As we prepare for the Fall family pictures, we wanted to talk to all of the sweet families that we have the pleasure of meeting each year. We are always so grateful when we see familiar each season because it means that you have enjoyed your experience in the past!

We want to share some tricks-of-the-trade when it comes to winning at your family pictures. Getting your pictures taken can be stressful when you have to get everyone dressed, ready, and excited for family pictures! It might even be a “gift for mom!” Maybe bribes are involved. We want you to know that there is no judgment here! We think pictures are SO important. And we want to help you in whatever way we can! 🙂

Here are 4 things we have discovered that might help make your time with us a win!

1. Bring snacks!

Our shoots are normally around dinner time. It could be anytime 2 hours before the sunset, and sometimes kids are a little munchie! It always helps to have snacks on hand for distraction or reward! Even just a five-minute picnic break can be the difference between checking out and a few more pictures! We also recommend bringing a small blanket for them to sit on. Many times, our sessions take place in outdoor areas with lots of dirt… and we all know kids and dirt don’t mesh well when it comes to pictures where they need to stay clean! Make sure your blanket is one you don’t mind getting dirty and something you can wash. Double bonus if it fits the style you are hoping for in your images! We always recommend a neutral, light-colored blanket!

2. Bring a friend!

We highly encourage bringing a friend or family member along. For two reasons actually. One, this lets us have a few moments with just mom and dad. We know that moms and dads moments where they are both dressed up nice can be few and far between, so we really want to be able to capture a few sweet and intimate moments of the two of you without a kid or two hanging from your limb. 😉 The second reason is that kids really do have a short attention span, and they really do need breaks. Even with shorter sessions! When it comes to pictures with littles, you have to go with the flow, read the situation, and be willing to adapt. Sometimes it might take a child a few minutes to warm up to being in front of the camera! You’ll be grateful you asked grandma to tag along!

3. Bring little Jimmy’s favorite toy!

With real littles, we can use a toy or a rattle to keep their attention! These items will help us get that golden shot where everyone is looking at the camera and smiling. Brandon is usually above my head waving Thomas the Train like crazy exclaiming “Little Jimmy! Look right here! Where’s Thomas? Little Jimmy!” It’s actually pretty hilarious to watch as a bystander! We also use this same idea when taking individual images of your kiddos. The toy can be a great reward for when they do amazing as well as provide something to cheer them up if they need a little break!

4. We hope for the best, but prepare for damage control!

We want your experience during your family pictures to be amazing. For that reason, we will do everything we know how to help make your time stress free! For our full Portrait Sessions, you will receive our Family Styled Guide. It offers a much more extensive list of ways to prepare for your session.

The truth is that you know your children better than we do so we will encourage you to bring whatever you think you need to in order to do damage control: an extra outfit, diapers, wipes, her first, second, and third favorite bows! We know it will be so much fun, and we don’t want anything getting in the way of that!

To our moms and dads out there, you are amazing. And extremely brave to get your family dressed up nice and trust us with capturing these special seasons of life. We hope you feel a little more prepared and excited about your time with us! We want to remind you that we’ve seen it all, and we know that we will have a blast with your kids! It’s all about making memories, no matter what happens! Never forget, we are on your team and we are always here to help you have the most amazing experience!

Lindsay and Brandon

Not sure what to wear? Here are some ideas!

Learn more about preparing for a couple or engagement sessions here!