I didn’t realize how stressful getting ready for family photos were until my little man entered our family. The leading up the session can be overwhelming! Deciding on the outfits, worrying about having happy baby/kids, and stressing about getting that “perfect” photo and if everything will fall into place! I am here to help!
I am a lifestyle photographer. Although I will try to grab the camera aware photo you are likely drawn to my work because of the real moments you have seen captured. So the MOST important thing is don’t just focus on the final product; enjoy the experience!
I know photo shoots can be stressful, especially for mom, but instead of worrying if the resulting photos will be perfect, embrace that life IS NOT perfect. Just have fun and the photos will reflect your life and THAT IS PERFECT. If your child won’t stop running around, or the baby cries or won’t stop drooling, or the dog won’t sit still – that is OKAY because that chaos is your life, and your life is BEAUTIFUL. Enjoy the session as a time to fully embrace how crazy, fun, and wonderful family life can be and trust me you will love it.
But to help relieve some stress I am here to help you prepare for the session with these 6 tips!
Babies Cry- if your baby doe, its okay! How cute is this photo to show at her 16th or 21st birthday!? ❤
BEFORE THE SESSION!
1. Prepare your kids, but not too much!
Let your kids know about the session in advance. Start talking to your them about it a week in advance to get them comfortable with the idea, and remind them a little each day but don’t let them worry about getting their photos done. You can let them know your expectations of their behavior, but more importantly talk it up to make it sound like a fun and special occasion for the family…because it is! Try not to make it seem so important. Children just want to have fun, and so does your photographer! 🙂
2. Full tummies and well rested!
Make sure everyone is happily fed, parents too. Every parent knows the importance of having snacks on hand for the kids. Have a well rested child/children. You should NEVER schedule a photo shoot near nap time.
3. What to bring to comfort your child
Bring your child’s favorite toy, blankie or doll. We may choose to use it in a few photos (which is a great memory for later years) and it will go a long way in comforting your child. Just don’t bring it out unless necessary or if we definitely want to incorporate it! 
4. What to wear?
Dress for the weather and comfort, this is especially important for the kids! If y’all look great but are freezing it will make the session less enjoyable Of course we want the children dressed cute, but it is more important that they are warm and comfortable. Sometime it takes kids a little bit to get used to new clothes so if you buy a special outfit for the shoot, make sure to break it in at least once.
Avoid clothing with busy patterns, bold design & stripes
Strong patterns are pretty in real life. However, they are not flattering in a photo. Clothing should not compete for attention with your family/child. The eyes should be drawn y’all, not the clothing. Solid colors work best but subdued patterns would do the job just as well. Stay away from clothing with logos, shiny, sparkly or reflective fabric. If were photographing the family or more than one child try to not clash patterns.
Love how Lauren (Mom) has chosen a favorite dress then compliments Dad and her daughters clothes with solid colors from her dress.
Two solids and one pattern, love the different textures here and the neutral colors.
Colors
Pastels and neutrals photograph great . Avoid black, as it tends to disappear in photos. Try to stay away from neon/bright colors, especially on sunny days.
Rules can always be broken (shown below) That’s why I recommend sharing your outfit ideas with me, I love helping with the planning! 🙂
This sweetie is wearing very bright colors but we were lucky to have a cloudy day! If it was sunny we would have found a shaded area to avoid a lot of reflection on her skin as these colors were the theme for her cake smash 🙂
This cutie has a strong pattern, but again it went with the theme of her cake smash, and with that smile there is no competition 🙂 
DURING THE SESSION!
5. Don’t coach your child/children to smile!
Don’t do it before the photo-shoot, don’t do it during the photo-shoot. Telling your child to say CHEESE or smile likely will result in a cheesy smile and that is not what you want. Children are very good at expressing emotion and they will smile on their own. It’s our job as adults to be funny and help the child feel relaxed. One shot capturing a pure, genuine smile is more valuable than a hundred grins. If the child is having fun, he/she will smile!
6. Let your kid(s) have fun!
The beautiful moments will come on their own. Constantly reminding the kid that someone is taking pictures will NOT help. If we want your child to look at the camera, getting behind the photographer and do something you know would cause a reaction, but don’t abuse this technique as he/she will start to ignore you!
To sum everything up; come ready to have fun, let your children have fun, let us help with outfits if you are having difficulty, and trust your photographer and we will document your family, your PERFECT family, the way you are!
Let your kids be themselves! ❤ 
How beautiful is this moment? Pure, real, THEM! So don’t worry about the camera aware, perfect, smiling photo. THIS. IS. LIFE ❤
Thank you for visiting! 😀
Cylinda B ❤
Cylinda B Photography 
