Two years ago my husband and I were driving to our family session. Chris turned to me and asked, “do you love this? Do you love getting everyone dressed up and hair done with fingers crossed that no one stains their outfits before we get there?”
I chuckled and said, “NO!”
Listen, we have five, loud, wiggly, feral children who genuinely have no care as to how well our family pictures turn out. But us moms (and sometimes dads), have a vision of what we want them to look and/or feel. At the very least, we know what we don’t want them to look like. Family pictures are a luxury and an investment, and the fear of getting pictures we don’t want can cause some stress if it feels like no one in our family is on board. I get it!
We have family pictures taken every year because it’s important to me, but I would be lying if I said it easy to get everyone to the location, stain free, and ready to listen. The things I love about picture day comes after picture day, like flipping through the old family pictures as I place a new one into the frame. Reminiscing over how little our babies once were. Looking at pictures when we only had one or two kids, knowing we were once a smaller family but at the same time having a hard time remember life without all five or our children. I also love looking at beautiful pictures of the people I love hanging on my walls. It’s not easy, but it’s worth it.
So I came up with some ways to make picture day a little less stressful for my family of seven, and I hope you will find them helpful for your next family session.
Find a Photographer That Resonates with You
When you are searching for a photographer, it is important to look through their portfolio and see what they love to create. Their work needs to resonate with you. If you are wanting beautifully posed and polished, then you probably don’t want a photographer like me, because if you were to hire me, you would be disappointed with your gallery. Like I said, photography is a luxury and an investment, and in some cases finding “your photographer” is easier said than done, but I do believe there is a photographer out there for everyone. Do your research. You should love your family pictures, and one of the most important steps is finding a photographer that creates images make you feel something when you look at their portfolio. Read more here about how to choose the right photographer for you!
Dress Mom First
I plan to write a whole post on planning a wardrobe for your family shoot, and when I do the very first tip will be dress Mom first! I say Mom, because typically she is the one that is most emotionally invested, and the one booking. It is so easy to dress the kids first with all the ridiculously cute clothes for children, but it is so important that Mom feels comfortable and loves what she’s wearing. No one want to look at pictures and remember how uncomfortable they felt, or the discomfort is read in their body language or facial expression.
Plus moms, you are more quick to make decisions for everyone else. If you go ahead and have something chosen for yourself first, the hard part of wardrobe selection is done!
Keep the Session the Big Event of the Day.
Keep the day of the session the big event of the day. Having a big activity earlier in the day could easily wear the family out, especially with young children. Make sure everyone is napped and fed. Many families like to get dinner after their session which is a great way to keep the day special, but it is still important to make sure no one becomes hangry before or during the session. You may want to avoid snack during the shoot so there aren’t crumbs or spills or a ring of food around anyone’s lips, but there are some cleaner options out there.
I know it may sound obvious, but in the hustle of life it can be easy to fill the day around a one hour family session. When that happens, things get overlooked or pushed back, like naps and snacks. So if you can make the whole day an experience that leads up to the session, everyone is more likely to cooperate.
Do Be Afraid of Movement
I can’t tell you how many times someone has apologized because their family is “super awkward”. All I can say is is that we all are. Being in front of a camera is not natural for most people, but it is important to relax, loosen up, and move. There will be direction, there has to be, but if you are looking for images of those moments of authentic connection, it’s often found in the motion.
Many of us have been trained by stale department store photography where the goal is to have everyone sit still and look at the camera. Your photographer may have you do a classic look at the camera pose that we are all use to, but then they may direct you to begin looking at each other and kissing each other. Do not be afraid to move by gently rubbing your spouse’s arm or run your hand through your daughter’s hair within their direction. It will evoke emotion for you and your loved ones, you forget a little bit that you’re being photographed, and the awkwardness of begins to fade. In my opinion, motion is where the magic is.
I hope you found these tips helpful. Let me know what you think!
