Family Session Prep Guide

Hello! I am so excited for our session! One of my goals and my lifestyle approach to photography is to capture you and your family the way you are. I believe that in order to capture this honest feeling and experience, we will have a documentary, laid-back approach during our session. My goal during our session is not to get everyone looking right at the camera and smiling saying “cheese”, however, capturing your family and your beauty in a naturalistic way with light posing. I believe the power of storytelling through photography and being able to print and share these images for your family, as well as hanging wall art through out your home for you to enjoy.

Location: We will decide together the best place to have your family session. If you’d like an in-home lifestyle session, we will use the available natural light in your home and we will use natural elements in your home to be the “backdrop”. If you are interested in an outdoor session instead, we will discuss the best place that will capture your family beautifully. I am happy to recommend ideas based on the type of environment you’d like (i.e., park, lake, urban).

Time: For in-home sessions, the natural light is usually best during late morning around 9:30 or 10:00 am. For outdoor sessions, it is best to shoot within an hour of sunrise or sunset. I would recommend if there are children involved in the family session to give them a late nap and we can be a little flexible with our session time for the best lighting. Midday lighting is harsh and will not be flattering for photos.

Length of Session: Family sessions typically last about 45 minutes to an hour. For newborn and Fresh 48 sessions, we can allocate about two hours for breaks and feeding.

What to Wear: during this session I’d like you to be comfortable. We may move around a bit so allow some room to move when deciding on your outfit. Wear anything that feels natural to you. It's helpful to pick 2-3 colors and coordinate outfits around those colors, without being "matchy matchy". It might be best to stay away from too many textures or patterns and clothing with large logos or distracting photos. Feel free to add pops of color. I would encourage you to not all dress the same (i.e., white shirt and khaki pants) because you are your own and we want that to show in these photos! Head over to my Pinterest Board for complimenting outfit ideas.

Props: I do not bring props to my sessions other than a blanket depending on the weather.

Your Children (if applicable): I have found that the best photos happen when natural moments unfold. It can tend to get chaotic to ask your child to stand there and look at the camera and say cheese, so it’s best to give them some time to warm up to the idea that we will be playing and listening, and I’ll be there to snap away! Please be mindful of your child’s eating schedule and bring a snack if need be. Dry, non-messy snacks are ideal and a little easier to keep those faces clean. It might be a good idea to let your child(ren) know that a friend will be coming to take some photos and play so that they are not surprised when I get there.

Please arrive on time or be read to start on time: it is important that we start on time because we will be working with available light. Please plan for traffic or parking.

I am excited to capture you and your loved ones!

Please let me know if there are any additional questions you may have.

See you soon!

-Tabitha