Four Family Portrait Planning Tips To Capture Fun, Authentic Portraits
Planning family portraits can seem like a daunting task. Especially if it is your first time. The good news is that it is probably easier than you may think 🙂 In this blog post I will give you four family portrait planning tips that will ensure a fun and natural family portrait session.
Get Your Entire Family Involved In The Planning
One of the most important things you can do leading up to the session is to get everyone involved in the planning. Getting everyone involved works particularly well with children. If they are involved in part of the planning, they will be more engaged during the actual session. One way you can do this is by having them help pick the outfits. You can have the outfits planned ahead of time and ask if they’d rather wear one outfit or another. Another way that you can get your children involved is to ask their opinion on where to go to eat after the session. Taking this approach not only gets your children involved, but it also provides an incentive.
Set Positive Expectations For Your Children
Tip number two is to set positive expectations for your children. Taking family portraits may not seem like an exciting thing to do for kids. But showing them that you are excited for the session and encouraging them to have fun can go a long way. If your Photographer has an About Page, I recommend showing them a picture of the Photographer so that they know their name and a little about them before the session.
Always Arrive Early To Eliminate Stress
The next of the four family portrait planning tips is to arrive early to the session. I recommend planning to arrive at least 10-15 minutes before the start of the session. This will create a stress free atmosphere that will positively affect the photos. If it is your first time at the location, make sure that your Photographer tells you where to park and meet for the start of the session. If it is a large park, this is especially important because there may be more than one entrance.
Focus On Having Fun, Not Taking Pictures
Last but not least, just have fun! I believe that the best images are the ones that feel fun, candid, and unposed. My goal for families with children is to create a fun and candid environment that brings out their personality. My favorite way to do this is by getting a good mix of images where you and your family are interacting with each other and not focused on the camera. While also getting images where everyone is looking right at the camera with a natural smile.
If you are planning a family portrait session, I hope these four family portrait planning tips have been helpful. Thanks!
