HOW TO PREPARE FOR A FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT

I’m in the midst of editing spring family photoshoots; portraits of giggling siblings, sweet baby gazes and comforting embraces.

I’m preparing for six more shoots over the next two weeks then a summer of photo-taking in Tasmania and I thought to myself: wouldn’t it be handy to send my clients a preparation guide so all their questions are answered in one place?

I wholeheartedly understand the effort that goes into organising your family for a photoshoot. And I suppose the most important thing to keep in mind is that capturing beautiful moments and smiling faces is my job – you don’t need to worry about that at all. I’ll work around you and your family; even the most reluctant of children (or husbands) do not faze me.

With this in mind, here are a few tips to make sure you’re prepared to enjoy the experience and receive some photos to treasure in the days following:

location : considering I’m a travelling photographer and usually photographing you in a new-to-me location, I encourage you to choose somewhere that you love to go as a family. If you’re having trouble choosing, take a look at my photos and make a choice between a garden or beach setting (bearing in mind that beach shoots almost always result in wet kids). Alternatively, I can always come to your home and in fact, they’re often my favourite shoots. If the weather isn’t ideal and/or you’ve got very young children, the home offers an unparalleled level of comfort. Please, don’t frantically clean! The charm of home shoots is the toys on the floor, cuddles on unmade beds and wandering through ramshackle backyards.

clothes : wear what you feel most comfortable in. You want to move easily, cuddle up with your kids and most importantly, feel good! That said, if you want some guidance I would encourage you to steer clear of busy patterns and bright, bold slogans. Remember to dress your kids so they’re comfortable too; that means enough layers when it’s cold and clothes that aren’t too precious. I love to photograph kids doing what they do best: running, climbing, giggling and playing and this isn’t always mud or dirt free.

snacks : feed your kids before the shoot and feel free to promise them a treat for afterwards but generally food and photos aren’t a great mix as there’s just so many open mouths and crumbs. Breast and bottle-fed babies though; perfectly fine and most definitely encouraged!

behaviour : at no stage should you feel bad or apologise for your kids’ behaviour. I’m a mum of four – I’ve seen everything – and I don’t have any expectations of immaculate children with perfect manners who always do as I ask. I’ll work with your kids (even the shiest, cheekiest and most reluctant) to capture the photos you want for your walls.

please, don’t point : I prefer to capture moments of you interacting with your children instead of everyone smiling and looking directly at the camera. Whilst I definitely can (and do) take traditional family smiling portraits, I find that the best way to capture this is for me to call your child’s attention. If you point at the camera I generally take a lot of photos of arms outstretched and it doesn’t make for many keepsake shots.

ask me questions : I am more than happy to answer any questions you may have in the lead up to the shoot. I find it’s best to stay in touch via text and I’ll ask for your mobile number as soon as you confirm your photoshoot.

tell me what you want from the shoot : if you’ve got your heart set on a special portrait with each of your children, a sibling shot or a photo of just you and hubby (because you haven’t had your photo taken together since your wedding day) then please let me know beforehand. It’s really important to me that you get the most out of your shoot and I love to know exactly what you’re hoping to have at the end of the day.