Who Says Family Portraits Have to Be Boring?
Family Portraits Should Tell YOUR Story
I don't know about you, but just about the only time my family dresses up and gathers around a fancy couch is at a funeral... Is that really the vibe I want on my walls and fireplace mantel? Nope. Nope it's not.
Family portraits should be a reflection of you! As a photographer, my goal is always to capture the uniqueness of you so that the images we create together feel real. One of my clients recently gave me the most fantastic compliment. She said,
"Linda - we didn't just take family pictures. We had so much fun and made a memory with you! When I put these portraits on my wall, I'm going to remember how much we laughed together and I will smile every time I look at them."
So what's the plan? How do we get these same magical results for you? Here are some tips for creating truly special family portraits:
- Wear Comfortable Clothes! I can't stress this enough. Wear clothes that allow you to breathe, and move, and feel at ease. Make sure things aren't riding up anyone's bum, or pinching anyone's toes, or feeling scratchy, strangle-y, floppy, or any of the other annoyances kids (and adults!) can feel when their wearing new or rarely worn fancy clothes.
- Choose a color story. You don't have to be "matchy-matchy", but picking a color story for your clothes will help us to create a cohesive collection of photos for you so that you have a ton of options for display. Mini-prints surrounding a feature portrait, a double-spread in your annual photo book, Instagram other social media stories - they will all look best if everybody in your group is visually connected with color.
- Choose a time of day when people are least likely to be cranky. Seriously. Think about this. If your kids are not morning people (ahem... teenagers) then for goodness sake, don't schedule your family portrait session for 9:00 in the morning! If you have an older parent who seems to become less active or engaged later in the day, then avoid scheduling your family portraits in that time frame.
- Speaking of time... allow yourself plenty! One of the biggest obstacles to getting gorgeous family portraits is if you arrive to your session stressed out. As a mom, I know that getting people to leave the house - fully dressed (in shoes and everything!) - is sometimes a daunting challenge. Give yourself and your family plenty of time to get ready and definitely use Waze to help you get to your session on time. It's far better to have time to stop for an iced coffee on the way than to feel the stress of being late.
- Be Yourselves! This is the absolute most important bit of advice I can share. Your family portraits should be a reflection of who YOU are. My job is to help guide you into positions and physical situations where we can capture your family's unique personality and where everyone looks their best just being themselves.
Now go book a session with me. :)
