Stress and anxiety is definitely not on our agenda for any family photography session with me. I promise it is going to be a relaxed and fun time, but you need to do a little work first. Follow some of my advice and your next Maryland family session will be a breeze!

Family Photography Session – How to Prepare

Kim Whipps Photography

Plan outfits ahead of time

This one is really helpful and fortunately, I believe most of my families do this. Just like any other important event in your life, don’t wait until the last minute to pick out what to wear. If you’re anything like me, it’ll stress you out to scramble on the day of looking for something to wear for family photos. Plan ahead of time and have a few back up options too. I always suggest having multiple choices and encourage my clients to text me their ideas too if they need to bounce ideas around. Just promise me, you won’t wait till the day of to go through your closet.

Be flexible with Maryland weather

This is something we can’t control so it’s easier to let it go. It helps to prepare if you just go with the flow when it comes to weather the day of your family photography session. If it’s outdoors and the weather is calling for rain, we can either reschedule or move indoors. I’m always down for an indoor session anyway. 😉  With that said, if you have your heart set on outdoors or even a mixture of, it’s always worth rescheduling to better weather when you can. I do not like to shoot in the rain (nor will I), so I maintain a lot of flexibility in my calendar for crazy Maryland weather. Especially in the spring and fall.

Don’t make it a chore for the kids (or dads!)

This little guy didn’t exactly need any type of pre-session coaching because he’s still at that awesome age of going with the flow, but let’s pretend you have a reluctant older child or partner who isn’t too excited about having a family photography session. I get it, because many of us don’t enjoy having our photos taken, but here’s what you can do. Don’t make it a chore. Tell them it just going to be a playdate of sorts because it pretty much is. I use prompts and fun ways to get everyone to interact, vs just posing constantly. Let them know it will be fun and don’t make threats or tell them how important it is to you. Just tell them the truth.. that you’re going to go spend an hour together as a family, and you just happen to have a photographer documenting it. 😉

Relax and go with the flow

Biggest advice here is this. Just relax. Remember, it’s my job to make sure you all look connected, your hair looks great and baby is smiling, but I need YOU to be relaxed to help that flow.  Take the time to plan ahead, but don’t stress on things you can’t control, like the weather. There’s only so much we can do in that regard. Just take a deep breath and have trust in the process and it’ll all go beautifully.

 

If you’re an expecting mom or have welcomed a new baby and you are looking for a Baltimore Family photographer, I would love to talk with you! To see more of my family and child portfolio please click here and feel free to reach out and ask any question you can think of. 

Xo Kim