Preparing for your Session
A Guide for on-the-day
IN HOME SESSIONS
For in home photoshoots, if you know the brightest times of day for the main rooms in your house - living room / master bedroom / nursery, then we can decide a suitable time to hold the shoot from that bearing in mind nap times / feeding times etc. I will ask for a quick tour of the house when I arrive, so that I can scout out the best rooms for light.
ON LOCATION
For outdoor shoots, we will have arranged a time and place to meet. Please be ready to start on time so that we can make the most of our time together.
I'll check the forecast a few days before your shoot and will get in touch if I feel we need to shuffle our timings a little. However, if the forecast is for consistent heavy rain, we will re-schedule.
YOUR CHILDREN
It is best if we just give the children time to relax and try to capture their natural selves. Please prepare your children for the session by letting them know that a friend will be taking some photos of them. Please don't worry if your child is running about and being silly, I run after them and capture their personalities best that way! My tactic is to let them have fun, and the rest will follow suit.
To get the most out of your session, please make sure that your children are rested and have had adequate snacks and water beforehand. We can take breaks for snacks and play if necessary, however I will probably still shoot during the breaks. Have dry, non-messy snacks at the ready so their little faces stay clean during the session. My sessions are usually in the morning, when young children tend to be more relaxed, and it’s worth taking your baby or toddler’s usual routines into consideration.
One of the most difficult things for a child when they’re having a photo shoot at home can be seeing all of their toys, but not being able to play with them.
Before the shoot I recommend putting everything that you don’t want to be in the photographs away; out of sight usually means out of mind, and it will help your child to stay focused on what they’re doing. Of course, there may actually be toys that you’d love to include in the shoot, and if that’s the case it’s no problem to keep those out.
The same goes for things like TV remotes, iPads and games consoles; if your child is likely to become distracted by them during the shoot, it can be helpful to put them out of sight.
If your children are aged 7 or under, it’s quite likely that they’ll have a moment on the shoot. I’m expecting it to happen and I’m sure that most other experienced photographers are too. So if it does, please don’t worry! I actually find that during mischievous moments I can capture lots of personality.
If it does happen and your child has a wobble, I’m sure you’ll want to step in and try to calm your child down. However, it can sometimes be more helpful for you (and other siblings) to step out of your child’s sight; without an audience, children are often a lot more focused, especially around people they don’t know so well.
WARDROBE
I just ask that your clothes:
Have no logos
Have neutral / muted tones, with one or two accent colours
Are comfortable
Are not a new style that you're not comfortable wearing
Includes comfortable shoes that are free of logos (bare feet and neutral socks are great)
Further guidance on wardrobe:
MUM'S THE WORD
In my mind, the mum's clothes are often the most important. You need to feel happy and comfortable in what you're wearing, so choose something that you feel confident in, both standing and sitting, and build the family's outfits around that.
CO-ORDINATE, DON'T MATCH
White shirts and jeans have had their time! Pick a few colours that you will all wear, and have different people wearing different amounts of it - for example, you could wear a coral dress with a blue necklace to bring in your little boy's blue shorts and a bit of coral on your baby girl's white outfit, etc Try not to have too many contrasting patterns. One person wearing a pattern in the shoot is normally enough.
MOST IMPORTANT TIP
Be yourself! Wear what makes you all happy and comfortable and what feels right for your family.
IMAGES
I will deliver sneak peaks on my social media accounts within a few days of your photoshoot. Please let me know if you do not want me to share your photos, or would like to approve them before I do. Your full gallery will be delivered within 2 weeks, unless I have stated otherwise. This will be live for 7 days, during which time you can select your favourites and order any products. Once you have chosen, you will be able to download your high resolution images online.