Standley Lake Family Photos in Arvada Colorado | Family photos | Planning Your Next Family Photo Session

As summer is coming into view, family sessions are starting to pick up. Being the parents of a growing family we know the feeling of wanting to freeze time, slow down, and enjoy these stages just a little longer. As photographers we know that family sessions can be stressful. Capturing photos of our children (especially little ones) can quickly turn from calm moments of adorable little smiles into pure chaos if we don’t come prepared. We decided to share our best tips for preparing for your next family photo session, making sure it is an enjoyable experience for everyone.

Choosing the right outfit

Everyone has their own personality and style. Our tip for avoiding the matchy matchy 90’s trend for family photos is to coordinate your family’s outfits. Use a color palette and general theme or vibe to help keep the feel of your photos cohesive and looking beautiful. Ensuring your kiddos clothing is comfy and easy for moving around will keep them happy and comfortable for much longer during your session.

Kids Will Be Kids

Kids love exploring, being silly and moving around endlessly. Sitting still is their worst nightmare! So asking them to sit still for an entire session is a recipe for disaster, instead allow them to roam free. This will help them settle into a new surrounding and the photo opportunities are endless when kids are at play. Stop and smell the roses, let the candid giggles and smiles organically happen and thus create photo magic.

Plan Ahead with Your Photographer (timing, location, poses, outfit ideas)

Discussing with your photographer your children's temperaments, naptimes, ideal timelines, expectations, photo inspiration you’ve seen (we love to see your pinterest boards!), outfit ideas and anything other burning questions you may have. Preparing for everything before hand allows your photographer time to plan a perfect timeline and photo schedule for your session to capture the best moments of you and your family.

Bring Incentives

Sometimes you need your bargaining chip when sessions go longer than your child's attention span. Make sure to bring:

Snacks
Favorite Stuffy
A New Toy
Bubbles

All of these will help diffuse a meltdown and add great moments for candid shots!

Relax and Let Chaos Happen if It’s Going to Happen

If chaos happens, enjoy it. Don’t let frustration get the best of you! Children are unpredictable, life is unpredictable and we are all just rolling with the punches. If things don’t go as perfect as you had envisioned they would go, don’t be so hard on the imperfect moments. Embrace the unplanned, not so perfect poses as sometimes these wild and crazy sessions turn out to be the most cherished photos. Let the stress roll away and relax into the fun of the session!