My Themes for Photographing Family Sessions

Every session is different, but I always try to hit a few themes with my posing and perspective. I do this without telling my clients. It’s a process I think through in my mind. Instead of having a checklist of poses, I like to think of how I will show certain emotions though the interactions of your family.

Here are a few examples of the themes I love to photograph:

Love.

I am who I am, which is a sucker for love, so every session I’m striving for connection and expressions of your love as a family. I can guarantee that I’m going to ask you to hug, kiss, snuggle, and sniff each other (just kidding! sort of! ;) It’s just something I have to capture every time!

Love is my favorite theme, so be ready to get cuddly, ok?

Fun.

We have fun at the sessions. It’s not all stiff sitting and perfect posture. During our session you guys will hug, snuggle, maybe lie down, pick up the kids, maybe throw them in the air, hang them down low, swing from side to side, and dance! There will also be a few games. Don’t worry, it’s easy stuff!

Laughter.

Of course when we’re having fun we are going to get some laughs, and this is one of my favorite types of pictures to capture. Having fun with your family is the best. Who else knows all the silly inside jokes and all the best tickle spots??

Calm.

Even with the wildest kids (not that I’ve photographed “the wildest kids” I don’t know who they are?!), there are moments of calm in every session. Moments where the kids hug their parents and are genuinely happy to be with their parents and siblings.

I think many parents assume the photo session is going to be a disaster. They think “someone will melt down, kids are going to be uncooperative, and someone will be running around and not listening, my partner is going to be annoyed” but that is not the case in my experience. Most kids (and partners) ;) are really cooperative. They love just spending time with their parents. Sure, some might need to take a break and then come back, and that’s why I always recommend 1 hour sessions for younger kids.

I always say to parents to reassure everyone that the session will be fun. Try to get the family pumped to have a good time and you will have calm, happy kids!

Joy.

I guess this could be combined with fun, but have you ever had a kid not experience pure joy when they are be lifted or tossed in the air? It looks like the best time ever.

If you are looking for a lifestyle family photographer in Raleigh, Durham, Cary, or Wake Forest please send me a message! I would love to photograph you!
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What to Expect From Your Outdoor Family Photos

Before I took photos of other families, I was a client of family photographers many times throughout the years, and I sometimes after getting the photos back I would wonder why my pictures didn’t look the same as other images on their website.

Why didn’t they get that pose with me? Why didn’t my kids lovingly look into each other's eyes like those kids did?

Now I take pictures as a Raleigh family photographer and I have a slightly different perspective. I now understand that as a photographer there is so much that goes into a session and no two sessions are the same.

First, every family is different! Interactions, snuggling, how big your laugh is, how natural it is to play and snuggle with your kids. Personalities are different. Is your child shy? Do they take a long time to feel comfortable in front of new people. All these factors can affect how the pictures will look. I will get pictures that will reflect your family’s personality and connection. It might not be exactly the same as another person’s style and connection, but my goal is always to make it look like you!

How relaxed you are during the session can make a big difference in the look of the images. Try to have a more relaxed less busy day the day of the session, if you can. This way you won’t be stressed and rushing to the session. If you are relaxed and having fun, your family will follow suit and it will shine through in the images.

Will I get a photo I saw on Pinterest? We can try! Some kids are more willing to do certain things than others. For instance is your child in an independent phase where they don’t want to be held? Or only want to be held by a certain parent? This will affect what images look like and they might not come out exactly the same. In general I don’t like to try to copy artistic work of another photographer, but we can go for the overall feel of the image.

Locations aren’t all created the same. This will play a huge role in the final look of the images. If your location is full of big trunks and a thick forest the background of your image might be dark, but if you are in a field with lots of light and trees where light shines through, it will look more light and bright. Let me help you choose the location based on the look and feel of the session you want. Either way we’ll get happy, loving images!

Finally, wardrobe plays a huge part in how your images will look. I love when movement shows in images, it shows connect and beauty better than stiff unmoving images, so I love clothing that allows for movement. If you are in a tight outfit or stiff jeans, it might be hard for you get sit and cuddle. Dresses or flowy tops photograph so much better than tight outfits. If your outfit is constricting it might have an effect on the look of the images and the picture you had in your head of what you wanted your photos to look like.

The other thing to consider when thinking about wardrobe is the color of your outfits. Depending on your location you might want to add a lot of color or not. In this session, it was spring and the roses had bloomed! There was a lot of color in the background so the family was best staying neutral. In other situations you might want to add more color if you are in a location that has a lot of neutral colors, like tall brown grass, or a lot of trees. I can help thinking this through with you.

All in all you will get a fabulous gallery, and here is what you’ll definitely get:

• Images loving each other and connecting as a family

• Images of that reflect your family’s personality

• Everyone having fun and a laid back session!

Are you ready to book your family photo session? Let’s chat! Contact me here!

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