This season is meaningful for your family as you make lasting memories together, but getting everyone excited for your family photo session can be difficult. So, before your session, we encourage you to meet with your family and kiddos to explain our JHP Portrait Experience and prepare for it together, easing your little ones’ fears and making your family feel comfortable and confident! Below are some of our favorite tips for planning your family meeting and preparing your family for a family photo session!
Tip 1: Help Your Family Get to Know Us
We suggest sharing our “About Jennifer” website page and “Our Hearts behind JHP” blog post with your family, so they’ll know who we are and feel more comfortable during our time together. If your little ones are shy and get nervous around strangers, learning a bit about us will help them get to know us and for us to feel more like friends on your session day.
Tip 2: Show Your Family Some of Your Favorite Photos
Your family may have never seen our images before, so try showing them some of your favorites! Introducing them to our work and photography style will help them visualize your final gallery while building their trust in us. For some of our work, you can visit our “Portfolio,” “Home,” and “Children & Family” website pages, and feel free to check out our family portrait blog posts! We’ve also included some examples of our work below.
Tip 3: Set Expectations for Your Kids
We suggest sitting down with your kiddos and explaining how much the session means to you. Telling them your expectations and the importance of following directions will enrich your family’s experience. Also, try practicing good listening with your kiddos by playing Simon Says, praising them when they follow your instructions well! (For example, you could say, “Simon says put your hands in your pocket! Simon says hug your sister or brother! Smile!”) Then, explain the importance of following our directions during your family photo session as they did in the game to capture images you’ll love!
Tip 4: Ease Your Little Ones’ Fears
Our “big cameras” may frighten your young kiddos if they’ve never seen a professional one. So, please tell them that our cameras are like your cell phone camera but a bit larger to capture their big smiles. Also, if your little ones feel nervous, you can remind them that you’ll be right by their side and that we’ll encourage and direct them throughout your photo session. It may seem silly, but you’ll ease their fears and help them feel more comfortable during our time together!
Tip 5: Practice Your Kiddos’ Smiles for Your Family Photo Session
To help your little ones know what smile you’re looking for in your photos, try practicing their smiles before your session. You could even make it a game! Tell them to smile and compliment their “sweet smile” once they’ve done it, showing them how you’d like them to do it during your session!
Also, to build your children’s confidence, please encourage them before your session by telling them they look beautiful/handsome and that you can’t wait to see their precious smiles in your photos! This affirmation will not only help them feel more comfortable and excited for your session, but it’ll also show them how much you love and cherish them!
Tip 6: Plan a Reward
For Your Little Ones (6 Months-5 Years):
We suggest bringing special surprises to encourage your little ones to follow directions throughout your session. Please avoid messy snacks (like candy with bright, colorful dyes and chocolate) so their outfits stay clean. Try small treats (gummies, marshmallows, cereal puffs, raisins, etc.) and their favorite toy! Also, remember these are “surprises,” so we’ll want to keep them a secret and only pull them out when they need extra encouragement, helping them enjoy the rest of your session!
For Your Older Kiddos (6-12 Years):
Try picking something fun to do as a treat after your session, like having dinner at your kids’ favorite pizza place on an ice cream cone. During your family meeting, tell your kiddos they can earn this surprise by following directions throughout your family photo session. It’ll give them something to look forward to while encouraging them during our time together!
For Your Teens:
We know your teens are old enough to follow directions and smile at the camera, but they’ll never pass down a surprise! You can plan something fun to do–as a treat after your family photo session – and cherish this special moment together!
Tip 7: Involve Your Family in Choosing Their Outfits
Once you’ve booked your family session, you’ll receive a booking confirmation email containing The JHP Portrait Experience Style Guide! This guide includes our best tips, tricks, and insider secrets for styling your family, preparing for your session, and enriching your portrait experience! We recommend sharing our styling tips with your family and involving them in the outfit-picking process! This opportunity is your chance to have fun and get creative! You could even plan a shopping trip together, making it a fun family adventure!
To help engage your kiddos, you could coordinate your family’s outfits based on some of your kids’ favorite colors that pair well together. If their favorite colors are bright, bold, or neon, we recommend choosing light, neutral, jewel-toned versions. That way, your outfit colors will complement your skin tones and look more high-end. Feel free to check out our blog post, “Gorgeous Color Palettes for Fall Family Photos,” to learn how to coordinate your family’s outfits while giving you some color palette inspiration!
Tip 8: Pack Water Bottles and Snacks for Your Kids
Please don’t forget to ensure your kids’ bellies are full and they’ve had some good rest before your session, so they can enjoy this special time! They may still get hungry or thirsty during your session, so we suggest packing water bottles, some of their favorite snacks, and face and hand wipes.
Tip 9: Plan Your Time
When planning “getting ready” time before your session (scheduling your hair and makeup, preparing your children, etc.), please allow yourself more time than you think you’ll need and be ready a few minutes early, so we can begin your session on time and maximize every minute. With little ones, getting ready can be a little unpredictable 🙂 So, we suggest getting everyone’s outfits prepared and everything packed the night before your session to help the next day run smoothly.
If your photo session is outdoors, it’s scheduled for the BEST time of day, when the light in the sky is the dreamiest and most flattering! Please be ready to begin your session on time, so we can take advantage of each minute together before the sun goes down!
Tip 10: Help Your Kids Look and Smile at the Camera during Your Family Photo Session
To help your photos look even more joyful and show your kiddos where to look, we recommend standing behind us at any time and encouraging your children to look and smile at the camera. If your kiddos are too young to follow directions, please bring small toys or stuffed animals to help us grab their attention. Small toys with lights or sounds, finger puppets, or their favorite teddy bear will help them know where to look while bringing a smile to their face!
One Final Note
We want to make your family photo session as fun and stress-free as possible, helping you all create lasting memories and cherish this meaningful time together! So, don’t worry if your little ones aren’t excited about pictures. It’s completely normal, and no session is perfect. To help engage and excite your kiddos during your session, we’ll play games with them and make silly noises while taking their photos! That way, they can have a memorable portrait experience while capturing images you’ll love! Just stay flexible; cherish these unique, tiny, and giggly blessings; and enjoy your precious moments together! We’ll take care of the rest!
