Family Photography Session

Preparing for a family photography session can be a daunting task. Here are some need-to-know essentials to capturing the perfect family portrait.

First, grooming— make appointments to touch up any hair, nail, and/or makeup needs before your images are taken. Put your best foot forward, and then let the camera do the rest. When the big day comes, don’t sweat the small stuff. Enhancement can be done with photography editing software to flesh out all the finer details.

Second, outfitting— giving yourself plenty of time in advance to plan your attire will make the day of the photo session feel calm and collected. Choosing what to wear is as important to the outcome of the pictures as the weather, the camera, or the photographer. The greatest factor when choosing an outfit is wearing something that is both comfortable for the season and for movement during pictures. Wearing garments that capture movement and angles will enhance the image and take it from flat to multidimensional. The next thing to remember is that there is a BIG difference between matching and coordinating outfits. Try to avoid wearing exact matches as the rest of your family members, and instead opt for coordinating color palettes, textures, and patterns. For example, in autumn a great way to coordinate would be to select a palette of warm earth-tones with a pattern or texture layered in.

Now let’s set the scene— props and accessories are a great way to relax the subject into doing a natural movement and creating a great picture. Things like flowers, autumn leaves, hats, suspenders, and other holdable objects can create a narrative within the picture, adding life and depth. Additionally, props to interact with can be a great way to get a kid excited and interested in taking pictures.

The most important thing to remember is to have fun, and enjoy the day capturing forever memories with your family. The best results come from capturing true emotion from the subject, so let the love and joy you feel for your family shine through for the camera to capture.