i’m so honored that you’ve asked me to take photos of your family. THANK YOU. my goal is to capture this time in your lives and the personality of your family. having three of my own babies, I know that photoshoots can often be a time of stress. so to help alleviate some of that stress and anxiety, here’s a little guide that will hopefully make everything go as smoothly as possible :)

THE BASICS

first and foremost, please remember that my style is more candid than posed, more natural than stiff and perfect. if you’ve got littles who don’t want to cooperate, don’t worry. i’ll still get plenty of pictures of everyone. here’s just a few things to keep in mind and that we can try so that we can make the most out of your session.

  1. bring snacks! and feed your kiddos before hand! I tend to get hangry so I understand grumpy kiddos when they’re hungry. sometimes a snack break mid-session is all it takes to get kids refocused on what we’re doing a grab a couple more minutes of cooperation.

  2. if your kids are squirmy and don’t want to be held, or only want to have a grumpy face, that’s okay. all you have to do is remember to smile and laugh and i’ll do my magic to make it look like they were having the time of their life. it seems like the more mad the parents get, the more feisty and uncooperative the littles get. so don’t fight them, just go with it. maybe it’s sitting on the ground and collecting sticks, dancing it out (i’ll bring a speaker, don’t worry!), or a quick game of tag to get all their wiggles out.

  3. I have three kids + i’ve done a bajillion family sessions. i’ve seen it all. please don’t apologize to me for your kids don’t acting the way you were hoping they’d act. I get it, i’ve been there, i’ll work with you.

WHAT SHOULD YOU WEAR

my style always leans toward minimal, neutral, classics. i like coordination, not matching. you know those photographers who have everyone wear a black shirt and jeans? yeah, that’s not me. show me your personality but remember that these will be hanging in your house so don’t wear something you would absolutely never wear otherwise. what i’m saying is, BE YOURSELF. BE COMFORTABLE. please don’t feel the pressure to buy a whole new wardrobe. give yourself some permission and grace and let me take pictures of you enjoying your sweet family without you worrying about the perfect photos.

a few last things

  1. be so flexible. if your kids don’t know me they are usually super shy but let me know if i can bribe them with candy or fruit snacks and we’ll be best friends in no time. i’ve got a few tricks to encourage your big kids to warm up to me, but i’ve found that telling/ordering/forcing them into the pictures will almost always result in tears. we’ll start slow and they might just run around for a while but i’ve gotten some very sweet pictures with even the spiciest kids.

  2. be so patient. i’m not stressed, you don’t have to be stressed. if your older kids don’t want to take pictures in this moment, we’ll try again. and again and again. nothing makes them not want to be in the pictures more than upset, yelling parents. so we’ll all be cool and act like it’s not a big deal and it will work out, I PROMISE.

  3. i wish i could tell you that bribing your kids with ice cream after photos works but unfortunately for all of us, kids don’t really understand the concept of time. SO. you can try it, but i’ve found that a quick snack in the moment is far more valuable.

  4. just try to enjoy this uninterrupted time with your family without putting pressure on yourself. kids absolutely soak up their parents energy, so try to be calm and collected, have fun, play with your kids, don’t get frustrated and remember that if all else fails, I do know how to face-swap :)