The Fall season is the busiest time of the year for photographers. It is the time of year that everyone wants updated family photos! So you’ve booked your Family's session and now you’re wondering what to do next. Getting professional photos taken is absolutely an investment of time and money and it is important……so with that can come pressure. It is normal to be a little bit nervous, especially if you have never had professional photos taken before. Well, have no fear, because I am here to make sure that you are comfortable! I want you to enjoy your shoot. It should feel more like a hangout sesh than a stressful event. So I decided to give you a few tips. Here are 5 things that you can do to help it go as smooth as possible!

Book early! Don’t wait until like 2 weeks before Christmas and try to get that last minute session in so you can hurry and print some Christmas cards. Trust me on this. It will only stress you out. It will also stress the photographer out. You can literally save yourself so much stress by just booking early! One of the advantages of this is that you get the cream of the crop as far as picking a date. You get to pick whichever date is best for you. Those precious weekend dates…guess what…they fill up the absolute fastest! So by booking early you are ensuring you get the date you need. It also allows you plenty of time to plan outfits and styling of the session. That brings me to the second tip.
Don’t wait until the last minute to plan and shop for outfits. This is another great way to stress yourself out. I am going to write a whole blog post on how to style your session but for now, let's just keep it at this. If you wait until the week of the shoot…you are going to be running around like a crazy person going in and out of 13 different stores and returning things and buying too many items. It is best to start early! Like right after you book. Start thinking of what color scheme you would like. Do you want bold color or do you prefer more earthy and neutral tones? Do you want a more casual feel or something more dressy. I will send you a list of great places to shop if you need help with that. The clothing you choose for your session has a huge impact on the overall aesthetic of your photos. It is super important so shop early!
Do some Prep-work for your shoot: if you have little ones……be sure they are fed before the shoot. If they are young, don’t dress them in their outfit until you arrive at the location! Bring non messy snacks for the ride over to ensure they have full tummies! A hungry babe is a cranky babe. Lol. Also, bring wet wipes for wiping faces down right before the shoot. Another thing you can do if your child or children are still very young is adjust their nap on the day of the shoot. If the shoot is in the evening close to bedtime, putting them down for a later than normal nap that day might be helpful. Try to keep activities to a minimum on the day of the shoot as not to make them overly tired. One other thing to help prep your family: tell them you are going on an adventure, do not speak negatively about the photo shoot because kiddos pick up on that. Have a positive attitude about it and they will too! We will have lots of activities to keep them busy during the shoot, so it will feel more like an adventure to them than a sit down and be still and smile type of session.
Arrive early! Even if just 5 to 10 minutes. It helps to minimize stress and just gives you a few minutes to breathe and collect your thoughts. If you are unfamiliar with the location I always suggest going even earlier, just in case it is difficult to find. Use GPS if possible to help you find the location. Time is very precious during golden hour as light fades rather quickly, so even being 15 minutes late could affect the amount of images we get! Arriving early also allows your family time to do last minute things like comb hair, change into outfits, go to the bathroom, tie shoes, etc.
Go with the flow! Take a deep breath. Try to relax and just enjoy your family! Parents, try to let go of every other responsibility and just be IN the moment with your children. Don’t be afraid to show your love for them. Laugh with them, dance with them, play with them, snuggle them, walk with them, explore with them. I promise you that getting family photos can be a fun thing! I will encourage you and prompt you, but the connection……and the emotion that comes with that connection……..that’s all you.