All photos were captured by the talented Emily Costopoulos of Emily Costopoulos Photography, Film & Design.
I often get asked where I find my ideas for our family photos, so I thought I would share our most recent shoot and the steps I took to plan it out. Family photo shoots can be daunting – the outfits, the timing, the toddlers!! When you are making an investment to capture memories, it’s important that it goes well. But, if you plan ahead (like everything else in life if you have kids), the session can, and will go well. Here are all of my tips for preparing a relaxed, and successful family photo shoot.
Tips for Planning a Family Photo Shoot
Choose the right photographer.
This tip is listed at the top for a reason. It’s the most important decision you will make in order to get the photos you envisioned. But before you can choose a photographer, you need to make some decisions. Do you want the photos taken outdoors? Do you prefer natural light? Are you into candid moments, or do you go for a more classic portrait style? There are A TON of different photography styles out there, and it’s your job to figure out what you like best before contacting the photographer. If their style isn’t in line with what you’re after, the photos you get back may not be what you had planned. So, for the photographer’s sake and your sake, decide on your style, talk about it with the artist and you both can decide if it’s a good fit. We have worked with Emily before, (you can see our past photo shoot here) She is my first choice every time, because I know her style of photography is exactly what I am looking for.
“Think about the right now. Think about the moments, the laughs, the jokes, the stories that fill you day right now – that funny facial expression your kiddo makes every time you read her favorite story, that ball cap your kiddos refuses to take off because it’s good luck, the warmth that comes over you when you see your little one learning how to play rock, paper, scissors. Think of what defines your right now – and tell your photographer about that defining thing. Make a plan with him or her on how to capture it, maybe that means an in-home session, or it means bringing a blanket and a stack of books to read together. Professional photos are special because it takes a screenshot of the right now, but in order to truly encapsulate this moment, you need think about what you want to remember about this very minute in time – and THEN communicate that with your photographer!”
Find some inspiration.
This is something I do every time I plan a shoot. Do some research on Pinterest or in magazines to get some ideas. It will give you direction. The it’s easy to create a check list for planning. Where will the photos be taken? Time of day? What will we wear? Do we need any props? For these pictures, I found a photo on Pinterest that I fell in love with a few months ago. When I decided it was time to take some more family pictures, I remembered how much I loved that pin and thought about how I could apply that to this session. It gave me my direction and made it easy for me to complete my planning process. It also gave Emily some direction on the look and feel I was going after. Send your photographer as much inspiration as you would like. It will totally help them prepare themselves to get the photos you’re dreaming of.
Find the right location.
After finding your inspiration, it should be easy to decide on a location for the shoot. Outdoors or indoors? A lot of the photo inspo I sent Emily were shot in a studio. I love how bright the images are. I also wanted a lot of neutrals and whites so the flowers would pop. Emily typically shoots outdoors, so I ran the idea of a white space by her to make sure it would work for her. She agreed, and found the perfect location in plenty of time before our scheduled date. Yay, no stress! If you have to travel to location, just make sure you know where you are headed before hand. If you are like us, we tend to always run late (blame it on the toddler), but knowing where you are going before packing up will help. Showing up stressed doesn’t will not start the session off on a good note!
Choose the right props.
This is something you may or may not need, but if you need props remember to plan ahead. Do you already own the prop or does it need to be purchased? If you need to buy something in order to bring your vision to life, do so in plenty of time before the big day. Again, let your inspiration guide you here. If you want to shoot outdoors, do you need a blanket to sit on or a tee pee for the kiddos? Anything for in the studio? The only prop we needed for these family pictures were the flowers. I worked with a florist I trust (don’t leave room for surprises) so I knew I would get what I wanted. One last note here: the more natural the prop, the better. It’s hard for photographers to work props into photos that are distracting to the overall shot. So keep that in mind.
Choose the right outfits.
For family photos, we like to dress up, but we are also laid back. That’s our personality so I want that to shine through in our pictures. Make sure you consider that while you plan your outfits. Also, have everyone in your family try their outfit on in advance in case any changes need to be made. You can even lay everything out to make sure things correlate together. I will note here – my personal style is not “matchy matchy” but things do need to flow together. If outfits aren’t jiving, it will be distracting once the photos are produced. One last thing. Keep it comfortable! It’s going to be hard for your family to act natural if they are stuffed in outfits they dislike.
Find the right bribe.
So with a toddler or young kiddos, their attention span will never last whole shoot. Please remember this tip: always bring their favorite toy or treat to help you get them through the photos. Family photographers usually have a few good tricks up their sleeve, but packing a little extra something won’t hurt. Emily also gave Lydia plenty of breaks from the camera and let her play while she captured the bump photos and Eric and I together. This helped re-gain her attention when we needed it.
Choose the right time of day.
This will definitely matter to natural light photographers, or if you are planning an outdoor shoot. Your photographer will have an opinion on when the best time might be to capture the images you’re after, but try and plan for what’s best for your family as well. We chose to shoot these photos late morning when the lighting was perfect and well before Lydia would be ready for a nap. It also made it easy to give her snacks before and during the shoot prior to her lunch time. A tired and hunger toddler does not make for good family photos.
Be yourself.
Like Emily said above, think about right now. Pictures capture a moment in time, which will be some of the most special memories you hang on to. I will forever look back on these photos with so much love. It is just the three of us with one on the way. Before we know it, we will soon be taking photos as the four of us. Lydia’s personality at this point in time was captured beautifully and so is our happiness as a family. So, if everyone doesn’t pose perfectly in every photo, don’t sweat it. That means you are being yourself. And those pictures tend to be my favorite prints – and the ones that make it on the walls of our house.
