How to prepare for your portrait session.

Preparing for your portrait session.

 

A professional photoshoot should be an exciting and fun experience with no stress. The end game is for you to have amazing photographs for you to treasure forever.

Tips on how to get the most from your session and have a stress-free time.

• If your session is for older babies and young children please make sure they are well-rested and have had their naps. A tired baby/child is not a happy one!

 

• Make sure they are not hungry. Give them their breakfast or lunch before you arrive. I always ask parents to bring along a picnic-style packed lunch with snacks and drinks. It can be hungry and thirsty work in front of the camera. Tip ~ Remember to pack things that are ‘clean food’ not messy.

 

• Bring some toys that are familiar and are a comfort for the baby/child. We may not need to use them but if we do they can also be a lovely memory to capture in a photograph.

 

• While I have a selection of outfits for most ages I will ask you to bring along a selection of clothing for your little ones. It’s better to come well prepared with a large selection for us to choose from rather than not enough. Colour co-ordinate outfits for family photos. They dont have to all be the same colour but complimenting colours work well. No logos or overly patterned clothing. These tend to detract from the Tip ~ please iron clothes. I can’t edit out creases in clothes. If you are investing in a professional photoshoot it’s worth putting in the effort with the little details. Creased clothes do not look good on camera.

 

• For children old enough to understand please talk to them and explain what to expect when they are in the studio beforehand. Talk about me more as a friend rather than a photographer so that they will feel more relaxed and comfortable during their session. Children feel a lot more comfortable if they understand what is about to happen in new situations. Let them know how happy and excited you are about your session and how special and important it is to you. Many parents make a day of it and plan something special to do after their photoshoots such as an outing to the park or going somewhere for their favourite meal or ice cream. We are lucky to have some great restaurants and ice cream places just around the corner from the studio.

 

• Tell me about your baby/child. Tell me about their likes and dislikes, favourite nursery rhymes or music. (I will make sure I download it and have them playing in the background)  Let me know what makes them smile. I am blessed to have a natural way with children and love chatting away with them. Even the quietest of children will usually feel comfortable and happily chat away with me. I also have lot of experience with children with additional needs so please don’t worry if you think your child will not cope with a session. I can tailor the session to your child’s needs.

 

• During the photo session, most parents will knock themselves out trying to get their baby/child to smile. Please don’t worry. Natural smiles are the best and we will always achieve this even with the most serious of children. I like the baby/child to focus on me behind the camera. When a baby/child is looking directly at the camera these are my favourite and best shots. If you are jumping around in the background trying to get your baby/child to smile the child will automatically look at you away from the camera. I like a gallery to contain not only smiles but thoughtful and serious expressions. You want your photoshoot to reflect your baby/child’s personality. This is what I love to capture. Tip ~ just relax and let the photographer lead. I will always ask you for your help if I need it. 🙂

 

 

• Reward system. I think bribery is a great tool to be used in the studio! Lolly pops, favourite sweeties, fruit (if that’s your thing) all work really well to achieve your desired results! Normal parenting can resume once the session is finished!

 

• Stay positive and relaxed. Babies and children can pick up on your anxiety and stress. I can’t stress enough how much I want you to relax and enjoy your time. Nothing should be stressful, just relax and enjoy your time. If your child is having a ‘moment’ we will let them have it! My own child has additional needs, he has autism and is non-verbal along with a learning difficulty and extreme behavioural challenges. We have been through the most stressful situations you can imagine whilst out and about. Nothing that happens in the photo studio even comes close to stressful so please don’t worry about your child having a moment or not playing ball. I will be relaxed at all times and I want you to feel the same.

 

• Enjoy the moment. This is you loving and enjoying your time with your family. This is our time to capture special memories and create beautiful images for you to have and keep forever.

What should we wear?

Please no logos! Logos will not look good and are not timeless and please no jogging bottoms for men.

The aim is to colour coordinate. You don’t have to stick to the exact same colours but be mindful to stick to the same colour palette. Some ideas can be found just below

 

I hope this little guide helps you to prepare for your maternity portrait session. If you have any further questions please do not hesitate to get in touch.

I want to create beautiful images for you to treasure but I also want you to have the best time! It is important that you enjoy yourself and go away feeling the amazing and fabulous mummy too be that you are!

Let’s have some fun and create memories!