congratulations!
i am honoured to be doing this with you!
Throughout this guide, I will be giving you tips and tricks for a successful session. If I have not answered all the questions that might be in your mind, please do not hesitate to contact me to ask. I don't want you to feel nervous or unsure throughout this process.
location and time
I am both a natural light and studio photographer. Sunsets give photos life and overcast days make the richest warm tones. I love nature in the background of images and love to capture movement. That being said, I have favourite locations based on season and weather. If you have a favourite or meaningful location that you'd like to use, let me know! I am completely open to trying new places.
The absolute best time to do an outdoor session is golden hour, this is an hour and a half before sunset. Golden hour offers diffused and even lighting which enhances colours. However, if we book a session and it ends up being completely cloudy and overcast with no chance of sun, or we are shooting in studio, then anytime is a good time to shoot. We won't be fighting the bright sun and harsh shadows.
If younger kids joining us for the sessions I try to encourage a later nap that day, especially if you love the sunset feel to images.
Together we will choose a beautiful location that meets the vision you have and also has beautiful light.
Golden Hour
what to wear
Styling is one thing I love to help with. Most importantly is try to dress yourself and your family a bit more dressed up then you would usually wear. Think layers. Probably the biggest difference between sessions that look great and sessions that look amazing. Little boys in a t-shirt, with a button-up over it, or suspenders over top of a t-shirt and some cords! All little boys look so cute in a Fedora for a cute little extra touch. Little girls: same thing, leggings, a fun skirt, or dress, tank with a sweater and a tasteful headband or hair clips.
*Side note: Stay away from neon or bright colours, ball caps, clothing with logos or anything with wording. They look dated and tend to take away from everyone's gorgeous features.
Coordinate. As you think about your colour palette, imagine your family being one complete piece of artwork. Each person/outfit will bring together a feeling of formality and coordination. Instead of everyone wearing the same shade of blue - think about what accent colours might look nice with said blue. Perhaps blue plaid shorts for your son with a t-shirt, suspenders and a hat. Pull some of the colours of his plaid shorts to find a great skirt or dress for your little girl. Dad can wear dress pants and a shirt that coordinates with the plaid shorts and skirt on your daughter, and finish it off with an awesome jacket. Mom will round the entire family out with a dress, gown, leggings or shoes that coordinates with the family colour story. Neutrals or earth tones are a personal favourite, they are timeless and classic, they will never date an image.
Head to toe. Remember to dress down to you and your family's feet! No scuffed runners for boys, but fun and dressier shoes. Runners are great if they are a solid colour but anything that has vibrant or neon colours will likely stand out quite a bit in your images. Same for girls, try to stay away from Frozen crocs or runners or shoes, but more traditional Mary Janes or boots work best! Shoes stand out in photos.
Think to coordinate without matching perfectly. Dads, instead of defaulting to a plain ole polo, get a shirt to compliment your wife’s outfit with textures, they photograph amazingly. Get creative! Only one person should be in a pattern (usually mom) and everyone else should have a complementing colour that pulls from her outfit. Too many patterns can get distracting and take away from the beauty of your family. Also, let's talk hats (by hats I mean the ball cap style)! I know men can be more comfortable in them but they will always hide your face or cover someone else's face in certain poses. If dad must wear a hat, try and convince them to wear a solid coloured one rather then one with sports logos.
Colour Coordination
Kids
Preparing your kids for our session as much as possible often takes the timidness out of the evening. Let them know what we will be doing the moment we book our session if they are unfamiliar with having their pictures taken during a professional family session. Let them know we are going to have fun, play games, tell jokes. Talk to them about me as if I am a friend so that they see you are comfortable with me, this usually helps them feel comfortable as well. Don't worry about telling them to smile during our session, some kids who have been coached to smile for the photographer get so nervous that they are fighting to laugh, relaxing and being their true selves. But I promise you that letting me get them to smile genuinely will make you the happiest when you see your final result. If I need your help to let them loosen up, I’ll let you know! Try getting them to practice kissing your tummy, hugging your tummy or just touching it. I will ask them to do this a lot during our session so if they are familiar with it and think its super fun, it will capture those incredible shots you see of loving siblings.
I’m a huge fan of bribery - (ice cream after!) is always a great idea for the ones who need a little extra encouragement. Treats during the session are totally ok!
Prepare the kids to have fun
dads
Moms, I’m speaking to you. Is your husband feeling less than thrilled about our upcoming photoshoot? Don’t worry, this is totally normal. They likely already know how important this is to you and that is why they are a part of the session but remind them it's going to be painless. I have a pretty relaxed vibe so it never feels overwhelming or stiff. Remind them they do not need to stand in front of me and smile the entire time, the adults have just as much fun as the kids.
More often then not I get messages from mom's after the session telling me how their husband said the entire experience was less painful then they thought it would be. I have also had moms tell me their husband mentioned they should do another session a year or so later for updated family pictures. If the dads are giving the mom's the reminder to rebook, that in itself is the biggest success for me!
Prepare dad to have fun
Moms
You deserve a huge pat on the back. Getting in the frame is just as important for you as it is for your kids and your husband or partner. It is so often that moms are the ones taking the pictures because it is always, always on our mind. When your kids sit down with you as they grow older you never want to have to answer the question "Where were you, mom?". Because you were there too and it will be so nice to have proof of that. You. need to document your beautiful self and the bond you've you have with your family.
On the day of our session, I am sure you will be nervous and that's so natural! All I ask for you is to come as yourself, live in the moment!. If anything is out of place then I will let you know. Just be present and have fun!
Prepare YOURSELF to have fun
weather
If we're shooting outdoors and the weather turns out warmer/cooler than you anticipated when putting together outfits, please adjust what everyone is wearing. Doing a session when it's sweltering and kids are overdressed is never fun. Likewise, if a cold front comes through unexpectedly. The best tip I have is regardless of the weather, always have a sweater to coordinate with outfits, for everyone, so if we get a chilly wind come through, everyone can stay warm. It is always best to have too many clothes than not enough.
I will be watching the weather all day, likely up to days before. If it doesn't rain but is overcast, we can still do the shoot, in fact, some of the best light is overcast light. If it looks like a 60% or greater chance of rain, we will make the call together to reschedule based on both our schedules.
We will create great images regardless of the weather
Illness and running late
Just as important as the weather, are you and your family's health. There isn’t anything worse than an unhappy and sick feeling child, it's hard on you and it's hard on them - they especially do not want to be in front of a camera. At the first sign that you or your kids aren’t well, please give me a call and we will reschedule for the soonest available date.
Being late, it happens! Life happens! I get that, I have a child of my own. I try to only do one session per day but during the busy season I can have up to two. I will wait up to 30 minutes before having to leave to meet my next session so I am not late for them. My contact information is on almost every email you will get from me so just give me a call if you know you're running behind so I can plan accordingly.
No biggie!
additional tips
Moisturize yourself before the session to avoid any dry looking skin. Especially if you're looking to get a few bare belly shots.
I have a client wardrobe full of maternity dresses. Please, please, please let me know if you would like to come over before our session to try any of them on. Plan for outfit changes throughout your session for a wide variety of images.
Nude panties and bra are best if you choose any of the maternity gowns in my collection. If you've picked anything with black lace then black bra and panties are great! You'll have a better idea of what will be needed once you try things on.
Try to avoid wearing tight panties and bra. A looser fit will ensure that no lines will form through tighter fitting gowns.
If you're interested in any images of you in just your panties and bra then sets are perfect for this. Nudes, blacks, whites or any coloured set you prefer. Soft colours and lace photograph best. It is also a great option to have just a man's dress shirt or cozy cardigan wrapped around you with your belly popping out.
Pay attention to your nails! A lot of images will be focused around your hands and having them on your tummy and cradling your bump. I will be taking lots of images of you holding your partner's hands, your children's hands and all those little details. Hands are a huge part of any session.
If we will be heading into the water for any of your images then I suggest bringing a pair of flip flops that can get wet. This way you can walk easily into the water without slipping if there are rocks. We can take them off once you are in place. If it is possible to get clear or nude, we won't have to take them off.
Please arrive with clean, dry hair and face, ready for styling <3
Additional tips
i am so excited for you and your family!
Whether this is a maternity session or a family session, this is your legacy. This is a chapter of a stage in your life and documenting it is something you will never regret doing. Maternity and family sessions are one of my favourite sessions to photograph because there is a natural excitement and love in everyone's faces which shines through in every image. You get to see the love first hand of you and the bond within your family because sometimes you just can't see that yourself. I can't wait to give you the gift you can't give yourself. I so look forward to our session!