Parent’s Guide: How to Get the BEST Family Pictures?
Have you ever viewed an image on Pinterest or seen a social media post of a family and thought to yourself “How do I get my children or my family to do that in front of a camera?”
I know I have said and thought the same question every single time I’ve been searching online for inspirational family pictures. Want to know the secret and the answer to that question? The answer is YES! It is possible to have the authentic feeling and genuine YOU in your family photos. How? I call it the “Disney Mindset” - “Happiest Place on Earth” approach to your attitude and preparation leading up to the big family photo day.
A few years ago, my husband and I decided to take the kids for the first time to Disney World, Orlando Florida. We planned and organized all the details down to the last matching outfit. The night before the big travel day my husband and I were chatting about the trip and how excited we both were. Within the same breath, we also acknowledge that traveling with a five and seven-year-old will be exhausting with an unlimited amount of meltdowns. We asked ourselves, how do we make this experience amazing while managing the meltdowns? The more we discussed this question we came to the conclusion that Disney World is not the place for discipline but a time to say YES and pivot with meltdowns. For us to authentically experience the Disney World smiles with our children we decided to be carefree and be like a child with them. It truly was the best four days and we are still talking about the kids dancing on the hotel beds, and Letha’s favorite part was the arcade room in the hotel. Owen requested dinner at the hotel pool every night and us sitting on the driveway in one of the theme parks eating ice cream. We didn’t just take the kids to Disney World we experience the excitement with them.
It is this “Disney Mindset” that we can use for your family photography session! Let the children be children and let you and your spouse be YOU. No forced behavior. No discipline or punishments during the photo sessions. Let me as the photographer guide and direct the family. Allow me to encourage the children to be the best version of themselves. This is how you get the best YOU in every single family photo.
Be encouraged that I put a ton of thought and organization into each one of my family photo sessions. I have researched the location, I have walked the space beforehand, and know specifically where I want each set of photo images taken before we even meet on your big photography day. I have children of my own and embrace the fact that we always have to pivot during life; just like we sometimes have to pivot during photo sessions. Know that I know kids will have meltdowns. Kids need to move and not stay in one place too long. All you need to do is prepare everyone for a fun adventure and maybe a trip to an ice cream store afterward.
I would love to connect with you! Send me an email below to book your next family photo session.
