Family photos can be stressful if you aren't prepared, or if your kids decide to be kids and not cooperate. Don't worry! I am here to walk you through it. Follow these steps for preparing for your photoshoot and you'll be golden! 

BEFORE THE SHOOT

1. Lay out your clothes.

It is so helpful to see how your carefully curated outfits look together as a group. This is especially beneficial if you are taking extended family pictures and not everyone is under the same roof (like below). If you need help picking out outfits, check out my style guide. Not only is it helpful visually, but you can also asses what clothes need to be ironed and get it done now so you aren't scrambling before the shoot to get rid of wrinkles. 

NIGHT BEFORE

2. Get a good night's sleep.

Easier said than done, I know, but with the entire family well rested we are more likely to have happy participants. And by having previously laid out and ironed all the clothes, Mom doesn't need to stay up late getting it done. 

DAY OF THE SHOOT

5. Make Sure Everyone is Fed

When you're rushing out the door to get to the location on time, dinner can be an afterthought. Or during the winter months when we have to shoot earlier and the shoot overlaps into dinner time. Food can be an easy thing to forget, but it is so important! Hangry kids (and dads) are hard to work with - and who can blame them?! I get hangry when I haven't eaten too. Bring some granola bars or something filling (and relatively mess free) for them to snack on in the car or before they're even loaded. Happy, fed kids (and dads) make a world of difference at the shoot. 

4. Relax + Release Control 

You've made it to the day of the shoot. You've arrived with everyone dressed and ready to do this! You guys are awesome! All the legwork and prep has led you to this moment, and now it's time to hand over the reigns. I know it's a lot of buildup, only to have to release control. I get it.  Don't worry if your kid isn't looking at me and smiling, I got this! Kids are the whole reason I'm a family photographer. What I need you to do is relax. If I have a child who isn't thrilled about pictures, I have a whole bag of tricks up my sleeves. The main thing I need you to do is smile and be ready to look at the camera. That's it. I know it can be hard to not parent your kid and watch as they are not the best at following instructions, but it's ok. They are in a different environment with someone they just met. It's a lot to take in. I need you, as the parent to keep your cool and just let them be kids. Half of the time the best candids I get are when your kids are warming up to me. This can be one of the hardest things for parents to do, but if we've established this level of trust, I am positive we will be able to get all the pictures you dream of!

(Case in point - you would never have guessed that Teddy wasn't having it. He wanted to run wild and play and didn't want to smile. But after a few moments of working with him, and having his parents look at me and smile the whole time, I was able to capture this direct eye contact smirk that ended up being printed for the wall.)