So Your Session is Booked, Now What?

I cannot wait to capture you and your loved ones. I will guide you through some lightly posed traditional photos with everyone smiling at the camera as well as some nontraditional “candid” posing. Don’t worry about anyone's behavior or needing everyone to be perfect—you don’t! Show up exactly as you are, and I will handle the rest. We will fit in as many shots as we can in the short time frame, strarting with family group shots, sibling shots, kids with each parent and parents alone and will move on to more fun break out poses if time allows.

Here are some tips to prepare for our session:

Arrival: Please be sure to arrive at your mini session a few minutes early to allow time to get to the actual location inside the park ready to start at the scheduled time. This is very important, as if we are unable to start on time, your already very short session will be cut short. If you have young children, it’s a good idea to arrive even earlier to allow time to adjust.

Location: October 19th and November 9th will be at Shelby Farms Park. November 1st will be at Overton Park. I will reach out to you a few days prior to the day of the session with the exact location we will be shooting.

MUST READ: Please arrive to the location a little early and be ready to start shooting at your scheduled start time.  I have booked everyone in 15 minute increments so if we do not start your session on time, you are losing part of your booked 15 minutes. 

Length of Session: Mini sessions are 15 minutes . I book these sessions back-to-back, so being on time and starting the photo session at your scheduled time is essential to getting in all the shots we want to take.

What to Wear: The most important thing to consider when deciding on wardrobe is to choose something that you are comfortable in and that reflects your style. It is best to coordinate outfits with the family, but you don’t need to match. Click here to read a blog post about what to wear to your family photography session.

Props: I don’t bring props to my sessions. If you have something you would like to include, please let me know. If you think your child may need a toy, it is best to choose something that is small and neutral in color, and only bring it out if absolutely needed.

Inclement Weather: In the unlikely event we have to cancel due to rain, the make up day will be the following week at the same time and place (if November 1st is rained out, your session will be November 8th but 1 hour earlier than the original time)

Tips for Families with Small Children (so incredibly important to remember these things for a great experience)

• Most families with little children will have them take a late nap on the day of their sunset photoshoot or have some downtime before the session. If your child gets cranky when woken up from a nap, do not let them fall asleep in the car on the way to your session.

• Most children don’t like being told to smile or pose, and usually, this results in awkward photos. It is best to let the child be themselves, relax, and follow their lead so I can capture their true personality. Please do not have specific expectations for how your children should behave. This is not the time to scold them for behavior or offer ultimatums. My photography thrives on children being their funny, playful, unique, and often a little crazy selves. The goal is to keep them happy, not acting “perfect.” Trying to get a child to act a certain way is a recipe for disaster and a bad experience. Come as you are, embrace whatever mood your child is in, trust me to do my job, and I promise the outcome will be beautiful.

• Please make sure children have rested and have had plenty of water and snacks. If you bring snacks, please make sure they are not messy so their clothes and faces stay clean.

• Prepare your child for the session by letting them know that a friend is going to be spending some time with your family and taking pictures with a camera that is much bigger than mom or dad’s phone. It is best not to surprise them. Please also make sure dad nows if he is less than stoked to be taking family photos, the kids pick up on it and it affects their attitude on the experience as well. Let him know the session will be short and sweet and he will even have some fun with his family before quickly getting back to finish watching the football game.

Don’t stress about your upcoming session! You can find more details on how I conduct my full sessions in my blog post here; the same principles apply to these shorter sessions. My goal is for everyone to be relaxed and authentic, creating the best possible experience.

After The Session: within 3 weeks after your session, you will receive a link to an online private gallery full of images in both black and white and color. You will be given a PIN to download the images of your choice included in the mini session price. You will be given the option to purchase additional digital files and/or prints and products directly from your gallery.

I can’t wait to see you soon!