As a parent, you know how quickly children grow and change. It’s so special to remember each stage of life with professional family photos. I once again had the honor of photographing this beautiful family. I love seeing all the new stages of their life and feel so blessed to know when photographing them.
I wanted to share a few tips and suggestions for preparing for your own family photo shoot.
Choose the right location
Is there a type of location that is special to your family? Do you prefer an indoor studio look, beautiful architecture, or an outdoor location that shows off nature?
Choosing a location that has a few different photo spots can be a great choice for creating variety in your photos. For this photo shoot, we chose this Seminole County outdoor location that looked like we were in the forest. It almost doesn’t look like Florida.
When you book a photo shoot with me, I’ll help you pick a fun location for your family photo shoot. I have several locations near Lake Mary, Heathrow, Sanford, Longwood, Maitland, Winter Park, Winter, Springs, Orlando, and other Central Florida locations.
Coordinate outfits and keep comfort in mind
One of my biggest tips is to not match outfits, but to coordinate what you’re wearing. Twinning is not the goal. You want your outfits to work together, but not be an exact replica.
You can start off with how casual or dressy you want to go. There is some wiggle room here. For example, if mom wants to wear a nicer dress, and the young son wears linen shorts and a button up in the same family of colors, this could still be an amazing look. You just want the level of dressing us to be somewhat close in level.
The colors you wear can also completely change the mood of your photos. For outdoor photos, I recommend bright colors or jewel, toned or light neutrals. Check what works best for your skin, tone and other features. For a family photoshoot in nature, I would avoid all black, especially black clothing near the face.
Remember to keep outfits comfortable, especially for kids. If something feels uncomfortable, or itchy or too tight, this can make your photo shoot experience less fun. If you’re uncomfortable during your photo shoot, it might be more difficult to get the best expressions from you and your family.
Bring a snack
If you have young kids, a snack can do wonders to help them feel happier and more motivated to take photos. Anger is a real thing. It’s also a great idea to bring a snack for older kids and adults. Whatever you bring, make sure it’s not messy. Also, a special treat for after the photo shoot is a great idea for kids.
Keep things fun and relaxed
When I photograph young families, I never expect young kids to pose perfectly for an hour. While I will pose your family, I leave a lot of room for flexibility. I might ask your child to tell me a joke, or make a silly face so that they think of our time together more as a game and not something super strict and structured.
If we’re not having fun, your child might get bored really easily.
Take a break
For photo shoots with young kids, leaving room for a snack or game break might be the very thing we need to get great photos. A one hour photo shoot with some playtime in between can actually be a lot easier for your child then a shorter session time. Sometimes kids need several minutes to get comfortable in front of the camera. And they really might need a break in between photos.
Patience and flexibility
I have many years of experience photographing kids. I know that I need to be more flexible and patient during a family photo shoot then another type of photo shoot like a high school senior or a brand photo session. I know that kids may get impatient or moody during a photo shoot. Remember that, I am not expecting your child to act perfectly or like a grown-up.
Also, if your child has any sensory issues, please let me know, so I can better prepare for that.
Ready for beautiful family photos?
If you live in central Florida, or are visiting the Orlando area, I would absolutely love to photograph your family. Please use the contact form here to send me an email. I’ll reply within 24 hours during the weekday.
My photo studio is located in beautiful Lake Mary, Florida near Heathrow. It’s easily accessible from I’ve four and 417.
