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Jennifer!

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FOR THE MADLY IN LOVE

Family Portraits: How to Prepare

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Family portraits are so special and something that you guys put a ton of work into. From finding the right outfits (I have a whole blog post on what to wear to family sessions here to finding the right photographer for your family. There’s a lot of preparation that goes into family sessions. I know it can also feel a bit overwhelming. Thinking of your mini me’s smiling at the camera for 30-60 minutes and wearing the outfit you pick out with no complaints for an elongated time! Which is exactly what I’m here for! Today I’m giving you my top tips for prepping for your family portrait session! 

1. Think Ahead For Your Family Portraits

A month or so before your family session, start thinking of any beauty appointments you need to make and get those scheduled! Think hair appointments for you, your partner, and the kids or a mani pedi for you. Start browsing Pinterest for outfit ideas and searching at local boutiques or online for outfits you like. Again, I wrote an entire blog post about what to wear during your family session, so check that out for help! (Kinsey note: Link again here!) It’s nice to start this a few weeks before your session so that you don’t feel rushed in the last week to cram everything in, can’t get the outfit you love shipped on time, or aren’t able to get into the salon! 

2. Keep Your Family Portraits Low Key 

This is a great tip for prepping your kids for the family session. Instead of telling them that they need to be on their best behavior for family pictures, try keeping it low key! Tell them that you’ll be hanging out with a friend for a little bit and add in where you’re going! For example, if your session is on the beach say “Hey guys! We’ll be hanging out with my friend Jennifer for a little bit on Saturday morning at the beach!” I’ll let you guys have fun on your session and it’ll help the kids not be as nervous around me or dreading photos.

3. Snacks Up Your Sleeve 

I think family sessions are a great reason to have a little ice cream or snack bribe for kids during the photos! (Kinsey note: If you don’t agree with this, we can take it out!) Bring some of your kids favorite snacks with you to the session but don’t let them know about it. If any of the kids start getting fussy during photos, you can let them know that you have a snack ready for them. I have seen this be a lifesaver for many parents, myself included! 

4. Make An Afternoon Of It 

This goes along with #2 and #3. To help make sure that everyone, you and your partner included, have a fun and stress free family portrait session, try making your photo day a whole family day! Start out by making your favorite breakfast or going to your favorite breakfast spot before photos. Discuss as a family what would be fun to do after “hanging out with Jennifer” and make a plan to do it. That way photos can slide into your day seamlessly and you can definitely bring up the fun day during your photos! You can get the kids excited during photos by letting them know you’re grabbing ice cream afterwards or I can get them talking by asking how many pancakes they were able to eat that morning. It’s just a fun way to make your photo session part of a whole family day. 

5. Play With The Kids During Your Family Portrait Session

Don’t feel pressure to have huge smiles on your face for an hour! I’ll get beautiful family portraits for you but also want to have natural photos of you and your family laughing and playing together. You really do get to have fun during your session. Instead of being nervous about how you’ll get everyone to smile the whole time, be prepared that you’ll actually get to play together and let me capture you having fun! 

Family portraits on the beach in Destin, Florida.

I hope that these tips will help make your family portrait session with me a breeze! You deserve to have beautiful photos of your family preserved for years to come and that’s what I’ll deliver to you. You also deserve to have fun and feel some stress off your shoulders during your time with me, and I’m here to help with that! If you have any other questions about your family portrait session feel free to contact me. Or head to my Contact page to get started booking your own session with me! 

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The best tips for what to wear (and what to avoid) for your photoshoot! 

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