What to Bring to Your Family Session

Tips Every Family Is Looking For

Ashley Newman Photography

Preparing for your family photos can feel overwhelming. A lot of thought has already gone into selecting an artist, planning your vision and even picking wardrobe. Between all the resources out there, it can get to be a lot! Clinkin Moms says it’s best to educate yourself before your session, but don’t get too lost in the details.

Before Your Session

• Prepare your family– this seems like an easy one, but the reality is having a quick pow-wow with everyone will really help. Talk to your partner and get a little jazzed what the session together! Chat about what Lifestyle Family Photography is all about, what your vision for the session is and how they can be supportive. Have a talk with your children about what the session will be like and let them know what you are doing together as a family.

• Make sure everyone is well fed and rested– we all know how stressful it can be to plan family photos. Don’t make it harder by being too tired or hungry. Bring snacks, drinks and even your favorite adult beverage (wink wink) so everyone is relaxed and ready. (Bonus: snacks make good behavior incentives!).

• Plan Ahead– a hard one for me, but still solid advice. Make sure you have your outfits planned out in advance so you are not rushing around the day of trying to get everything together.

• Bring backup clothing– if you have little ones, bring a backup outfit. Spit up and messes happen, it’s just solid advice. (For tips on what to wear, check out our latest blog post!)

During Your Session

• Activities– the number one rule at my sessions is always be touching 🙂 After booking, I always ask clients a few questions. Make sure to include your favorite things to do together and plan to play some games during our session. Whether it’s ring-around-the-rosey, or blowing bubbles, we will be busy!

• Family heirlooms– I have an awesome collection of old quilts and blankets that I generally bring to every session. If you have a blanket that is special to your family, an old rocking chair or any other idea, let me know! These are awesome ways to make your photos interesting and personal!

• Family pet– sometimes it’s nice to include mans best friend. Bring your fur baby along!

• Enjoy your time together– remember you don’t need to always be looking at the camera. Just embrace the mood your family is in and slow down to enjoy the process. I always find that the best photos are the ones where you are interacting with each other instead of just looking at the camera.

At the end of the day, this is all about you and capturing memories. It’s been a crazy year, and every detail is worth documenting in a special way. So, take a deep breath, prepare your heart and dive in!