Families and Children Session Planning Guide
How to Plan Your Family or Children’s Portrait Session:
Choose A Location
Think about where you’d like your session to be. Choices include your home, your vacation home, scenic spots around Concord or the surrounding towns, and my portrait garden and studio. My portrait garden has wooded shade gardens, a quiet pond, secret paths, and carpets of moss near evergreen bushes and trees. It’s a short walk to conservation land complete with stone walls and a grassy field. When planning your session, we will talk over your options and all the wonderful places you may choose from for your photos.
Plan logistics
During our pre-session consultation, we’ll discuss everything from who will be photographed to what they will wear. Things to think about will be if there are any physical limitations regarding walking to the portrait location, if young kids might need extra time or attention, and what people might wear. Sometimes, especially for larger families, you should think about when everyone will arrive. I often start photographing subsets of the larger family until everyone arrives and then photograph the whole group together. We will even go over things to bring, such as hairspray and perhaps some non-messy snacks for the children.
Coordinate Your Wardrobe
Think about what everyone will wear in your portrait. Coordinate your outfits so that all the colors look good together. Some families choose to have similar-colored pants with coordinating tops. This helps the finished photo look pulled together and cohesive. Avoid having one person in a color that stands out from everyone else (for example, a red shirt in a field of blue or white will draw your attention to that person and away from the whole grouping).
Frequently Asked Questions
Should We Add on Family Photos to a High School Senior’s (or any child’s) Portrait Session?
Yes. Absolutely! This is an excellent time to celebrate your family and to capture a family photo before your senior heads off into the world. Likewise, if you’re scheduling a session for a child, please think about jumping into a few of the photos during the session. Time is fleeting and it’s so important to capture these moments when you’re together. You’ll treasure these photos forever!
How Long is a Typical Family Portrait Session?
Family portrait sessions usually take about an hour, give or take a bit. This gives us time to capture different poses and groupings. If we are outside, we will walk to several different locations to capture different backgrounds. If there are any pets, we might take some photos with the pet and some without.
What if it Rains?
Great question! Weather is always on our mind when preparing for a portrait session outside. Fortunately, we can take amazing photos in many different lighting and weather conditions. Cloudy and overcast days, for example, often provide some of the best and most flattering lighting. We also get fabulous results with other weather conditions. If, however, it is downpouring during our session (or the forecast predicts such weather), we will certainly reschedule for another date at no additional cost.
Should We Include the Family Pet?
Your pet is a member of your family and should definitely be included if you’d like to have them there. We often take photos of the kids with the dog, the parents with the dog, the dog by herself, and, of course, the whole family with the dog. Other animals have graced family portrait sessions in the past including bunnies, cats, and even a parrot. Some families choose to take photos with the pet first, and then put them somewhere safe to take photos without them. There are many ways to include pets in your portraits; please ask me if you have any questions!
Looking for the perfect place for photos? Check out my Location Guide!
