What to Expect During Family Photos: A Look at the Experience
If you’ve never had family photos taken with me before, you might be wondering what actually happens during a session.
Do we pose the entire time?
What are you supposed to do?
What if the kids don’t want to cooperate?
Are we going to spend an hour standing around smiling at the camera?
The short answer is: no.
My family sessions are relaxed, playful, and focused on connection. You don’t need to know how to pose, and your children don’t need to perform. I’ll guide you through the experience so you can focus on being together.
Here’s what you can expect.
Before Your Session
Your experience starts before you arrive.
I’ll send you information to help you prepare, including what to wear, what to bring, and what you can do to help your family feel ready.
If you have questions, I’m here to help. My goal is for you to walk into your session feeling prepared rather than wondering if you’re doing everything “right.”
When You Arrive
We don’t immediately start taking pictures.
We’ll take a few minutes to settle in, say hello, and let everyone get comfortable.
If your child is shy, that’s okay. They don’t have to warm up to me right away.
Sometimes the best thing we can do at the beginning is simply give everyone a little time.
During Your Session
This is where things get fun.
We’ll walk, play, explore, snuggle, tell jokes, make silly faces, and probably do a few things that weren’t on the original plan.
I’ll give you prompts and simple things to do together rather than expecting you to know how to pose.
You might hear me say:
“Walk together, holding hands, looking at each other or at the ground just not at me.”
“Give your kiddo a big squeeze.”
“Tell me your best joke.”
“Let’s see who can make Mom laugh.”
“Who has the stinkiest farts?”
These little interactions give you something to do while creating genuine moments for me to photograph.
There will also be times when I simply step back and let your family be together.
What If Someone Needs a Break?
Someone needs a snack? Take a break.
A shoe falls off? We’ll fix it.
Your toddler suddenly decides they’re done? We’ll adjust.
Your child wants to explore something interesting? Let’s go see what it is.
Family photos don’t have to unfold perfectly for us to create beautiful photographs.
In fact, some of the moments you might consider interruptions can become some of the most meaningful images in your gallery.
Do We Take Any “Looking at the Camera” Photos?
Absolutely.
I want you to have those classic family portraits, too.
But I don’t want your gallery to be made up entirely of everyone looking at the camera and smiling.
I want you to have the photographs of your family laughing together, the way your child reaches for your hand, the way your toddler collects rocks, and the little moments you might not even notice happening.
A gallery should feel like your family, not like a checklist of poses.
Your Only Job
You don’t need to know what to do with your hands.
You don’t need to make your children smile.
You don’t need to perform for the camera.
Your job is simply to be with your family.
I’ll take care of the rest.
My goal is to create a session where you can relax enough to forget about the camera for a little while and enjoy the people you love.
Because when you look back at your photographs years from now, I hope you don’t just see what your family looked like.
I hope you remember what it felt like to be together.
Ready to Experience It for Yourself?
If you’ve been thinking about scheduling family photos but weren’t quite sure what the experience would be like, I’d love to change that.
I’ll guide you through the process from beginning to end, helping with the details while creating space for your family to simply be yourselves.
If you’re ready to document this season of your family’s life, I’d love to hear from you.
