Tips for Stress-Free Family Portraits

Is the idea of preparing for a family portrait session stressful? I’m here to tell you, you are not alone. This is something I hear all the time from families, especially moms, who are interested in booking a session with me. Many times, when all is said and done, the process isn’t nearly as stressful as you might think. I’ve been photographing families for almost 15 years and have three children myself. I get it and want to help take stress away. I’d like to share a few tips with you on how to achieve stress-free family portraits.

1. Scheduling

When considering when to schedule your family photo session, timing is everything. First, I recommend scheduling on a day when you can all be well rested. While this can sometimes be hard to predict, especially with little ones, you’ll want to avoid scheduling on the day after a big event or a later-than-normal night.

Also, when considering time of day, keeping to family routine is incredibly helpful. For instance, try to avoid scheduling a session during a typical nap or mealtime. You can’t always predict or plan for everything, but it’s so much easier to deal with unexpected stressors when everyone is well rested, well fed, and at their best.

2. What to Wear

Trying to choose even just one outfit for a special occasion can be stressful, but when you are trying to coordinate outfits for the entire family, the task can seem monumental. You probably have a lot of questions and may not know where to start. I put together some great tips on what to wear for family portraits to help plan for the right, cohesive look for your family.

Families who book a session also receive a comprehensive Style Guide with even more recommendations on what to wear at your portrait session. The guide includes tips on wardrobe for mom, dad, and family, as well as how to mix colors to ensure all outfits look great together. Once you’ve chosen what to wear, you’re one step closer to stress-free family portraits!

3. Planning Ahead

Planning ahead is the real key to keeping things low stress during your portrait session.

If your session is at an outdoor location away from your home, make sure you know how to get there and how long it takes to get there. Give yourselves a little extra time to get ready and aim to arrive a few minutes early. Taking the logistics stress out of the picture makes it easier to stay relaxed and start our session on the right foot.

If you choose for your portrait session to be in your home, it might seem stressful to have to prepare not only yourselves, but your home for photos too. While it’s certainly important to tidy up, please do not stress! It’s always possible to strategically hide things that might be distracting in photos. Yes, a tidy house makes my job easier, but I know that is not always realistic, and that’s OK.

You may also worry about how your family will behave during your portrait session. While there is no magic wand to guarantee it goes smoothly, a little preparation goes a long way. You can sit down together to talk and let all family members, especially the small ones, know what to expect.

4. During Your Session

To begin a session, the most important thing is that everyone feels comfortable with the situation. Some children make be a bit more skeptical of strangers, so I like to take some time to get to know them first; just playing or talking before we actually start our session. This may take a bit of time, but it can make a big difference.

During our time together, I’ll coach you on where to sit and prompt you on how to interact. After that we’ll naturally evolve into a more playful style of photos – my favorite! As a lifestyle portrait photographer, a lot of situations develop naturally and don’t need much more than a little “set up” from my side. So, there is no need to spend hours searching for the perfect family portrait poses to prepare for your session. I strive to capture candid moments with natural energy to create a collection of beautiful family portraits.

Book your Stress-Free Family Portrait Session

Beyond these tips, I have also created New Client Guides for both in-home and outdoor sessions that I share with clients at booking. These guides go into even more detail about how to prepare and what to expect during a session with me, to take the stress away and let you enjoy time with your family. My goal is to capture natural, beautiful portraits and make your photo experience something you’ll look back on fondly for years to come.

I would be honored to capture photos for your family. Booking a session is easy (and stress-free)! Or you can contact me with any questions.