Come on in and enjoy a story! I promise there will be pictures…
Preparing for Your Mini Session
Just book a mini session? Awesome! Here are some things you should know:
Show up early! Mini sessions are booked back-to-back, so if you’re not ready to start at your scheduled start time, you may lose out on valuable photo taking minutes. Allow plenty of time to park, find the meeting spot, and get everyone looking their best after the car ride. I’m usually running right on time during mini session events, because I can’t lose daylight!
Text me when you arrive! I include my cell number in my emails to clients. Many photo locations will have other photographers present, so don’t assume the first photographer you see is me! Just head to the meeting spot and shoot me a text to tell me you’ve arrived. When I finish photographing the family before you, I’ll come find you.
Consider leaving your pup at home. I LOVE dogs, and I think they add so much cuteness to photos! If your dog is a member of your family, you may want to bring them! If that’s the case, try to bring along a friend or family member who can help hold the leash for some no-dog photos. Alternatively, if you’re already juggling the chaos of 1 or more little ones (babies and toddlers especially), consider leaving your dog at home. You’ll likely end up with a slightly larger photo gallery where I can give more attention to getting your kids to smile. Also, make sure to note that not all locations (like the Christmas tree farm and studio) are dog friendly.
Dress for the weather. Little kids have a hard time just “sucking it up for 15 minutes of being cold.” You may have thought it would be warmer, but then a cold wave came through. You may have put so much thought and effort into picking the perfect outfits for a 65 degree fall day. But asking your kids to smile through it because you don’t want sweaters in photos may bite you in the rear. What you risk for nixing the proper attire is goose bumps, chattering teeth, tense smiles, and red noses. Instead, consider layering up. Not all layers are visibile - like putting your daughter in 2 pairs of tights instead of 1 or putting your son in a long sleeve shirt with a button up over top. Some families opt for sweaters, vests, and jackets as well, if it’s cold enough. So keep your kids’ cold-weather tolerance in mind when picking outfits!
Prioritize naps and snacks. People don’t photograph well when they are hungry or sleepy (adults and children alike!). If possible, please make sure everyone has food in their bellies and no one has missed any naps.
I advise making this photo session today’s big event. Make it feel special and exciting for your kids. Perhaps there will be ice cream afterwards?! Regardless, if the day has been full of soccer games, running errands, and other big activities, there may not be much energy left for photos. So try not to pack photo-day with too many exhausting activities.
Check out my Tips for Picking Outfits. I actually have an entire blog about this! But in short…
Wear clothes that fit well and give you confidence.
Let *mom* pick her outfit first
Aim for color coordination over matching
Put biker shorts on any young girls wearing skirts or dresses
Consider avoiding bright red or pink (especially those super saturated shades) - these shades can cast colored shadows on the faces of those nearby.
What if it rains? If rain is in the forecast, I’ll text or email you the day before your session with a plan. We always hope the forecast will clear! But sessions do sometimes need to be moved.
Have fun :) I know that prepping your family for a 15 minute photo session can be a lot! But once you’re all there, just try to have fun with your kids (and share this with your spouse too). The parents who show up ready to play and have fun with their kids will ALWAYS get the best photos. I try to make magic with EVERY family, but you just can’t beat a session where the parents show up ready to enjoy their family. I’ll bring the poses, the prompts, and the silliness. You guys can just show up and have fun together.
Creative Photo Session Ideas
Listen, I’m 100% here for a lifestyle family photo session at a local Pittsburgh park. But what if the park vibe just isn’t for you? Or maybe you love that look but you’ve already done it year after year? Here are some creative photo session ideas. (Translation: please book me for one of these, because they all sound super fun, and I want to capture those dreamy photos for you…)
1) Get Messy with Paint
Pick your favorite paint colors and some white or neutral clothing that can get dirty. (PSA: Crayola paints are insanely washable…like more so than any marker or crayon.) We hang up a white sheet behind you. Paint the sheet, paint on an easel and canvas, or paint each other! Snuggle your toddler, kiss your spouse, let the breeze blow your hair. Let’s listen to your favorite songs and have fun! I think this could be such a fun family session but would also work great for a couple (engagement? anniversary? just because?). This is one of my Pinterest dreams, so here’s an example from another photographer!
*The photo below was shot by Laura Ingebrand in Des Moines*
2) Floral Crowns and Pretty Dresses
Hire an incredible florist (like Field & Hand or The Farmer’s Daughter) or make a DIY flower crown out of Trader Joe’s flowers or artificial flowers (see how HERE). Make this a fun mommy & me session for girls of any age! Or maybe a maternity session with all the floral goodness?! Pair the florals with flowy dresses (perhaps you all need a 2nd occasion to wear your Easter attire?). Bring dad if you want, and we’ll get some full family shots too. Or skip that and just let it be a girls session. (Or heck, my 4 year old son would probably love this too!) We can take photos at one of my favorite go-to spots or maybe head to Simmons for summer flower picking.
3) Do What You Love Doing as a Family
The world is your oyster! Having an activity can make photos more interesting and authentic. The real questions is - what do you guys love doing?
-Love feeding your chickens? Let’s do a coop session!
-Is bath time your absolute favorite time with your baby? Let’s capture that!
-Enjoy family walks and picnics? Let me be your paparazzi!
-Can’t wait for Pirates season? Get dressed in your game gear, and we’ll snap some city shots before the next game.
-Love making homemade pizza together? 100%, let’s do it.
These types of photo shoots are perfect for families who feel stuck in a rut. It’s also great for families who feel stiff and uncomfortable in front of the camera. I’m always here to help you look and feel natural and beautiful, but sometimes adding an activity can make all the difference. Click HERE to reach out, and we can start planning out your next family photo shoot in the Pittsburgh area!
The M Family requested photos at Randyland!
The B Family books a yearly session each spring at their home!
Tips for Lifestyle Family Photos
Do you ever see photos of families on Instagram and feel like you’ll never have photos like that because your family just isn’t “photogenic”? Perhaps you’ve even hired a professional photographer before, but all you got were forced smiles. Well gone are the days of stiff, heavily posed family photos. The great news is that anyone can get beautiful lifestyle family photos if they have the right approach. Here are my top 3 tips for swoon-worthy family photos, even if you don’t categorize your family as “photogenic.”
1) HAVE FUN!: I know it sounds cheesy, but there’s really something to it! View your photo session as an hour of family fun time. If you focus on having fun with your family, your photos will naturally emit joy. Step 1 is to get your spouse on board. Your kids will feed off the energy of their parents. Step 2 is presenting the photo session to your kids as a fun opportunity for play. Here’s an example:
“Hey! I’m super excited because today we get to go to the park as a family and play together! This will be a little different from other times we’ve gone to the park, but it’s going to be SO fun! My friend Ms Kelsey will be there taking pictures, and she’s super silly. I can’t wait to hang out with you and Daddy, and I’m excited to show you the pictures later. Do you think we should take a picture of you on Daddy’s shoulders?”
2) SKIP THE BRIBES: The belief that photo-taking is a painful experience is a *learned belief*. In my experience, kids have a blast and are often sad for it to end. So instead of offering up bribes at shot number 1, keep them in your back pocket and only bring them out if necessary. Offering bribes signals to your kid that they’re doing something they don’t want to be doing. But remember…if the parents are on board and having fun…kids will feed off of that energy and have fun too!
3) CHOOSE THE RIGHT PHOTOGRAPHER: The photographer you choose MATTERS! If you want all the beautiful in-between moments, dreamy behind-the-scenes type shots, and joyful laughter, you need to hire a photographer that specializes in this. Any photographer you’re considering should have an online gallery full of photos that are aspirational for you. If you don’t want a super posey photographer, don’t hire the photographer that features loads of posey shots in their portfolio. If you want a photographer who is great with young kids, hire a photographer who shows lots of photos with young kids in their portfolio. Don’t assume that we all do everything! For example… I’m absolute garbage at taking inspiring landscape photos. I hate doing it, and it shows! A photographer’s website shows their best work. Don’t assume they specialize in anything other than what they’re showing you.
