Portrait Session Details...
For 1+ hour long sessions involving teens and couples, I do some location hopping to 2-3 different spots with close proximity to each other.
For families and young children, just one spot is best. I take a variety of poses as well as individual shots, just kids, & just mom and dad (and whatever else you’d like).
Newborns are often done in the home as I take a photojournalistic approach to the new life with mom and dad often included. 2 hours are recommended for newborn sessions including families.
What to wear?
This comes up a lot, and I’m more than happy to talk through your ideas and offer suggestions. My biggest suggestion is coordinate, not necessarily match. Pick 2 or 3 colors that you want to use, keeping in mind the location of your shoot and room in your home that you want to display your wall portrait. If you have red walls, do you want to wear greens and have it look too “Christmas'y”? Do you want to wear orange and browns if your family room is teal and grey? Be yourself, and the personality will shine through.
A word to Families…
The worst thing a parent can do to their child at their portrait session is to grit through their teeth “You better smile or else…” Plan on letting me take over and teasing them into smiling. Trust me–I have been there with my kids gritting my teeth and it DOESN’T work! And please don’t be embarrassed with less than 100% cooperation, I’m sorta used to it…
I do this a lot and I don’t think anything about your parenting methods–most kids don’t want to be told what to do. I try to make it fun for them.
It is always great to offer incentive such as going out for ice cream after (a little bribery doesn’t hurt)! Let me know what it is, and I’ll remind them.
I LOVE children and somehow we just connect. So no worries...
