Let me set the scene . . . 

You have contacted Terri for your family portraits. You have a date picked. You have talked to Terri about location & the general feeling of your photos. Everything is set but you still feel unprepared?

We can help! 

Here are a few proven tips for your family's portrait session to make the best experience for you and your family. 

Clothing- Plan your outfits for the season

You want to be your most comfortable while shooting your family session. During the warmer seasons, wear pastels and looser lighter clothing. Breathable is key here! 
In the cooler months, wear richer more saturated colors and take advantage of jackets, pants & fashionable scarves. 

Start with the hardest person to dress. This will make it easier to coordinate with everyone else. When planning everyone's outfit... Coordinate! Try thinking of it as if you are putting together one single outfit. 

Bonus! Think about your home's decor when planning outfits. Ultimately, the images will hang in your home and it's best to show your family's unique style. 

SLEEP. SLEEP SLEEP or maybe a big cup of coffee ;) 

We all know how important sleep is.. though often times we know how elusive 6 hours of quality sleep is. If you can swing it, try to put everyone to bed early. Well-rested children are always the happiest in pictures. If you are not able to get great sleep the night before don't worry; coffee will be your best friends. 

Those of you with tiny kids, make sure they have napped before your session. (sleepy toddlers & babies are never too keen on photos.) 

Eat before your session. 

Before your photo session make sure that everyone has eaten a little snack before the session. 
Bring snacks for the kids because shoots can be exhausting and snacks always help. 

If your favorite, four-legged furry friend is coming to your session bring doggie treats as an incentive to sit still for portraits. 

Plan ahead

If your shoot is on location, arrive at your location a few minutes early so that you can take care of any snafus that come up. Arriving early allows you and your family to get used to the space in which you will be shooting

If your shoot is at your home, make sure your sprinkler is turned off hours before your shoot. No one wants to take portraits in wet grass! 

Stay Together + Unplug

During your session, it's so important that your family stays together. Especially when shooting at your home... where it is easy for teens to wander off. This is to ensure everyone is experiencing the shoot as they should and are not missing those bonding moments in front of the camera by being on their phone.

Enjoy yourself & Be Present. 

Have fun with your session and soak up all that family goodness. This is not only a time to document your growing family but to spend time together that you will definitely cherish over and over again.  If you are enjoying yourself and that time with your kids, it will show and who doesn't want to see that in their family photos. 

We hope this helps you prep your family for their session! 

If you do not have a family session planned with Terri, contact us to book one! It's a great way to remember your family at whatever family phase you are in!