Stress free family photo sessions
North Dallas Family & Child Photographer
(Yes, it is possible!)
Let’s break this down so that your session is as stress free as possible. Here are 5 tips that will help you have a stress free family photo session and be more prepared for your next family photo session here in the Dallas Texas area.
Make a plan:
Plan ahead and book ahead! A good rule of thumb would be to book about 3-4 months ahead of time, especially for fall sessions that include all your people. This allows for you to pick a session date that best suits your needs. September, October, and November are by far the busiest months of the entire year for family photos. If this is when you want your pictures, then your best bet is to book August 1st.
You can book that here.
Set realistic expectations weather-wise:
Texas weather can be quite unpredictable. Texans love Texas, but we don’t always love the Texas weather. So the key is to be flexible and have a backup plan. It could very easily be 85 degrees at any given day in the non summer months.
Every fall I get a handful of people who want fall color in their pictures. If this is you, then you need to book your pictures for mid to late November. If you book a session in early to mid September, it will most likely be hot. This isn’t a bad thing, just know that you aren’t going to want to dress everyone in sweaters.
If you are booking a spring session and want green and lots of spring color and Texas wild flowers, that usually makes its debut around mid to late March.
Remember the goal is to have a stress free family photo session, not an everyone complain because they are too hot family photo session. :o)
Communication is key before your session!
Tell me ahead of time if there are any special considerations. I am a mom of 4, and each of my kids has a very different personality. If your child is shy, hyper, easily upset, on the spectrum, has ADHD, isn’t comfortable with eye contact, or any number of things that you feel like I should know to help our session flow well, please feel free to tell me. In fact there is a place on your questionnaire you fill out upon booking that has a space for this. This is helpful know to have before the session. I want this to be the best experience for you. I want your kids to have fun. So if there is anything I need to know in order to help make that happen, please share it with me!
Trust me!
Locations: I have spent extensive time scouting out locations. I have a good handful of locations to choose from that are the places I prefer to photograph families. You can trust that the locations I have for you will be great for your session.
Clothing choices: I will send you a session guide that gives you pointers on choosing outfits. Trust me when I tell you this matters! There are a lot of cute outfits out there, but not all of them photograph well. And to add to that – picking 3-4 coordinating outfits can be stressful. I do this all the time. The last thing I want is for you to give up and just make everyone wear the same shirt or shirt color and jeans. So read that session guide and then communicate with me as you pick your outfits. In fact I want you to think of me as your personal shopper. So go on and put my number in your contacts because we will be texting back and forth prior to your session as well as the day of.
Choose outfits that allow for movement.
At my sessions we play -and we play a lot. And they may get a little dirt on them. It’s all okay. This goes for moms and dads as well. We are going to sit, and stand, and run, and play. So, this probably isn’t the best time for things like tight mini skirts, stiff shirts, or high heels. If a shorter dress or skirt is chosen for a child, I would HIGHLY suggest you add a pair of color coordinating shorts underneath. This helps them feel free to move and have fun during out session. I have several outfits I have saved on my amazon list just for you!
Let it go!
It’s the day of the session, and your kids are little crazy. You show up to a session, and they get even more crazy…. It’s okay momma, take a deep breath. For whatever reason kids always get a little crazy/silly on session day. It is OKAY. This is not the time to threaten, or take away that ice cream trip you had promised after the session. That will only produce tears and mad faces. This is the time to give them a pass. As long as nobody is getting hurt, we are just going to let it go. I know in your head you are seeing kids not cooperating as you had hoped, and your hopes of amazing family pictures are slipping away. And I will just tell you – from my experience, it turns out way better than you are imagining. If we are shooting outside, especially near the lake, I can guarantee you (especially if you have boys) they will want to pick up rocks and sticks. It’s okay. I always explain my rules to them, You can pick up a stick or rock, you can even throw it in the water, but you can’t hit anyone with it. To this day I have never had a kid not follow along.
I can’t wait to see you at your next family session!
February 2, 2024
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