How To Prepare For Family Photos

It’s the day of your family photos and you’re running around trying to do everything at once: finalizing outfit choices with the contents of everyone’s closet all over the bed, shouting at your spouse to help pack up the car, frantically putting on makeup and not caring how it looks as long as you get out the door on time… 

Let’s avoid this scenario at all costs! 

Instead, I can help you best prepare for your family photos so the day is not only smooth, but it’s actually a fun day spent with your family!

Keep scrolling for tips for how to prepare for your family portraits.

1. Get your family excited for photos!

• Talk with your family about the fun activities you might do during your family photos. Get them excited about playing and being together as a family.

  Note: don’t overwhelm your kids with too much info

  No need to go over all the details of what’s going to happen or exactly how they should act. Don’t bribe them to be on their best behavior, because that sets the expectation that they won’t like this experience. 

  All you need to tell them is that you’re going to have fun, play and explore together as a family while someone takes your picture. That is all you have to tell them!

  2. Choose outfits that express who you are as a family

  You don’t need to wear matchy-matchy outfits or dress up like a Patagonia ad, unless that’s who you are as a family! I recommend choosing a general color palette to work with and go through closets first before going shopping. More on choosing outfits for your family here.
  
  Avoid forcing your kids and spouse to wear something they don’t want to wear. They likely won’t be happy about it, won’t be comfortable, and it will show in the pictures.
  
  

  3. Be intentional about sleep/naps

  Try to avoid napping in the car on the way to your photo session, unless the car ride is long enough for a complete nap. Being woken up in the middle of a good car nap is a recipe for crankiness during your family photos.

  Speaking of being well-rested, make sure that all family members get a good night’s sleep! That includes all adults too!
  
  

  4. No hangry family members

  Make sure your family is fed before your photos! (Ideally before they get dressed in their photo clothes, so we avoid any spills or stains). And can’t forget to have everyone brush their teeth and wash faces ;)

  It’s never a bad idea to pack a bag with some snacks in it too, especially for the little ones!
  

  Here are some ideas for snacks to bring just in case:

  • Fruit snacks

  • Apple slices

  • Jerky

  • Dried fruit

  • Trail mix

  • Cheerios

  Please stay away from bringing these snacks:

  • Chocolate - melts and gets everywhere!

  • Gum - you see it every time they laugh

  • Any candy that you suck on that takes forever to eat

  • Berries of any kind - stain clothes and mouth

  • Crackers or chips - they get stuck in your teeth and crumbs everywhere

    Try to keep snacks as a last resort. We want to avoid treating snacks like a bribe for behavior or to smile. Be sneaky about having the snacks and only get out a few at a time if absolutely needed.

5. Be ready early

Give yourselves more time than usual to get ready. I’d say a solid 30-60 minutes longer than normal. This way, if you’re ready early, you can sit back and relax before your photos start - or heck, even show up early to the location and explore a bit before we get started! Trust me, folks at any age have meltdowns when feeling rushed getting ready (myself included).

6. Don’t get worn out beforehand

Don’t be overly active on the day of your family photos. You don’t want everyone to be pooped by the time the camera comes out.

7. Bring an activity to do as a family

Having an activity for the family to do during your photo session is always a great idea. It involves the whole family, is interactive, and fun! If you’ll be near a bonfire, bring along s’more supplies! Bring a yard game, board game, cards, bubbles, whatever your family enjoys doing together.

Or bring items that excite your kids. Bring their favorite stuffed animal, bubbles, or even a scooter or skateboard.

As long as you don’t bog yourself down with a ton of items and it’s not stuff that the kids will fight over!

8. Plan for a fun surprise after the session

Family photos should be a fun event that the whole family looks forward to! You’ll be playing together and enjoying each other’s company (just with someone taking your pictures). Make a day of it by planning something you all enjoy afterward! You don’t need to use this as a bribe to make them behave, moreso making a family fun day out of it! By extending the fun, the family looks at the whole experience as a positive one and something they’ll look forward to every time.

9. Stay positive

There always seems to be one in the family who doesn’t want photos taken.. (cough cough, looking at you dad…) Be sure to emphasize the importance of getting family photos done. These aren’t just to be shared online once, your family photos are to capture this moment in your family’s life and should be shared on for generations.

If necessary, bring a beer to calm the nerves a bit ;)

10. Be yourselves and have fun!

This is easily the most important tip for family photos. All of the above tips are helpful but ultimately lead up to this. No need to worry about what to do with your hands or how to pose for the photos. Don’t worry about your kids not giving their best smile. (We’ll get those genuine smiles if everyone is happy and having fun!)

Remember that every family is different and the session can sometimes take a different direction than originally planned. That’s the beauty of family sessions! I will be sure to capture all those candid, genuine moments that naturally happen between your family, while also getting a few classic photos as well. The fun part: with these photos, you will remember the details of this fleeting time in your kids lives.

Final tips:

Go with the flow. I will handle the general timeline for your portrait session, so you don’t have to worry about that. When families are stressed or not feeling like they can be themselves, that tension shows in photos. Allow your family to be silly, to run around and play, and to let loose. Those always end up being the best photos captured.