Playful Parents & Joyful Kids

My absolute favorite thing to photograph is playful parents and joyful kids! So please enjoy these photos from a recent extended family photo session at Mellon Park in Pittsburgh, Pa. And if you scroll to the bottom, you’ll find a few of my best tips for having photos like these for your own family!

(And in case anyone was wondering, YES, there were a ton of smiling-at-the-camera portraits! But boy do I prefer all the in-between moments and joyful laughter!)

If you’d love to capture moments like this within your own family, here are a few tips!

1. Book a session, even though life feels too crazy. Book a session, even if you don’t love your body right now. Book a session, even though you think your husband might complain or your kids might misbehave. If you don’t prioritize family photos, you just won’t have them.

2. Book a photographer with a portfolio you love. If you want a photographer who captures candid laughter and in-between moments, you need to find a photographer who shares those types of images on their website or social media. Book a photographer with experience in the type of photography you want. (Not all wedding photographers are good with kids. Not all landscape photographers are good with humans.) Find someone who specializes in what you want! And lastly, make sure you like the photographer’s editing style. What you see on their portfolio represents what you’ll receive in your gallery, and most photographers will NOT change edits or provide unedited photos to clients. Who you book MATTERS!

3. Prepare for your session! I always send my clients a guide for making their session awesome, but a few tips I give are these: Make sure your spouse knows how long the session will last and is prepared to not complain about it. Let your kids know that you’ll be going to a park and playing together while someone takes photos. How you phrase this really depends on the ages and personalities of your kids, but I always try to make it sound fun! I don’t want them to arrive with dread. And truly, most kids I photograph have so much fun! (Once again…make sure you’re booking a photographer who is the right fit for your family and your photo goals.)

4. Let yourself have fun with your kids! I know this is easier said than done when you’re paying a lot of money for photos and you’re feeling a little stressed about it. I get it! But the best photos will always be the ones with joyful subjects. If you delight in your kids and have fun with them, I will capture those feelings in photographs. I know that as a mom, I have a fun side and I have a side that makes sure that my kids are behaving. It’s a spectrum! But when it comes to photos, I try not to reprimand my kids if I don’t absolutely have to. In that 1 hour, my soul focus will be to DELIGHT in my children. And when I play with my kids, my kids will have fun. Because lets face it - little kids LOVE playing with their parents. As the photographer, I provide lots of ideas throughout the session for how parents can play with their kids! As the parent, I just ask that you have fun with your awesome kiddos. That’s it!

Now go have an awesome day, and thanks for supporting my small business by giving my blog a read! :)

Are You Supposed to Tip Your Photographer?

It has become increasingly easy to add the option for customers to tip businesses at checkout. And so, of course, we’re seeing more businesses asking for tips. Sometimes it’s expected and normal, while other times it feels like “umm…is this something I’m supposed to be doing now??” If you’re like me, you’ve googled and read Reddit posts about various types of businesses to know what’s expected and normal. I don’t want to be the jerk that doesn’t tip when I should! So for anyone wondering, after 8 years in business as a photographer, here’s my answer to “Should I tip my photographer?”

In short, no. You totally don’t need to. Almost no one does. It’s not expected at all. In fact, I removed the tipping option from invoices because I didn’t want anyone to feel like they should tip me. And to be honest, I don’t plan to share this blog on social media, because I don’t want my clients to see the title and get nervous. But perhaps you’re googling this question and want an answer, so here it is: nope!

I am my own boss, and my boss pays me a fair wage….

I set my pricing, and I charge what makes sense for my business. I list my pricing clearly on my website, and I don’t negotiate or barter. If you don’t think what I offer is worth the price I charge, there are plenty of newer/less experienced photographers who charge less, and you can absolutely work with one of them instead.

Now, I will say that I have been tipped on occasion, and that’s fun! But it’s rare and unexpected. Even if you feel like your toddler is being extra wild, it’s honestly the status quo for me and doesn’t bother me at all.

Here are a few exceptions:

1. I believe it’s more common to tip a wedding photographer

2. If the photographer is shooting an event, and if you’ve asked them to stay later than planned (especially if they don’t charge a late fee), you should probably tip them

3. If you’ve hired a photography company that has a bunch of photographers working for them, tipping might be more of a consideration. (Since those photographers have a boss who is paying them a wage that is likely lower than expected.)

4. If you’ve hired a photographer who way under-charged because they were new and didn’t realize their mistake (like charging $100 for a mini session). You might consider tipping that person!

This is my personal experience and opinion. There are a ton of photographers out there, and I’m sure some of them disagree with me. But in my experience, tipping a photographer is not normal or expected. You’re always welcome to do it, but you shouldn’t feel pressured. I’ve chatted with other photographer friends, and they agree. So there you go! :)

Summer vs Fall Photos

October and November are my BUSY season! And I get it…the leaves are changing, the temperature is cooler, and you want updated photos for that holiday card. BUT let’s not sleep on those dreamy sun-kissed summer photos… here are some pros and cons to consider.

Summer Photos: Pros

1) It’s probably going to be warm! And if your kids are sensitive to cold weather, this could be a real win. The reality is that a too-cold session can lead to a red nose, shivering, and general fussiness. And while fall temps can also be lovely, it’s hard to predict. So if you have little ones and you don’t want to potentially bundle them up for photos…consider summer photos!

2) Photos are more likely to be sun-kissed. Yes, the sun comes out in both summer and fall, but we do tend to have sunnier weather in the summer.

3) Flowers! There’s no need to worry about when the leaves will fall and if the background will be stick-y. Summer backdrops are naturally colorful in every month!

4) Outfit options. Warm temps allow for bare arms, sandals, and all the colorful prints and patterns. And while you may or may not like summer clothing, it’s important to consider that you may need to bundle your family up come fall. October sessions are sometimes 70 degrees and sometimes 40 degrees…and I just can’t predict it.

5) Availability. Photographers are SWAMPED in October and November, and you will have a much easier time booking a session in summer. (AND you can get your holiday card printed early and not have to worry about it later.)

Summer Photos: Cons

1) Sunset is later in the summer, so start times are later. This can be difficult with bedtimes for some families.

2) Sweat. Listen, I get it! Summer gets hot, and you might be sweaty by the end of the session. Although, truth be told…family photos with little ones are pretty active, so that may happen regardless of month.

3) Holiday card timing. Some families with little babes want to take their card photo as close to December as possible because babies change so fast! If you think your kids will look super different in July vs November, a fall session might be the right choice for you.

4) Leaves. While I can’t tell you exactly when the leaves will change each fall, I can tell you the leaves will probably be green in summer. So if you’re just absolutely obsessed with fall foliage, a summer session may not be for you.

Regardless of timing, I hope to see you for photos this year! :)