5 Tips for a great Family photo shoot

Hey there, fabulous families! Coming to you from the heart of Derbyshire, I’m here to sprinkle a little bit of my photography magic and wisdom your way, especially when it comes to capturing those priceless family moments. I know, I know, the thought of organizing everyone for a photoshoot can feel a bit like herding cats, but trust me, it’s absolutely worth it. Today, I’m thrilled to share my top 5 tips for nailing that perfect family photoshoot. From picking the right outfits to choosing the perfect location, and even to making sure everyone’s in the best of spirits (yes, including those cheeky toddlers!), I’ve got some tricks up my sleeve to make your session a breeze. So, whether you’re aiming for frame-worthy formal portraits or candid snapshots full of laughter, let’s make this photoshoot a fun, memorable experience for the whole family. Let’s dive in!

Prepare your outfits the day before

I don’t want you to stress on the day, so anything that could potentially cause you any stress needs to be dealt with beforehand. Make sure your outfits are ready and ironed the night before. If you are worried about getting anything creased in transit, or children spilling juice all over their new shirt, bring those with you separately. You can always get changed at the studio. We will have plenty of time.

Make sure the kids are rested and fed

It goes without saying, but on the day of the session, you may wake up a bit more anxious than usual, because you want everything to go smoothly. In the chaos of the day, you may not have the time for a sit-down meal prior to leaving the house, but please make sure children don’t arrive hungry.

If they are anything like me, hungry almost always means angry, and we most definitely do not want to have them angry on the day, if as little as a sandwich would have solved that.

We also don’t want them falling asleep in your arms, so please try and have an early night prior to the session day, to make sure everyone is on top form.

Prepare your children and tell them what to expect

Depending on their age, it may be good to sit down with your children and tell them a bit more about what will happen on the day of their session. If you can bring them to the consultation, it’s even better, as they can familiarise themselves with the environment. This will give them a confidence boost on the day, especially if they are shy.

Bring an activity / toys your children enjoy

We want your children to feel relaxed and forget about the camera, and toys are great for that. They also direct focus, so if we need your little one to look directly into the camera, I can always place their favourite teddy bear on top of it!

Enjoy it!

I know it’s easy to say, but this is the time when we will be capturing you and your love as a family. Those will be the memories your children will pull out of the dusty box 20-30 years from now, at a Christmas table. Whatever is on your mind, put it aside for this hour and try as much as you can to enjoy this time.

Maybe your little ones will need more cuddles on the day, maybe they will be boisterous. Maybe they will run around for 20 minutes before they are out of steam. Please don’t stress about it. I am here to document it all. This is life happening around us. Those are the memories we want to look back on.