 

• Make sure they are rested and not hungry
• Remember to tell them what we will be doing and make sure it sounds exciting! 
• Make this exciting for them. You can tell them you will do something super cool after the session or you can consider a small reward
• Let them be themselves! The best thing for me is to see true personalities of kids and if you just let them be them this will come out beautifully on the pictures too

Prepare your partner

We want to make sure our partners are on board with us when it comes to the photo session. Below are a few tips that will help you sway them in the right direction

• Make sure he/she is rested and fed – honestly this applies to grown-ups too! 
• Show them my website, IG board or any of your favourite pictures from my blogs. This will help them understand my style and they will know what to expect
• Tell them that the best thing they can do is to enjoy family and time spent together. Reassure them I will do all the hard work. The pressure is off – treat it more as a simple walk with the children 🙂
• Tell them how much this means to you and that you are glad they are on board. Together you can be the best team in the world!

Prepare yourself

You have already done so much! Researched photographers, got in touch, booked a session. You are amazing! If you still feel a little nervous about the session these tips will help you with the preparation:

• read my client welcome guide which is packed with information that will help you with your prep
• on the day of the session make enough time to prepare so you don’t feel rushed and anxious
• Let go of perfection. This is the biggest anxiety for most mums. It’s OK if your child/children aren’t “perfect”. Just enjoy this little family outing with each other
• Don’t worry if kids don’t give me “real smiles”. Most of the time, if they are being told to smile, they will pull a strange face. My job is to make them laugh and capture natural emotions and reactions! Trust in me and all will be perfect 🙂 

What to bring for an outdoor photo session

If you have booked an outdoor family photo session I always mention that it’s best to take as few possessions as possible. However, there are a few things that you will need for a smooth session.

• wear comfy shoes that go with your outfit and will allow you to move freely
• bring a blanket (but I often have few as well so we can work on this together!)
• Bring some small snacks and water for kids. A little snack break sometimes goes a long way!
• Bring nappies and wipes (but only what’s needed)
• Bring something meaningful – your child’s favourite book or a cuddly toy

How to prepare for an in-home photo session

My family and newborn baby photo sessions are often in the comfort of your own home. It is therefore important for me to reassure clients their home is perfect as it is and the magic will happen there. Here are a few tips on how to prepare your home:

• Let the light in – please raise and open all your blinds and curtains in your home to let in as much natural light as possible. 
• Don’t over plan – there is no requirement of you to go crazy with cleaning. You can do basic tidying up and some decluttering but don’t go crazy!
• Start time – get everyone ready on time as when I arrive I would love to start snapping away as soon as possible

There you go, five tips on how to prepare for a family photo session. I truly believe these will help you with your session preparation! If you have booked a newborn baby photo session with me as well make sure you check out this blog. I am giving you few tips on what to wear for your in-home newborn baby photo session 🙂

Till next time
Ewa x