It’s normal to feel stress while planning a family photo shoot with young children. You are making a long-term investment and creating memories that you will cherish for years to come. When it comes to photoshoots, kids aren’t always simple to manage, so it’s normal to be nervous about bringing them along – I completely understand!
I am aware of how difficult it may be to take pictures of children because I am a parent myself! I always make an effort to arrive ready to engage with you and your child.
Here is my guide to feeling comfortable for family photos.
My Top Tips
- Prepare Yourself
- Get to Know Your Photographer
- Self Care
- Wear Comfortable Clothes
- Choose a Location
- Be Yourself
Prepare Yourself
Your children will pick up on your stress. Generally speaking, if you are comfortable and having fun, their behaviour will improve. Keep the peace by keeping your routine simple and calm, don’t over-worry about perfecting their hair. Focus on the big picture rather than getting caught up in the specifics.
Even though some things, like bad weather or illness, are unavoidable, there are a number of things you can do to get the most out of your family photo shoot. First, keep track of your child’s schedule to ensure that the session doesn’t conflict with naptime.
Feed your family before your shoot and carry easy-to-eat snacks with you. Using books and activities, you can stop kids from getting bored or walking off. But, don’t worry about it, we will go with the flow and embrace the craziness or shyness of your child!
Get to Know Your Photographer
I love to meet new people and get to know my clients and connect with them on a personal level. We need to get to know you in order to create the pictures you have always imagined, there will be no awkward staged poses and all the realness will be shown!
You should make sure you like the photographer, feel at ease with them and make sure you connect with their work before you sign any contracts or make any payments.
Take Time For Self Care
Take time before your session for some self-care. Whether it’s taking a long, leisurely bath, getting your nails done, practising yoga, or even taking a quick break to do some deep breathing. The likelihood is that your family will feel the same way if you come off as your most composed self!
The day or night before, try to do something calming for your family as well as yourself because getting everyone ready and out the door is stressful a lot of the time.
Wear Comfortable Clothes
It is crucial that each member of the family dresses in a way that they feel comfortable and confident in. This will make it easier to take unposed, natural images that capture you all as you truly are. No clothes should restrict movement, especially for children, they wriggle and move around a lot!
Styling a shoot is as important as the people in it. As a family photographer, I will be with my clients from the start and send them a guide to prepare for their shoot. I also have a wardrobe, should they need any inspiration (plus, it’s one size fits all, so need for them to worry about sizing!)
Choose a Location
Choosing a location that you all feel comfortable in is important. If you and your family have a favourite spot to spend time together, somewhere that your children are familiar with will help them feel at ease.
If you are struggling to think of a location, I have a guide on the top family photoshoot locations in Berkshire where I give you some beautiful spots.
Be Yourself
The most beautiful way to capture your family is in the presence of you all being yourself. Have fun, giggle, make jokes, play around and pull those silly faces. If it means you show your true personality then the goal has been met and you will have authentic family photos!
Don’t Leave it Too Late
These moments go by so fast and your kids don’t stay small forever. Trust me, I have been there and wish I was in more photos with my kids. They won’t care how you look in the photos as they will just be happy to see those moments at that time in life.
I want you to walk away from the session not feeling knackered, and to enjoy the whole experience knowing you had fun and felt confident.
Now is your chance to finally book your family photoshoot. You can enquire about my services here, I would love to come on the journey to help you document wonderful memories.
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