top tips

Top 8 tips on planning the perfect family photography session

A family photo session is a great opportunity to document your family memories and record important stages in life, like birthdays, welcoming new family members, and important anniversaries.  Family photo shoots are so much fun and they create everlasting memories for you and your children.

However, we often do not realise the importance of family photos until it is too late. 

In this post, I examine my top tips for planning the perfect family photo session. 

1.       Create a mood board

In order to deliver personalised photography, it is important for your photographers to understand your personalities, preferences, and relationship. The creation of a mood board is a way to help your creative team get to know you.  Pinterest is the best tool for creating a mood board, which allows you to share it with the photographer. 

2.      Select a location

It is important to choose whether to hold your family shoot at a studio or an outdoor location.  Both have their advantages and disadvantages.   Taking it outdoors is always a good option for family photos and it is currently in vogue.

See link for top five locations for a family photo session

The great outdoors can offer beautiful natural lighting and gorgeous background landscapes. Weston Park, the Arboretum and Lake Burley Griffin offer perfect locations for these photos.

While it may be tempting to choose an outdoor family photo location based on the landscape alone, you should, ideally, choose a spot that has some significance to the family as it will make the photo more meaningful. For example, go to a favourite park or even the family’s own backyard. As an added bonus, it will help keep young children and pets comfortable by shooting in a location they’re familiar with.

3.      Minimise your locations

In order to maximise photo time on your family photo shoot, I recommend minimising the number of photo shoot locations. Do not be tempted to select more than one location as you do not want to spend more time traveling from point A to point B than actually taking pictures. A great photographer should be able to make almost any location work.  You should trust in the creative abilities of your photographer to make the most of any location.

You have the possibility to select several sub-locations at most of the good locations around Canberra.  For example, at Weston Park, you can take images at the pond, around the lake, and walking amongst the trees. 

4.      Plan ahead

There is nothing more stressful than trying to get out the door and realising you have nothing to wear.  Plan your wardrobe well ahead of the photo session. For ideas on what to wear to your family photo session

Schedule some time the day before (or even a week) the photo shoot to make sure each of the items has been ironed or dry cleaned.  If you are stumped on what to wear, revert to your mood board for ideas or seek ideas or prompts from Instagram. If you are still struggling for ideas, contact your photographer for hints and advice. 

If you are getting your hair or makeup done on the day of the photo shoot, leave plenty of time in order to reach the location. 

You do not want to arrive feeling all rushed and panicky.

5.      Lay clothing out the day before

Lay each family member’s outfit together while planning. This way you’ll have a good idea about how the pieces will look next to each other. This will allow you a better idea of what works and what does not. Plus, this way, you can make sure that you are not missing any essential clothing items including matching accessories.

6.      Be well rested to ensure you remain engaged during the family shoot

Be certain not to schedule your photo session around your child’s nap or bedtime.  The best time for lighting is the two hours before sunset.  If this not the best time for your children, talk with your photographer.  Good photographers will be able to shoot at any time of day by utilising areas of open shade that will give your skin a beautiful hue and put a sparkle in your eyes.

7.      Be well fed and bring along some snacks

Try not to schedule your photo shoot around meal times. In fact, choose the time when they are still fresh, and preferably after mealtime if possible. 

Another tip is do not show up to a photo shoot on an empty stomach or have dinner scheduled straight after the photo session.  If dinner is scheduled straight after the photo session, why not make it a meal out to be an incentive for the kids to behave and be involved in the photo shoot. 

Do not forget to bring along some healthy snacks for the kids. 

8.      Include the family pet

Who said that you should not work with kids and animals? 

Family pets are important family members.  I actively encourage my clients to include their pets as and where possible on our shoots.   So why not bring the family pet along to include in some of the family portraits.  They are part of the family and they are great props for the kids too. 

Please bring dog treat/toys for the dog so that he is cooperative when it is time for their portrait.