MINI SESSION PREP

W H A T   T O   E X P E C T

OUR SESSION TOGETHER WILL LAST ABOUT 20 MINUTES. I HAVE LEFT A 10 MINUTE "LAYOVER" BETWEEN CLIENTS TO ALLOW SOCIAL DISTANCING. THIS WILL ALSO ENSURE SESSIONS RUN ON SCHEDULE AND SMOOTHLY. ONCE YOU PARK, YOU WILL SEE ME NEAR THE WHITE BARN, LIKELY BEHIND IT.  WHILE MOST IMAGES CAPTURED WILL BE CANDIDS, WE WILL BE SURE TO GET SOME CLASSIC POSED IMAGES AS WELL. IF THERE IS SOMETHING SPECIFIC YOU'RE LOOKING FOR PLEASE LET ME KNOW AHEAD OF TIME SO WE ARE ABLE TO PLAN ACCORDINGLY.

 

WE WANT YOUR SESSION TO BE FUN AND RELAXED. WE WILL BE SILLY, AND HAVE A BLAST! THIS IS GREAT FOR CHILDREN, BECAUSE THEY WILL NOT HAVE TO SIT AND POSE MUCH, INSTEAD WE WILL CAPTURE THEM AS THEY ARE! WE WILL HAVE YOUR CHILDREN GIVE BIG HUGS, TELL JOKES, AND JUST BE THEIR SILLY LITTLE SELVES. THIS CREATES THE MOST WONDERFUL IMAGES, AND FREEZES THAT MOMENT IN TIME FOR YOU.

 

L I T T L E    O N E S 

PREPARING YOUR CHILDREN FOR OUR SESSION AS MUCH AS POSSIBLE OFTEN TAKES THE TIMIDNESS OUT OF THE DAY/EVENING. PLEASE MAKE SURE YOUR LITTLES KNOW THAT THIS IS FUN! NO THREATS, AS THEY USUALLY BRING OUT TEARS AND ADDED STRESS. DON'T EVEN BOTHER TELLING THEM TO BE SURE TO "BE GOOD". MY GOAL ISN'T TO GET A PICTURE OF YOUR CHILD "BEING GOOD" OR JUST "SMILING" BUT HAVING FUN AND INTERACTING. SOME KIDS WHO HAVE BEEN COACHED TO SMILE FOR THE PHOTOGRAPHER GET SO NERVOUS THAT THEY ARE FIGHTING LAUGHING AND RELAXING BECAUSE THEY ARE SO WORRIED ABOUT HAVING THEIR PICTURE TAKEN, OR MAKING THEIR PARENTS HAPPY!

INSTEAD, I'M A HUGE FAN OF BRIBERY - (ICE CREAM AFTER!) OR A DOLLAR SPOT PRIZE IS ALWAYS A GREAT IDEA FOR THE ONES WHO NEED A LITTLE EXTRA ENCOURAGEMENT. HOWEVER, PLEASE DON'T BRING SWEETS FOR BRIBING DURING THE SHOOT. THEY TEND TO END UP BEING A DISTRACTION. I WANT YOUR CHILDREN TO THINK OF ME AS A FRIEND AT THE COMPLETION OF THE SESSION.

 

M A M A ' S 

I OFTEN GET MOMS WHO ARE SO WORRIED ABOUT THEIR CHILDREN "BEING GOOD" AND SMILING THAT THE PHOTOS REFLECT THAT. I CAN'T STRESS ENOUGH HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO BE RELAXED AND ENJOY YOURSELF. THE MORE RELAXED YOU ARE, THE MORE RELAXED YOUR CHILDREN WILL BE AS WELL. DON'T WORRY, WE WILL HAVE A BLAST, AND OUR TIME TOGETHER WILL BE PAINLESS! JUST FOCUS ON HAVING SOME FUN WITH YOUR LITTLES. 

 

W A R D R O B E 

THE AGE OLD QUESTION ALWAYS ASSOCIATED WITH PHOTO SHOOTS.  HERE ARE SOME TIPS TO HELP! 

LAYERS. PROBABLY THE BIGGEST DIFFERENCE BETWEEN SESSIONS THAT LOOK GREAT AND SESSIONS THAT LOOK WOW; LITTLE BOYS IN A T-SHIRT, WITH A BUTTON UP OVER IT, ALONG WITH A BLAZER. THROW ON A FUN HAT AND YOU'RE SET! LITTLE GIRLS; SAME THING, LEGGINGS, FUN SKIRT, TANK WITH A SWEATER AND A TASTEFUL (NOT TOO BIG AND OVERWHELMING!) HEADBAND. YOUR SIGNIFICANT OTHER CAN BE SIMPLE WITH SLACKS AND A BUTTON DOWN. STAY AWAY FROM PRINTS, LOGOS, WILD COLORS, RHINESTONES ETC. THESE LOOK DATED AND TEND TO TAKE AWAY FROM YOUR LITTLE'S GORGEOUS FEATURES. LAYERS WILL COMPLETE A CATALOG WORTHY LOOK WHILE ADDING GREAT TEXTURES AND DIMENSIONS TO YOUR IMAGES. 

COORDINATE. AS YOU THINK ABOUT YOUR COLOR PALETTE, IMAGINE YOUR AND YOUR FAMILY BEING ONE COMPLETE PIECE OF ARTWORK. EACH PERSON/OUTFIT WILL BRING TOGETHER A FEELING OF FORMALITY AND COORDINATION. INSTEAD OF EVERYONE WEARING THE SAME SHADE OF BLUE - THINK ABOUT WHAT ACCENT COLORS MIGHT LOOK NICE WITH SAID BLUE. I SUGGEST CHOOSING A COLOR PALETTE OF 3-5 COLORS.

 

IF YOU NEED SOME VISUAL HELP, PLEASE GO TO PINTEREST.COM AND TYPE IN "FALL FAMILY PHOTOSHOOT OUTFITS" AND YOU'LL BE SURE TO FIND A BUNCH OF IDEAS!

 

MOM - YOU SHOULD CHOOSE YOUR OUTFIT FIRST. STRUCTURED SHIRTS AND FLOWY LONG SHIRTS ARE VERY FLATTERING, DEPENDING ON THE SEASON - A LONG FLOWY MAXI DRESS, OR SHORT DRESS WORK AS WELL! DARK JEANS ARE SLIMMING, AND STATEMENT NECKLACES ADD SPARKLE WITHOUT BEING INTRUSIVE. LASTLY, BE SURE TO ADD IN A LAYER!  

NEXT STEP IS THE KIDS! PULL CLOTHES FROM YOUR CHILD'S CLOSET THAT MATCH YOUR COLORS AND TEXTURES WITHOUT BEING TOO MATCHY-MATCHY. LAY OUT YOUR OUTFIT AND PUT THEIRS NEXT TO YOURS TO SEE HOW THEY COORDINATE.

LASTLY IS YOUR S/O. MEN LOOK GREAT IN SOMETHING SIMPLE LIKE JEANS OR SLACKS WITH A PLAIN SHIRT OR BUTTON DOWN.

PLEASE DO NOT HESITATE TO CONTACT US! WE WILL GLADLY GO OVER STYLING WITH YOU. 

 

T H E    D A Y    O F    Y O U R     S E S S I O N 

KIDS. I MENTIONED BRIBERY. LOVE IT! KEEP IN MIND THAT MOST BRIBERY SNACKS MAKE MESSES AND HAVE DYE IN THEM TO CHANGE YOUR LITTLES MOUTHS. USUALLY THIS BACKFIRES AND ALL THEY WANT TO DO IS EAT INSTEAD OF PAYING ATTENTION TO ME. I SUGGEST KEEPING THE GOODIES IN YOUR BAG OR CAR UNTIL AFTER WE'VE FINISHED. IF YOUR KIDS ARE UNDER 4 I WOULDN'T TELL THEM WHERE THEY ARE HIDDEN AS I HAVE HAD PARENTS GET DRAGGED TO THE CAR BY SCREAMING CHILDREN WHO WANT THEIR TREAT.  

 

MAMAS. AS YOU FOCUS ON YOUR CHILDREN, DON'T FORGET ABOUT YOURSELF! KEEP YOUR POSTURE GOOD AS WELL AS ENSURING YOUR CHIN DOESN'T PULL IN. THESE ALLOW FOR THE MOST FLATTERING IMAGES. 

SOMETHING ELSE TO KEEP IN MIND IS TO BE WATCHFUL OF YOUR OWN EXPRESSION AS YOU'RE TRYING TO GET YOUR LITTLES TO SMILE. TRY TO AVOID TALKING. REMEMBER YOU ARE IN THE PHOTOS AS WELL. 

REST ASSURED I'LL BE WATCHING ALL OF YOU AND WILL DEFINITELY LET YOU KNOW IF I SEE SOMETHING LOOKING OFF OR OUT OF PLACE.

 

WEATHER.  A QUICK BUT IMPORTANT NOTE: IF THE WEATHER TURNS OUT WARMER/COOLER THAN YOU ANTICIPATED WHEN PUTTING TOGETHER OUTFITS, PLEASE ADJUST WHAT EVERYONE IS WEARING. DOING A SESSION WHEN IT'S SWELTERING AND KIDS ARE OVER DRESSED IS NEVER FUN. LIKEWISE, IF A COLD FRONT COMES THROUGH UNEXPECTEDLY, PLEASE PUT SWEATERS ON YOUR CHILDREN, AS I CAN'T PHOTOSHOP OUT GOOSEBUMPS AND BLUE LIPS. IN THE CASE OF RAIN, I WILL BE WATCHING THE RADAR AND WILL NOTIFY YOU THE NIGHT BEFORE IF WE NEED TO RESCHEDULE.  IF IT DOESN'T RAIN, BUT IS OVERCAST, WE WILL STILL SHOOT.

 

THE RESCHEDULE DATE FOR 10/25 MINIS - WILL BE SUN. 11/1 OR SOMETHING YOU AND I COORDINATE TOGETHER PERSONALLY IF THAT DATE IS NOT DO-ABLE.

 

P E T S 
UNFORTUNATELY, NO PETS ARE ALLOWED AT THIS LOCATION.