Choosing the right photographer
I think one of the best things I can suggest for a successful family session is choosing the right photographer for you! (Which if you’re reading this is hopefully me! haha!) Take a look through their portfolio and see if their images – what they capture and how they do it – really resonates with you + how you want to remember this season of life.
Luckily, as a photographer myself, I have lots of super talented and wonderful photographer friends. I have been photographing Marissa Ciccarelli and her family for a couple of years and knew she would do a fantastic job with our family! We couldn’t be more thrilled with our photos – thank you Marissa!!
All that being said, here is some insight on how *I* prepared for our session, and a few tips to help you + your family get ready!
I chose what I wanted to wear first
Let’s be real – even at 1 year postpartum, I still don’t feel like my absolute best self, so picking something I felt good in was important. This is actually a maternity dress from Ingrid and Isabel and I was bummed I only wore it once while I was pregnant (for my birthday!) so I was excited to wear it again. I also knew we wanted to be super playful with Fitz, so I chose something that I wouldn’t be tugging on, or worried about. No deep necklines, short skirts, scratchy fabrics, etc.
Now, Kevin does have a good sense of style himself, and likes to pick out his outfit, so I showed him ahead of time what I wanted to wear and he could choose some new clothes that would coordinate.
Then I picked neutral solids for Fitz, ones that would coordinate and pop against our darker colors! They were all in the same general color scheme – Fitz and Kevin’s solids were colors found in my dress.
Getting Ready
Our session was in the morning, so the night before, I did as much as I could to be prepped for the AM. I know this doesn’t work for everybody, but I was even able to wash + curl my hair the night before so I wouldn’t even have to shower in the morning. I just did a couple curl touch ups and my makeup and I was good to go. I also prepped his breakfast and his diaper bag (see below), and checked if any of our clothes needed steaming/etc.
That allowed me to focus on getting Fitz up and ready, and not be distracted doing a million things all at once (aka being super stressed out haha).
Including dogs
It was really important to us to have Lemon included in a few shots. Especially with her recent health concerns, we wanted to make sure she was a part of Fitz’s one year photos. That being said, she is a total SPAZZ in public. Luckily, my friend was able to meet us for the first 5-10 minutes of our session, and then took Lemon home.
My other tips for including the dogs is to have a nice looking leash and take the poop bags off! (Toss one bag in your diaper bag just incase!)
What was in our bag
A backup outfit/pants just in case. Fitz is in between crawling and walking, so I wanted to be prepared if he wanted to crawl around a bunch, which we let him do towards the end of our session. We swapped his pants for a few more shots, and then when he was about done, we let him do whatever he wanted, which turned out to be making dirt angels, face down. I love this shot Marissa snapped!
I also packed a toy and book for just incase – pretty ones hahah. My warning is to only bring it out if your kiddo is having a proper meltdown and/or if you don’t mind it being in the rest of the photos because in my experience kiddos don’t tend to want to give things back!
Same goes for snacks. We brought puffs for an emergency, but again, once kids start snacking (/realize there are snacks) it can be hard to stop! That being said, if that is the only way your kiddo will make it through a session, that is totally ok. Think of some no-mess snacks you can pack (puffs, marshmallows, etc), or have them in the car for right after (we are not above bribery, folks).
We also brought a blanket to sit on for a few shots which I recommend my clients to bring along!
Plus your normal diapers, wipes, etc! For older kids you probably wouldn’t need all this stuff, but for the baby/toddler crowd it can be helpful!
Get ready to have fun!
This is what I always share with my clients – try going into your session saying (to your kiddos, but also yourself!) we’re going to have fun, and play and adventure! You can focus on being playful with your kiddos and they will read your energy. You can think of some things they like to do like tosses, swings, going on shoulders, going upside down etc. Think about things *you* want to remember from this season in life. I knew I wanted to get some photos of Fitz on Kevin’s shoulders because I love how much he loves being up there right now!
If your kiddos are older, talk up the session ahead of time, saying things like how much fun you’re going to have with your photographer – “our friend Meredith” etc.!
It was so helpful for me to be on the other side of the camera and remember what it’s like for all of you prepping / being at your sessions. It’s A LOT! But these images are absolutely priceless and I am SO so grateful and happy to have them. If you have any tips that have been helpful for you preparing for a photoshoot, let me know! I’d love to hear it!
