o you want to have your family photos taken but you don’t know what on earth you would wear, not to mention your fears about how your children will behave. Come along with me as I share with you the in’s and out’s of Laura W’s family photo shoot from beginning to end.

Laura contacted me (she has a great name by the way) and wanted to have family photos taken. Lets stop right there really quickly. How PRICELESS are family photos? You can’t get back time so freeze it NOW and adorn those walls with your most treasured people. Ok, moving on to Laura’s shoot. Her first questions were about what to wear. The dreaded WHAT TO WEAR dilema!! EVERYONE sweats this part. You are not alone! Don’t sweat it too much tho! Visit my Instagram Highlights for an at length guide. The long and the short of it is, you don’t have to be matchy, matchy. Choose a color scheme of three or so colors and coordinate with each other. Pops of color, pattern and texture are a good thing. Just keep in mind you want the focus to be YOU and your FAMILY not your clothes, so stay away from colors that are too bright

As you can see, Laura did a fantastic job and didn’t have to break the bank to do so. Now comes the fun part, the evening of your family photo shoot! Laura and her family met me just outside Danville, at Cloverdale Quarters. Can you say GORGEOUS location? Laura’s youngest was VERY clingy right from the start. It was clear that she wasn’t going to strike a pose for me on command! NO PROBLEM. This is COMMON for photo shoots! I reviewed my plans (and asked them what their vision was) for the photo session and we started with casual walking family pictures. This gets everyone used to the camera and the kiddos aren’t being asked to smile for the camera. They were looking at mom and dad and getting relaxed in their environment. I’ve had a photo session where I started with letting the kids wander and I’ve simply followed then with the camera to catch candid shots and a few “smile for the camera” shots here and there.

Parents, don’t stress out. Unless I say, please try to have your child try this, I am not worried about them acting like a kid! If you are still nervous about your kiddos, here are a few ideas for you. What is a favorite (not too messy) treat that they don’t get too often? Consider bringing a baggie of said treat along such as sweet tarts, skittles or starbursts. Think of a song or cartoon character that your toddler loves to sing to. Let me know what this is and we can incorporate it into the shoot! Lastly, be ready to do some tickling and snuggling. These candid shots are some of my favorites!

Laura was overjoyed with her family photos and she’s got her favorites hanging in her living room! I know for a fact she has NO regrets about investing in family photos and she has told me that the whole family ENJOYED their session. They not only have priceless photos to cherish, but also the memories of their time together that evening.

We still have slots open for FALL MINI sessions. Reach out and grab your time slot now!

Cheers,