Tips for emotionally preparing your husband for your family session

For some of us, preparing our husbands for the family photo session is as exhausting as preparing the kids. If your husband is happy-go-lucky about photo day, that’s excellent. If you’re dealing with someone who’s reluctant, however, then here are some things you can do to help:

Some dads are worried that a crazy photographer is going to push them into some weird, uncomfortable pose and force them to smile. My aim is to capture real emotions and not forced ones so being weird with Dad is not going to help. Respecting him as the head of his home goes a long way to getting him to relax and enjoy himself.

Especially if this is your first session together with the family now that the kids are mobile, let him know how the session will go and discuss your expectations. Also, if you have to bribe the kids, communicate this with him so he can help remind them of the bribery.

Warn him that the kids will probably be crazy or freak out and that he should prepare himself for that. It's ok if they don't do what you want. I know how to handle like ones when they don't do what we want. Let your hubby know he can relax and I'll take care of it.

Let him know that the more helpful he is in getting himself and the kids ready, the less stressed you will be and the less chance of an argument between you arising.

Remind him that the session is only an hour or so and then it will all be over. This way, he sees a light at the end of the tunnel and can stick it out.

If your husband is being difficult, bribe him to cooperate during the session as well. If it works for the kiddos, it may very well work for him!

And most importantly - remind him that you love him (and that he loves you, and that’s why he’s cooperating with this). Tell him how much you appreciate his support and cooperation in this, and how pleased you are all going to be with the finished photos.

I hope you have a great day!

9 Tips for a Successful Photo Session with Children

We all know that family photos are so important but actually having a successful session with children, no matter their age does take some preparation and there really is an art to getting it right.

Here is my checklist of things that go a long way to ensuring your photo session is a success and that you get the images you have your heart set on.

1. Book your session for when you know your child will be awake and happy. 

Booking your session at a time when you child normally takes a nap is a recipe for disaster. Early morning sessions normally go much better than afternoon sessions. Make the effort to schedule the session around your children and it will be so worth it.

The perfect family photo! This mum just loves this photo because it captures exactly what her son is like.

2. Feed your child before the session. 

Also, pack something to drink during the session. I do not recommend bringing along snacks as once you have taken them out of the bag you will not get them back and we will have sticky faces and fingers.

3. Bring more than one outfit. 

Make sure you always have backup clothes just in case. I suggest dressing your child just before you get in the car and after they have had all food and drink. 

4. Let your child help when picking out their clothes for the session 

By letting your child wear his favourite shirt or shoes will help him feel more comfortable. If his choice of clothing is awful or doesn’t match, see if you can use that shirt as an undershirt or tell him he can put it on for a couple of shots at the end of the session. You can also bring along the outfit you really would like your child to wear and I'll convince them to put it on.

5. Have a bribe in place. 

This one is a little more tricky. The key is to not tell your child what the bribe is. Let me know what you are planning so I can use it when I need to during the session. Often if you tell little ones up front what the bribe is they cannot wait that long to get it and they start to get restless.

 6. Bring along her favorite toy or blanket. 

This will help your child be comfortable in a new and unfamiliar surrounding. Just be aware that this will probably become a prop in some of the photos, so bring something that is pleasing to the eyes or has sentimental value and you’d be okay with photos of it.

7. Talk to your child about the session and explain what’s going to happen.

If your child is informed about the situation, it will be less scary for her when she comes to the session. Tell her that she is going to meet a new friend who is going to take some photos of her. Let her know that you’ll be there with her and that we are going to have lots of fun. We might change her clothes once or twice and ask her to sit a certain way. During the session I will show her a couple of the photos so she can put two and two together.

8. Wear comfortable shoes. 

It is a good idea to wear comfortable shoes to a session like this, as it’s challenging to chase a little one around in flip-flops or heels. During the session, I may ask you to grab your child if he keeps running out of the frame. Or I may have us walking around exploring, so we need to be prepared to keep our feet safe and comfortable.

9. Have Fun

I have three kiddies of my own and I love working with children. Take a seat on the floor right behind me to ensure your child looks in the camera and just relax. Taking photos of children is not about having them sit still and give us a fake smile. It is about capturing the essence of who they are. That includes funny faces and then running out of the picture too.

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I hope you have a great day!