How to Prepare for your Family Session-The COMPLETE Checklist!

Things to do before your session:

1. Plan out your outfits: The earlier, the better. Believe me, I’ve been that crazy lady walking all around Target and Old Navy the night before taking pictures and it was no bueno. SO STRESSFUL! So start early!
2. Make hair/nail appointments: For boys make sure to schedule hair appointments about a week before the session date. For ladies, depending on your hair style, I recommend scheduling your hair appointment about a week or up until a day before your session date. Keep in mind that sometimes sessions do need to be rescheduled due to things that are outside of our control like illness or bad weather. I love to capture details of hands and fingers, so make sure everyone’s hands are photo-ready!
3. Prepare your kids (and husband). Keep it fun, laid-back, and casual. Talk to your husband ahead of time about how much it means to you to get pictures all together so you can create a united front. Saying things in a light-hearted manner leading up to the session date is so helpful! Don’t forget to feed your crew (even if it’s a light snack) before packing up the car and driving over.
4. Rest up! Your session time will most likely be around your child’s bedtime, since the light about 1-2 hours before sunset is the best for photos. It can be helpful to schedule your child’s nap a little bit later than usual, since they will be staying up past their normal bedtime. I know this can be hard, but it will be worth it!

What to Wear:

1. Start with yourself! Moms- pick out your outfit first. What do you feel the best in? Is it a flowy dress or jeans and a blouse? Wear clothing that fits and flatters your body type. You deserve it! Once you have your outfit, the goal is to mesh the other’s around it.
2. Dress for the weather. Plan to have your children wear layers to keep them comfortable, especially around fall/early winter time.
3. Look in everyone’s closets first before going out to buy new things. I’m a huge supporter of keeping things within the budget! For kids’ outfits I would suggest buying second-hand, but still good quality. Kidz Again or other used clothing stores are great places to check out. I always try to find fabrics that are soft, since no kid wants to be uncomfortable during pictures. I also LOVE Old Navy and Target; they always have great options for the whole family.
4. Pick 3-4 coordinating colors. Google can be your friend to help you visually see what colors and neutrals go best together.
5. Be prepared to move! Wear clothing that is comfortable. Make sure that dress you want to wear isn’t going to fly up when you bend over. I recommend women or little girls to wear mid-length or long, flowy dresses.
6. Don’t forget your shoes! Wear shoes that coordinate and complement your outfit. Please do not wear athletic/tennis shoes or bright neon colored shoes and/or laces, they are very distracting.
7. Say yes to accessories and layers! They add so much interest and dimension to your pictures. If it’s too hot to wear layers of clothing, then accessories can take its place. Cute necklaces, belts, bracelets, etc. If it’s cool weather you can wear cardigans, vests, scarves, boots, etc.
8. Coordinate clothing pieces, don’t get too matchy-matchy. Your goal is to coordinate your clothing together, not all wear the same thing. I love denim, but you don’t need to have everyone wear jeans. Sprinkle it in- meaning don’t have everyone wear jeans and a t-shirt!
9. Dont’s: Lettering, (like phrases or brands on shirts or hats). Busy prints. Loud patterns (like Hawaiian shirts). Super tight or super loose clothes. Neon colors (yellow, bright orange, hot pinks, especially on kids shoes!). Solid white or solid black colored shirts (it’s ok if the shirt has texture in the material or if you are layering). Shirts that are made from thin material (they can look wrinkly on camera and cling to your body in a non-flattering way). Some men’s shirts that have very close stripes- this can create a moiré effect on camera.

What to bring to your session:

1. Walkable shoes. Depending on the location, we might need to walk a bit before taking photos.
2. Touchup items. Makeup such as lipstick or mascara or a brush to smooth out your hair.
3. A change of clothes for your young children, just in case they get super dirty or wet.
4. Snacks or bribes….I fully support snacks or treats to act as a bribe to keep your kids motivated during your session. Examples include smarties (I always have some with me) or mini marshmallows. Goldfish, suckers, chewy candies, and chocolate are big NOs! Please wait until about midway or towards the end of the session when they start to lose steam. If you get the snacks out too early all they will want to do is just eat instead of play with you. The snacks/treats can leave marks on their face and teeth, so the longer you wait, the better. If you are feeling over-whelmed with so many things to bring, don’t worry about bringing anything.
5. Empty your pockets. Leave your keys, wallet, and phones in a purse or give them to me for safe keeping during your session.
6. For the fall season…you can bring your own neutral colored blanket you can sit on, if you don’t mind getting it little dirty! Solid colors or simple patterns photograph well. I always bring a blanket with me, so it’s just an option! If there is time, sometimes we can do some “cozy” pictures at the end where everyone is snuggling with the same blanket wrapped around their shoulders.

What to expect during your session:

1. Arrive at the location early, but not too early! 5- 10 min is great! This allows you plenty of time to introduce your kids to the location, and change clothes if needed. Some materials tend to wrinkle easily while sitting in the car so it’s always a good idea to wait to put on those wrinkle-prone clothes until you get there. If you have children ages 0-3 years old I recommend waiting to put on part/whole outfit until you arrive. If everyone is ready, we can usually get started a little bit early too!
2. At the very beginning of the session I will get some of those more “traditional” portraits done (everyone looking at the camera and smile). After that my main goal is to capture your family’s personalities and interactions with each other. I will give you lots of prompts (funny things that will get those genuine smiles out) and fun things you can do together as a family.
3. Leave it up to me. Some parents may get upset with their child if they aren’t listening to directions right off the bat. Don’t stress about it! I am going after those natural smiles, so if your child doesn’t smile on cue, that’s OK! As a former teacher and mother of four children, I’ve seen it all before.
4. Slow down, let loose, and don’t force anything! Try to be present and in the moment. Don’t feel like you have to make everything perfect. The best photos come from playful interactions with your family.
5. If you find yourself not sure of what to do, just smile and look at a family member.

What to expect after your session:

1. Follow me on Instagram or Facebook to see a sneak peak of your family’s photos about a day or two after your session. @juliacrawfordphotography
2. Editing time! Behind the scenes I will be working hard and going through all of your photos and selecting the best images to edit. I promise to not leave anything out!
3. Your gallery link will be emailed to you about 1 – 2 weeks after your session date.
4. After you have all of your images downloaded onto your computer, please PRINT and SHARE them with others! The best place I would recommend to print is through https://www.mpix.com/. Since you’ve gone through much effort in getting quality images taken, please do not try to save money by printing them cheap at a local store. These are photos you will see and appreciate in your home every day.
5. Enjoy your photos! Share them with everyone! Much of my business relies on referrals from my clients. If you share them on social media, I would so appreciate you tagging me! @juliacrawfordphotography
6. Send me a review! I would love you to tell me how I did and how much you love your pictures.

So there you have it!

All of this planning and preparation will pay off in the end, trust me! This guide will help you in preparing and will make everything run as smooth as possible. Thank you for trusting me to be your family photographer. I can’t wait to be friends with you! I am honored to leave you with photos that can freeze this precious moment of time for your family.