How to prepare for your family photography session

 
Family photo session with father and two daughters with colourful glass background
 

Congratulations on setting up a family session! Here are all the details to think about before shoot day. If you have any questions, please get in touch with me here!

My family sessions are a mixture of documentary and me guiding you with positions and poses. We’re going for natural-looking images, so fear not - no corny poses around here!

 
 

Choosing a Location


What kind of setting speaks to your family: Urban? Green and foresty? Ocean-side? Perhaps equally, a home shoot is the most fitting and provides opportunity for capturing your family in the place you spend your most time.

Whichever setting you’re pulled to the most is the one to go for.

I have lots of suggestions for locations we can talk about when discussing your session if you’re open to suggestions!

 
 
Father, son and daughter in the green park
 
 

What to Wear

I do recommend coordinating outfits for a family session to a certain extent as it creates cohesivity between all involved. This doesn't have to mean you all wear matching outfits (although totally feel free to do so if you feel called). Some things you can consider to create cohesion are:⁣

👉🏽 Pick a colour palette - soft pastel colours; primary colours; or maybe two colours with different tones⁣

👉🏽 Choose a colour that each person will wear as part of their outfit. Eg one person wears navy blue tights (and other colours for the rest of their outfit), one person wears navy blue trousers, one person, a navy blue head scarf. You get the idea!⁣

👉🏽 Have a mixture of people wearing a pattern and block colour clothing, and keep one of the colours in the pattern consistent with other's outfits 

Father with two young daughters sitting in a clearing in the woods on a treestump

 

Safety precautions during COVID

Here in B.C whilst there are safety measures in place around Covid, we’ll make sure that everyone feels comfortable for the session, and be mindful of physical distancing, mask wearing, sanitising and other protocols.

What to bring

Just bring yourselves! Avoid bringing anything that you won’t be using during the shoot, eg bags, extra clothes etc as I’m generally not able to balance holding things along with my cameras.


Furry Friends

Have a furry friend in your family who will be part of your shoot? Make sure to bring extra treats for them during the session just in case we need that extra incentive for them to be on their best behaviour!

 



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