We know how important your family photos are. They capture a special time in your family’s life story. So I’ve compiled some of my favorite tips to help make your family portrait session the best ever! Use these tips as a checklist as you prepare for your family photography session.

1.  Decide What to Wear, Ahead of Time.

Make sure that you go through your closet and decide what everyone will be wearing prior to the day of your session.  Try on all the clothing and make sure it fits everyone well.  Also, if you have older children, make sure everyone is on board for the clothing choices.  We want everyone to look AND feel their best.

2.  Save the Sweets for Later.

For the littles…please don’t give the kids candy prior to the session.  We want to offer them a sweet treat as an incentive to do their best and have fun during the session.  If they have already had their fill, this won’t work very well.  Also we really want to avoid that “sugar crash” that happens about an hour after eating sweets.  Finally, blue, red, orange or green candy stained mouths are really hard to fix in PhotoShop!

3.  Relax, No Cheese Please.

We know that family photography can be stressful for Mom and Dad, but the best thing you can do is relax and have fun.  We want to tell the story of your family at this stage in your life.  While giant smiles are amazing, the soft thoughtful looks, as well as belly laughs and everything in between are great as well!  We kindly request that you make your family session a “Cheese Free zone”!

4.  Decide on a Goal.

It is helpful to have a clear vision of what you would like to accomplish with the photography session.  Do you want a beautiful art piece for your wall, a custom designed album, gift prints for loved ones, etc.? Let us know!  We love to be able to shoot with the finished product in mind.

5.  Get Your Rest.

Make sure everyone is well rested on the day of the session.  If you have small children, try to plan your session around the best time of day for them.  We find that for kiddos under 3, early morning works best.  For the best lighting for outdoor sessions, we typically book 1 to 2 hours after sunrise or 1-2 hours before sunset.  Or  we can book your session in our studio for beautiful lighting at any time of day.

6.  Get Personal.

Bring something that is uniquely personal to your family.  Does your child have a favorite blanket?  Bring it!  Is your dog an important member of the family? Bring her along.  We really want these images to resonate with you for years to come.

7.  A Favorite Location.

Pick a location that is meaningful to your family.  Are your fondest memories sitting under an umbrella on the beach, or spending time at the Fun Zone?  Maybe your family loves to go antique shopping in downtown Orange?  Where ever the location, you should incorporated it into your photography session.