Just a few months ago, I was browsing through the gallery on our phones and noticed that collectively within the past year, we only had two photos of our children with us in it.
TWO and ONLY TWO.
There are more pictures of the boy’s spiderman action figure saved in our phones than of us with our own two children. This past school year, I had to send in a family photo for my son’s preschool class to put on their family tree and I sent in a family collage. The only recent photos I have of all four of us together would be from last spring while in Drumhellar – my youngest was wrapped in the baby carrier on my back and nobody was looking the same way.
So needless to say, I contacted a local photographer to capture our little family for us.
Mimi from Prints and Peonies just started her venture into family photo sessions this past June. She has an eye for capturing beautiful moments and with the help of her husband they scope out fantastic locations that will enhance those special and candid family moments.
I’ve always had a love for supporting start up and local businesses especially if it happens to be a family business with a mom boss just getting their foot in the door. However, if you take a look at Prints and Peonies Instagram page, you can see that it is full of vision and beautiful picturesque family moments and scenery. It was a no brainer to me that I contact her to do our first family photo session with the kids.
Here are four tips on how to prepare for a family photo session with young kids:
- Have a conversation. Let your children know that you will be going to a certain location at a specific time of day and having a photographer snap photos of you all. My boys like to associate a name to the new face they will be meeting in advance and I let them know ahead of time where we are going and what is expected of them. They don’t always comply to the expectations and that is okay. Some of the best moments captured are always candid ones.
- Plan your outfits. It’s unusual in my household to pick out my boys attire for anything other than special occasions. They are pretty independent and vocal about their attire. For the photo session, I had to have a discussion with them about what was appropriate attire for this family photo session. We compromised on collared shirts that were similar to what Dad was going to wear. Their favorite Ninja Turtle tee and Avengers Tee that they initially suggested were a negative. Most importantly, wear clothing that is comfortable and that everyone will feel good in.
- Plan out your poses. If you have specific poses you are interested in capturing, let your photographer know in advance so you can prepare for them. If you know ahead of time that your children will have a difficult time sitting still for a few shots, this is where the props come in handy. It’s important to keep in mind that those candid, spontaneous moments of kids running around or jumping up and down are also special and make great pictures to reminisce about.
- Bring props. If your child has a favorite toy or book, bring it along. The more comfortable they are and in their element, the better. Bubbles are also a great way to capture those candid moments with the kids. Bring a blanket to lay out on if the space allows or extra swaddles for the youngest family member. The more comfortable the kids are, the more willing they are to cooperate for the posed pictures. If you are shooting outside in a grassy location or field, bring bug spray so everyone stays comfortable.
Here is what Mimi said when I asked her what inspired her to start offering photography services:
“I’ve been photographing since I was a teenager, so I have always been passionate and inspired to capture a moment that will etch my memory with that particular moment. I also like putting a standstill on life and capturing things that make people feel something.”
If you are looking to get some family portraits done at a reasonable start up price, contact Mimi at Prints and Peonies for more information. She only has a couple spots left in August but fall is also a beautiful time to shoot and it’s less likely you will be swarmed by mosquitos outside. She offers photography services from cake smashes, maternity shoots, to family portraits.