Tips to Prepare for a Stress-Free Family Portraits Session

Family Portraits Session tips in Elk Grove, CA.

When it comes to doing family photos there can be a lot of stress about booking the session, planning for the session, and making sure you get to the session without having a nervous breakdown.  Stress levels can be particularly high in days leading up to the session. Family photos are supposed to be fun, and I am here to help take the stress out of it (or as much as I can). I’m here to help you relax and be prepared all at the same time.  Here are some tips that can help ensure that everyone is prepared for the session and that it becomes a stress-free occasion: 

Plan Outfits Early:

Deciding on what everyone will wear for the session is a huge stressor.  I send out a style guide to help you in this process.  It gives you tips for choosing outfits that will help you all coordinate and work well with the location you have chosen for the session. You will want to make sure you have chosen the outfits a month in advance if possible.  Part of this process is to make sure everyone has tried on their outfits, they fit well, and everyone is happy with the outfits, especially if you have older age children who are very picky about what they wear.  Make sure that the week of the session you have made sure the outfits are clean, no stains or holes, and that they are pressed, and you set them aside somewhere safe. Don’t forget about shoes, jewelry, belts, and other accessories. Make sure everything you will need for your session is in one spot and ready to go. 

Don’t overwhelm your kids with info:  

About three to four days prior to the session, start talking with your husband and kids about the session and what will happen, how it works and some information about the photographer. However, you don’t want to over-prepare your kids for the session and cause them to become anxious about it. There are a few different ways that you can accidentally do that, so let’s talk about it. Don’t harp on them to much about their behavior and what they shouldn’t do because that is already setting the expectation that the session isn’t going to be fun, and they won’t like it. Instead, just tell them you’re going to go have a fun family day, play together, and explore while someone takes your photos. That’s all you need to say. If you plan to use a bribe, make it a special family treat that will happen after the session and discuss it with the kids leading up to session day.  This will give them something to look forward to. Which leads to my next tip.

Plan a special surprise for after the session:

Your family photos should be a fun event that the kids look forward to! Especially if you choose the right photographer, they should be able to play and be super silly most of the session, anyway. But one thing you can do to make it even more fun is to plan something they enjoy afterward. Let them know that they are going to get to do something special after such as go for pizza or ice cream, or maybe go to the movies or bowling, etc.  This is setting the kids up for a positive view of their photo day and something they will look forward to every time.

Pack everything you need:

Two days prior to the session, pack a bag of everything you will need on picture day – snacks, props, etc. and put it somewhere you can grab it and go. Be sure to include wipes in case things get messy, an extra hairbrush, and other “emergency” items, such as bobby pins and a backup lipstick. 

No hangry family members:  

This tip is a must! Make sure everyone has eaten a good meal prior to the session. A full belly will make a huge difference in your child’s mood (and partner’s) during the session. Do not get your family dressed in their photo clothes until after they have eaten, brushed their teeth, and washed their face. This will prevent spills and other messy accidents from getting onto their outfits. If you have young children, avoid any colored drinks the day of the session until after we are finished. Avoid letting them drink anything on the way to the session so they don’t arrive with something on their outfits.  I also recommend bringing some water and a couple of non-messy snacks if you think your kids will need them. Something they can eat quickly and not get stuck in their teeth or leave a stain if they fall on their clothing.

 Here are some examples of great snacks:

✔️Grapes cut in half (so they don’t pop and accidentally make a mess)

✔️Fruit snacks

✔️Apple slices

✔️Dried fruit (but probably not berries, they can still stain)

✔️Beef jerky

✔️Mini marshmallows (just a few)

✔️Baby Puffs or cheerios (they dissolve quickly)

 On the other hand, here are some horrible snacks that you should definitely not bring to your family photos:

❌ Gum (you don’t want to see that every time they laugh!)

❌ Chocolate (so messy!)

❌ Jolly Ranchers or anything that takes a long time to eat

❌ Suckers (you don’t want them holding those in your photos)

❌ Goldfish crackers or any crackers (they get stuck in teeth)

❌ Blueberries, blackberries, anything that will stain clothing or teeth

Don’t let the kids know that you have the snacks. Be sneaky about it and only bring them out if needed. When you do bring them out, don’t let them see you have an entire container. Just grab a couple from your bag at a time, otherwise they will be walking around with the bag, and we don’t want that. We can take a snack break if it seems like they are getting cranky but it’s best to save that for as late as possible, so they aren’t begging for a snack every five seconds. Snacks are a last resort.

Don’t be too active on the day of your session:

Don’t have a super active day on the day of your session. You don’t want your little ones to be all worn out by the time we start taking photos. With your session likely later in the day, this could make for some tired kids. It also will keep you from feeling hurried and stressed trying to get things done before getting ready for the session.

Be ready early:

Give yourselves more time than you think you need when getting the family ready for and leaving for the session. Like 30-60 minutes more. If you’re ready ahead of time, you’ll be relaxed and not feel all stressed out and rushing to do everything last minute. I know from experience that if I’m rushing, I get snippy with my husband😉. You want to be a happy family for your photo session, not a tense and upset one.

No sleeping in the car:  

DO NOT let your young children fall asleep on the car ride (unless it’s a pretty long drive and they have time for a full nap). This is a recipe for a cranky and upset child.  This means if your child takes naps, make sure they have done so earlier and have had plenty of awake time prior to leaving.  Do whatever you have to do to keep them awake even if that means one of the adults sitting in the backseat with them. The only way that sleeping in the car is a good idea is if you have a long drive and you plan to arrive at least 20 minutes early to give your child time to wake up and get used to their new surroundings… which brings me to my next tip!

Give kids time to get acquainted with a new location:

If you know that your child needs time to warm up to a new location, I recommend getting there a bit early and just letting them explore and get comfortable with being there. This isn’t necessary for all kids, but it can be a lifesaver if your small child needs it. You can even wait to get them dressed until it’s time for the session, so they don’t mess up their nice clothes before we start.

Once you arrive, relax: 

Once you get to the session, try to relax, and go with the flow. If you have set a bribe or promised a special treat or fun activity after the session, please let me know so I can use that throughout the session if the children get restless.

Let the photographer direct:

One way to make a session tense is to keep coaching the kids to smile at the camera. Please do not do this. The goal here is to get authentic smiles and connections between family members. I don’t need them to look at the camera all the time. I will direct them to look at me if needed. When parents are constantly looking at the kids and directing them, we may miss good photos because kids will be looking at me and the parents are looking at them giving them instructions.  Once the session starts, I will direct and guide the kids.  Parents your job will be to do what I say and be ready for the poses. Remember interactive photos are fun too.  We want to get as many authentic smiles and laughter as possible.

These were just a few tips that I feel can go a long way in preparing for your family photos and that they help make your day go smoothly! If you still need to book a family session, you can contact me here and we will start planning fun filled family portraits session day!

If you want to see check out some family sessions see below: