The Family Photo Experience
Photo shoots are more than just the photos you get afterwards. The 30 minutes or hour we spend together is also a part of your vacation/family time. My goal is to have the photo session also become a fun vacation memory.
How a Typical Session Starts
After meeting up in the parking lot and walking to the photo location together, I like begin with posed group photos to get everyone warmed up and get the most out of any little ones’ patience while it lasts. We begin with the whole group. Then we move to smaller pairs like grandparents and grandkids, parents with kids, siblings, etc. This keeps everything organized without feeling overwhelming.
Changing Locations for Variety
Once we’ve captured the main posed images, I often shift us to a nearby location. This gives us some more variety while keeping a good flow. We can do some different and some repeat groupings with alternate poses in the new spot. Depending on the time and place we might change locations 3-7 times during a typical photo shoot.
From Posed to Candid
As the session goes on, the focus shifts more toward movement, interaction, and authentic moments. That’s when we capture walking shots, fun or goofy interactions, and get some awesome candid moments.
Natural Direction
Throughout the session, I provide clear, but natural and more loose direction. I’ll help you find good poses, suggest small changes, and keep things relaxed for the best results.
Most families I work with don’t spend much time in front of a camera, and that’s okay. You don’t need to know how to pose, that’s my job. My role is to guide the process so you don’t have to worry.
If something doesn’t go as planned, that’s fine. Flexibility is built into every session. And many great photos come from unexpected moments!
Beach Sessions
For beach sessions, I always save ocean photos for the end.
Kids often get splash or run straight into the water. By planning ocean photos last, we won’t worry about wet clothes affecting the rest of the session. You can enjoy knowing we’ve captured everything else already.
That being said, when we do get to the water it will be some of the best photos of the whole shoot. Photos of families splashing and running around in the ocean are the most fun parts of a beach photo session!
At its heart a family photo session should be a fun time with your family.
My job is to guide the session so you don’t have to worry and just focus on the shoot being a great part of your vacation.