3 things I don’t recommend doing before a family photoshoot

Getting the family ready for photos can be a little daunting.

I speak to a lot of families who are worried that their kids won’t be excited to participate.

After years of photographing families and meeting kid’s with all types of personalities- I have some thoughts.

Don’t put too much pressure on it

It’s a great idea to have a running conversation with your kids leading up to the session. Let them know what to expect and allow them to ask questions and include them in the planning where possible. This will look different depending on their age/s

Where I see parents sometimes going wrong is they put too much emphasis on how they expect the kids to behave rather than how much fun they get to have.

For the record – I have zero expectations for your kids to behave in any particular way during the session. My family photoshoots are always centred around play and connection.

I’ll never order them to look at the camera, smile on cue or sit still. Instead, I will suggest games and activities to draw out their personality. The last thing I want is for them to be bored, because then your photos will be boring. My clients often tell me that their kids keep asking when we get to hang out again.

I know that you might feel pressure to get everything perfectly prepared so that you don’t waste your investment – I can promise that if you relax and let yourself enjoy the experience your photos will be all the better for it.