It’s no lie that I love indoor photos, but there’s something special about an outdoor session in spring. Spring is a great time for family photos in the Seattle area. The weather is normally starting to warm up, flowers are in bloom, sunset is at a reasonable time, and spring fashion is so fun. Spring sessions are perfect for families, and maternity sessions, and can be booked directly from my website here.
How Do I Prepare for my Family Photo Session
You’ve booked your family photography session but now you’re wondering what you can do to prepare for the big day. Whether you’re having your family photo session outdoors at one of the beautiful locations Seattle has to offer, or in the comfort of your own home, here are my top tips to make sure your photo day goes as smoothly as possible.
Make sure the kids are well rested
Your family photo session should be the big activity for your family that day. Try to make sure there aren’t any other big events such as birthday parties or zoo visits. You’ll want your kids to be happy and exhausted kids often mean cranky kids.
Have your wardrobe finalized about a week before
There’s nothing worse than trying on your outfit right before your session starts and realizing that something doesn’t fit. Aim to have everything finalized at least a week before your session. That way, if something doesn’t fit, you’ll have time to find a replacement.
Check for chipped nail polish
Trust me, it shows in pictures!
Don’t forget to eat before your session
Nothing makes kids (and adults) melt down quicker than a growling stomach. Have a light meal before your photo session, right before you get changed for it. This will keep the whole family happy.
Bring snacks
If you want to keep your kids going throughout the session, many parents like to have some snacks on hand. I recommend non-messy snacks such as gummies so they don’t stain the clothes.
Good things to have on hand
It’s great to have things like a hairbrush and baby wipes handy.
Relax!
If you’ve been following my work at all, you know I’m not going to ask you to stand, smile and look awkward in front of the camera. Just love on your babies, play with them, snuggle with your partner, then let me handle the rest. All you need to do is show up as YOU!
If you’d like to know more about my sessions, take a look at my information page.
How to Photograph Your Family Vacation {Seattle Family Photographer}
I make no secret that I adore travel. One of my goals is to show my kids as much as the globe as possible. Opening my kids’ eyes to other cultures is one of the greatest gifts I can give them. Whether you love international travel as much as I do, or a quick weekend road trip is more your style, it’s important to photograph your family on vacation so they have those memories to look back on. Here are my top tips for photographing your family vacations.
Get in the picture:
Mamas, this one is for you. So often, the mom is the family photographer, whether she’s a professional or not. You want your kids to be able to look back at your vacation album and know that you were there too! I always make sure I hand over my camera so that I can be photographed too.
Instead of posing your kids, just photograph them as they are:
When you’re on vacation, kids are there to have fun. Instead of asking them to stop and smile, photograph them playing, building sandcastles, swimming etc.
Don’t forget to photograph the details:
Did you kids build sandcastles? Find a cool seashell? Take pictures of these things since you can’t physically take them home with you.
Use shapes to add interest in your photographs:
I love to use shape to add visual interest in my pictures. In the photograph below, I liked how my son’s drink shape and color matched the spots on the floatie.
Frame your subjects
I love adding framing in my photographs, In the below image, I waited for my son to go under the arch. The arch frames him in, adding more visual interest.
Photograph the environment
You choose your destination for a reason. Don’t forget to stand back and photograph your family enjoying it!
Photograph your kids trying new foods/drinks
One of the things I love most about traveling is exposing my kids to new foods. I’m lucky that most of my kids are excited to try new things. I always make sure I photograph this.
Try for a couple of group images
I know my tip was to photograph them playing, but it’s always nice to get a group image of all your kids together.
Don’t forget about your lodgings:
Whether you’re staying in a hotel, a tent, or an Airbnb, you’ll be spending a lot of time there, so make sure it makes your vacation album.
Framing
I mentioned above that I like to “frame” my subjects. Get creative with this. What can you use to frame your subjects. Here are some more examples:
Photograph differences between the place you’re visiting and home
Are you in a new country? Photograph their flag, or new foods, or anything that is unique to that place.
New activities and adventures
I’m sure this is one you’re already doing, but make sure you take a few photographs of any fun or new adventures you’re having. My kids had an unexpected horse ride on the beach so I made sure I photographed that.
I hope this inspires you to photograph your next vacation. It doesn’t matter whether you use a DSLR, a mirrorless camera or your phone. It’s just important to take the pictures! For what it’s worth, all my vacation pictures were taken with a camera I bought specifically for traveling. It is the Fujifilm x100v. It’s super lightweight and small and easily fits in my handbag. It has a fixed length lens, which is fine for me as I’m used to photographing with a prime lens. I also felt much safer not taking my professional camera on vacation with us.
Little Kids + Golden Hour {Everett Family Photographer}
If you’re thinking about a summer family session, you may be concerned that keeping your little ones up until sunset will be to tough for your family. The sun sets late here in the Seattle area in the height of summer, and many parents share this concern. Here are some tips to help you make your family session go as smoothly as possible when it’s later than bedtime:
Plan for a quiet day. Your session day shouldn’t be spent rushing around running errands, playing at trampoline parks or participating in hours of sports. Instead, try activities like reading, doing puzzles or snuggling on the couch.
Let your kids sleep in if they want to. Today is the day to avoid waking them up at their normal time. If you normally need to wake them for daycare or school, try not to keep them on their normal routine and let them sleep as long as they will.
If your kids still nap, try to push their nap out further into the day. While it may seem like your ruining their routine, one day won’t do much damage. If your kids don’t nap, try having some “quiet time” by reading books in bed or just resting for a few minutes.
To avoid them getting hungry during the session, bring a snack for them to eat right before we start. You may want to avoid changing them into their photo session outfits until after they’ve finished their snack.
Kids are often distracted in a new place, particularly if we’re photographing them in a new outdoor location. If they’re normally grumpy and having meltdowns at bedtime at home, they will more than likely be so distracted in a new place and by doing something outside of their normal routine, that they don’t even notice they should be sleeping.
Lastly, please remember that if you really want that beautiful golden summer light, that keeping them up past their bedtime will totally be worth if and every time you see your images on the wall, you’ll think about how beautiful they are, rather than the one day you skipped your normal routine.
If you’d like to schedule a summer session, please contact me here. I would be so honored to work with you.
A Fun Family of Three {Seattle Lifestyle Photographer}
I love it when my friends ask me to take their family photos! We traveled over to Whidbey Island for this cute family session. I photographed their baby when he was a newborn and it was an honor to be asked back to take their family photos again.
What to Wear for your Photo Session {Seattle Family Photographer}
Are you holding back on booking family photos because you feel overwhelmed with picking outfits for your whole family? It’s a common concern but I am here to help. For one, all my clients have access to my online styling service. This will help make choosing your outfits a breeze, but here are some tips to get you started:
Mama, pick your outfit first. You’re the one that likely wants this session more than anyone else so pick something you feel not only beautiful in, but comfortable too.
Once you’ve chosen your outfit, choose your color pallet based on that. If you have a pattern, pull two different colors from it to dress the rest of your family. If you’re wearing a solid, pick two other colors that will compliment it.
Don’t be afraid to mix patterns, just limit it to two different patters with some solids too.
Accessorize! Especially in cooler months. Beanies, scarves, chunky sweaters all look great.
Don’t forget footwear. Brightly colored running shoes can ruin a perfectly coordinated outfit. Go for neutral footwear so it doesn’t clash with the rest of your clothes.
Don’t be afraid to run your selections passed your photographer. Most are happy to help!
A Beautiful Golden Hour Family Session {Edmonds Family Photographer}
This beautiful family returned for another session. It’s always such an honor to photograph families as they grow.
A Favorite Family Returns {Everett Family Photographer}
I really can’t describe how much it means to me when families return year after year after year. I photographed this beautiful family for the first time many years ago and it was my very first lifestyle newborn session, the very session that got me hooked on lifestyle. After that, I stopped offering posed newborn sessions. It was such a big turning point in my photography journey. Fast forward a bit and now I get to see this family grow every year. It’s been such an honor to photograph them through all their changes.
