Your Family Session Experience Guide

A relaxed, connected approach to creating meaningful family photographs.

Thank you for trusting me to document your family. The most meaningful photographs are about connection, play, tenderness, and genuine moments together. If you are hiring me, you have chosen to prioritize your family in action and value pictures that will show your family as you are vs. flawless moments of composure. Please carefully review my portfolios to get a sense of what to expect.

What to Wear

Start with mom’s outfit, coordinate rather than match, choose soft neutral or earthy tones, wear layers if needed, and keep patterns subtle. Typically, only one person should be wearing patterns. Avoid large logos, neon colors, and athletic wear. However, if your child has a strong preference for a specific piece of clothing, I recommend allowing them to be themselves (for example, one family let their toddler son wear his truck shirt because it was his favorite and showed his true self).

Before Your Session

Empty pockets before we start. Make sure girls (and mom) are wearing shorts under dresses or skirts, bra straps are covered, and no one is chewing gum. For longer hair, consider bringing some back up items to pull hair up or remove hair from your face in case it’s windy or an active child’s hair keeps getting into their face as they are running around.

Families With Toddlers

Toddlers do not need to be perfect. Bring a few small rewards, allow exploration, and trust that authentic moments often create the most meaningful images. Allow your kids to run around a bit, explore, and play games. Think of games that your kids love to do with you—I’ll also suggest some as well.

During Your Session

Hold hands, snuggle, laugh, play games, whisper secrets, and focus on one another more than the camera. Avoid falling into the pattern of smiling into the camera with stiff limbs or pointing at the camera in order to get your child to look in my direction – always try to be touching, tickling, or having your arms around your family. Leave your toddler looking at the camera to me!

Session Checklist

□ Water
□ Small snacks
□ Bug spray
□ Extra layers
□ Comfortable shoes
□ Toddler rewards (clear color candies)
□ Positive energy
□ A willingness to play