Family Photos Prep Guide
Welcome!
I’m so glad we’re going to work together to get the family photos you need. Thank you for trusting me to document your family! My goal is to help you fill your home with true images of your favorite people, and this guide will help walk you through the prep.
Whether this is your first or fifteenth family photo session, you’ll have all the info you need to be ready for it. And of course, if the guide doesn’t answer a question you have, I’m available via phone/text at 804-286-0314, or via email at allison@allisonpatelphoto.com.
Let’s get started!
Pre-session Prep
Location prep
Your home prep
You’ve got some homework (get it? home work), but trust me, it’ll be worth it.
Ahead of our session, do a general sweep of your home for clutter. We could photograph in any windowed room of your house. We’ll do a walk through when I arrive so we can choose the best place(s) for our session, and we won’t want to spend our time cleaning up stacks of papers or shoving laundry baskets out of the way. Go ahead and store the clutter in a closet, cabinet, or drawer, or in a windowless room. If there’s any room you definitely don’t want photos in, go ahead and close the door to that room and we won’t go in there.
Open the curtains and blinds in each room, and turn off all overhead lights and lamps. The sun will be our guide for the best rooms and spots to photograph. If it’s an especially dark day, I’ll have a light source with me to boost our lighting.
You do not need to redecorate your house for our session; I’ll be focused on the people, not the things. We just want to remove distracting elements that you wouldn’t want photographed.
Yard prep
Nothing fancy, but if we want to go outside and get any photos on the front porch or in the yard, consider doing a quick tidy there too.
Sweep the front porch and sidewalk for leaves and cobwebs
Remove any dead potted plants from the areas we’ll be hanging out
If we’re playing in the yard, give it a trim a few days before our session
Mental prep
Mentally prepping for your family photos might not be on your list of to-dos along with haircuts (no less than a week before our session) or searching for outfits (see below), but it’s possibly the most important. You’ve been ready for family photos since you booked. You’re excited, but your spouse and/or kids may not be excited, or even aware that this is coming. Here are some tips to get everyone on the same page:
Tell the kids in advance. The same way you tell them when their grandparents are coming to visit, with time for them to get excited. Talk about the fun you’ll have together, the activities we hope to do, and make it sound fun, not like something to dread. I’ve had many toddlers open doors and yell “HELLO MS ALLI!!!” the very first time they’ve met me, due to the excellent prep work of their parents.
Include your spouse. Tell them, deliberately, and repeatedly. Get their input on wardrobe, block the session time on their calendar, and share with them what you hope to get out of it. (If you have older kids who understand adult concepts like expectations, feel free to share those with them as well). Again, keep it light. “I want us to have fun and get some photos of us smiling and having a good time together” is a realistic expectation. If there are particular things you hope your partner to do (play a certain way with the kids, be engaged during the session in a particular way, etc), spell it out for them ahead of time so your thoughts are clear and you’re not trying to manage their behavior during your session.
Fill out your pre-session questionnaire. About 2 weeks before your session, I’ll email you a questionnaire that asks you questions about your expectations for the session. Lay it all on me. What you want and don’t want. If there’s anything unrealistic in your answers, I’ll let you know ahead of time so we can adjust the expectations and no one is surprised or disappointed. Just like above, lay it all out before our session so your head is clear when the camera comes out.
Anticipate that it will go well, and focus on that outcome. It might seem silly, but if you’re anxious that it will go poorly, your body language will tighten, your kids will pick up on it, and it will be harder to get the photos we want to get. We’re going to have a great time!
Wardrobe
Do:
Choose comfortable, well-fitting clothing for each person.
Pick items that look and feel like “you.” (I don’t ever wear dresses, so choosing a dress for my session wouldn’t feel like me, for example).
Consider where we’ll be holding our session and the activities we’ll be participating in. (Shoes should be comfortable; if we'll be bending and squatting with small children, choose clothing that you can move in.)
Consider the weather if we’re going outside, specifically temperature. If the weather is cold and you don’t want photos of your coats, dress in layers instead. Some of my favorite photos from sessions are the “in-between” photos and you’ll find that putting on and taking off coats every few minutes is a real hassle.
Build the family’s outfits around a coordinated color theme for cohesion. Jewel tones, neutral tones, earth tones, pastels, etc.
Embrace each person’s personality as they dress. Is there an outfit that they just can't live without? Have a toddler who insists on a specific pair of shoes whenever she leaves the house? Tutus and rain boots are welcome.
Don’t:
Choose neon colors - they don’t photograph well, and when sunlight hits that color, it washes everything around it in that color, too.
Pick items with logos or big graphics - they don’t age well.
Put everyone in the same matching outfit (black shirts/jeans, blue shirts/khakis, etc).
Wear black - Slimming rumors aside, black tends to show shedded hair and skin more than other colors. Charcoal or navy are slightly less harsh and photograph better.
Be afraid of pattern. Do choose a smaller pattern that won’t detract focus from the people in the photos.
Shy away from color. Picking up bold colors from a more subtle outfit for a pop of color can look amazing. For example, if Dad is wearing a plaid shirt, draw one color from it and have one child wear that color.
Jewelry: I recommend you remove any tech gadgets (Apple watches, Fitbits, etc). Regular watches can also be distracting, so unless they’re specifically being worn for fashion’s sake, you can leave those off as well.
Pockets: Try to keep your pockets as empty as possible. Phone and key bulges can be distracting. Put on chapstick or lipgloss before we start, and then don’t worry about trying to reapply during our session.
Footwear: If we are out and about, wear comfortable shoes that you can move and walk in. If your toes will be exposed, remove chipped nail polish. Unless you’re specifically a Crocs family, I’d steer clear of those. And while we’re inside, we’ll be team Bare Feet all the way. If you’re very against bare feet, you might consider finding fun socks or slippers for everyone to wear instead, as anything you wear on your feet will be seen in the photos at some point.
Pets: If your fur-child is joining us for a session outside, remember that RVA and the surrounding counties have leash laws. Make sure that whatever leash you choose for your pet is one that you want to see in your images. I recommend a traditional leash, not a retractable one.
Need more inspiration? Check out my Pinterest board for ideas: what to wear for outdoor sessions and what to wear for indoor sessions.
The shoot is yours to style as you like, and your family photos should be a reflection of your family. The guidelines above are here to help, but don’t feel like they need to restrict you. If you are having trouble picking, feel free to text or email me with some options and I'll help you choose!
Need a quick once-over the night before our session? Here’s a blog post for that.
Session Day!
Day-of-prep checklist:
Time to get excited! Here’s a refresher of that mental checklist.
Make sure everyone (including you) is fed prior to our session.
Make sure clothes are stain and wrinkle-free.
Bring (or have available) an extra change of clothes for anyone in diapers (and maybe anyone potty-training, too).
If you bring or provide snacks, make sure they’re clean snacks that won’t melt onto fingers or clothing, or turn teeth colors.
If it’s a hot day and we’re outside, bring water!
What we’ll do during our session
We’ll have 60 minutes, more or less, to enjoy your family and play. Don’t worry about watching the clock or filling time. I’ll set a timer on my phone so we don’t run over, in case you have somewhere else to be after our session.
We’ll start by finding the room(s) with the best light, and then choose our activities according to what we discussed on the phone and what you requested in your questionnaire. We might read a book on the couch, jump on the bed (with parental approval of course), or bake cookies in the kitchen. We might go out and play in the backyard, or sit on the front porch for a spell. Our session is yours to shape.
Kids and Photos
Whatever we do, you are off the hook for trying to get your kids to smile for photos. “Cheese” is not a word we’ll use.
Some kids see the camera and are instantly ready for their close-up. They like to have their picture taken, they want to see the back of the camera (and I may oblige once or twice), and they’re all about it.
Others see a stranger with a camera and get insta-shy. They bury their head in their parents’ shoulders, and can’t bear the thought of being cooperative for a photo.
This is okay. (Read this blog post for more.)
This is why we have an hour. We can accommodate moodiness and meltdowns in our session. A lot of times kids just don’t trust a stranger with a camera, and that is okay. You could do all the prep ahead of time and your toddler could talk about how excited he is for days, and then completely shut down at the start of the session. Their behavior in this odd situation is not a reflection of your parenting or who they are, and I’m not here to judge either.
Some of my favorite images are the ones when kids cuddle up with their parents for safety before they warm up to me.
Adults and Photos
Along the same lines as kids, not all adults are gung-ho about having their picture taken, and I get that. My own spouse is less than excited to have his photo taken, and when asked how I could help him get excited, he adamantly declared, “There’s nothing you can do to get me excited about having my picture taken.” And yet he still cooperates.
Don’t fight it.
We don’t need everyone to be giddy in order to have a wonderful session. Let each adult manage their own feelings, and allow them to cooperate in the best way they know how. We don’t need everyone smiling (or even looking) at the camera to make a beautiful, connected family photo.
After the Session
After your session I’ll cull our images down to the very best of the best (typically around 50 images for a 60 minute session), then edit those images and get them uploaded into your gallery. Once they’re ready, I’ll email you your slideshow link.
When you get your slideshow link, make the most of it! Open it up on your TV or a large computer screen, gather the family ‘round, turn up the volume, and pass the tissues. The first time you see your photos is always the best.
You’ll have 24 hours to choose a collection once you open up the slideshow. Once you’ve selected and paid for your collection, your gallery will open for 30 days, pre-loaded with your print credit and set for you to download the number of files that corresponds with your collection.
The Jackson Ward Collection - $1100
Ideas and advice on how to use your photos
A complete set of all of the high resolution, edited digital files from our session with print release (50+ photos)
$500 print credit good toward your choice of anything in the gallery store: prints, canvases, albums, wall art, etc.
The Museum District Collection - $900
Ideas and advice on how to use your photos
Choice of 30 high resolution, edited digital files with print release
$250 print credit good toward your choice of anything in the gallery store: prints, canvases, albums, additional digital files, etc.
The Oregon Hill Collection - $700
Ideas and advice on how to use your photos
Choice of 15 high resolution, edited digital files with print release
$100 print credit good toward your choice of anything in the gallery store: prints, canvases, albums, additional digital files, etc.
Help downloading your image files:
In the time between our session and your gallery delivery, I’ll send you an email with a video explaining how the gallery works and how to download them, so you’ll be a pro when you get that email from me with your gallery link.
Copyrights (and wrongs)
Once you’ve got your digital files in hand, you are free to print them when, where and as often as you wish - you can use them to make holiday cards, share on your social media pages or personal blog, etc. The only things you can’t do are related to the resale of your photos or use for commercial/business purposes. For instance, if you authored a book, you’d need additional permission to use one of the photos on the dust jacket, and you wouldn’t be able to enter one of the photos into a contest and win prize money for it. Otherwise, you’ve got free reign.
You’re welcome to share your downloaded images online. I’d love for you to tag me so I can join in the merry on your post. I’d also love to see the finished products when you have them ready; I love to see our art out in the wild!
Printing your images
While everything that I offer in my store is printed in professional labs and guaranteed to be high quality, I also recognize that you may want to print your images yourself, and thanks to those digital files, you absolutely can! I recommend Richmond Camera for local printing (you can order online). Be sure to de-select any color correction options, and upload the original files you downloaded, not copies, and not web-sized files. The high-resolution files you receive from me should allow you to easily print up to 20x30”.
Inspiration for how to use your print credit
Professional Lab Prints
Your favorite images, printed by an RVA small business professional lab on a smooth, textured photographic paper that hides fingerprints and smudges and shows colors true-to-life.
Available in a variety of sizes, and perfect for framing and hanging on the wall, or giving as a gift to family.
8x10 / $10
11x14 / $20
16x20 / $55
Mounted Prints w/ Bamboo Easel
5x7" prints, printed by an RVA small business professional lab on smooth, textured photographic paper and mounted on a black, lightweight board to make the print stiff and easy to display. Presented with a sustainable bamboo stand in a cool-toned walnut finish for displaying on a shelf or your desk.
5x7 / $40
Lay-Flat Albums
Custom albums are printed on true photo paper in a smooth, semi-gloss finish, which shows off excellent skin tones and accurate color.
The lay-flat binding allows for seamless, panoramic viewing of your session photos.
Choose from fabric, faux leather, or a favorite session photo for the cover of your album. Fabric and leathers are debossed with silver foil text, while the photo cover has the option of adding title text on the spine.
10 spreads (20 pages) are included in the price below. 20 spread albums are also available, and additional spreads (2 pages per spread) can be added for $25 each.
8x8 / $255
8x12 / $305
Bamboo Panels
Your image is printed on smooth, textured photographic paper and then mounted on sustainably harvested bamboo.
The distinctive bamboo pattern is exposed along the edge of the panel, at 3/4” deep, and adds a touch of outdoor flair to your art.
Bamboo panels arrive ready to be displayed, with a carved out keyhole on the back for hanging.
8x8 / $115
12x12 / $205
16x24 / $450
24x30 / $775
I’m here for you.
I hope this is a helpful resource for you as you prepare for your session, and consider how to use your images afterwards. Let me know if you have any questions or concerns that aren’t addressed here!
I can’t wait for our session!
