When a family hires me to make photographs of them, one of my biggest goals is to make sure the session is relaxing and fun for them. Of course I want to make amazing images that they will love, but in order to do that, it helps if everyone is relaxed and not stressed out during their session. Happy family = happy photographs.

Have you ever seen a picture of yourself when you are tense or stressed? You might have crazy eyes or the fakest of fake smiles plastered to your face. I’m not going to lie, it looks weird. Not only that but every time you look at those photographs you will remember how stressed out you were.

So, how do I help my families relax for their photo session? First I try to prep them as much as possible before hand. When at all possible I set up the location and time well ahead of schedule, so they can put it right in their calendars. Stressed about what to wear? I am more than happy to help you pick out outfits and even help you shop.

Second – and most importantly – I tell the parents not to worry about their kids. You don’t need to continuously tell them to smile or stand up straight or fix their hair. That stresses the kids out and in turn, they usually get cranky. As your photographer it is my job to get them to smile (or not, depending on the photo that I am trying to make) and get them where they need to be.

Here’s the thing. Kids are happiest when they can run around and play. I have never known a child in my personal life or professional career that LIKES to stand still and smile for the camera for forty five minutes. Heck, I don’t even like doing that! That’s why my sessions are so much fun for kids (and therefor, the parents as well). We run around, play games, have tickle fights and go exploring. Whenever I see them get antsy we take a break, get the wiggles out and then, when they are ready, we get back at it. Usually I’m making photographs the whole time, even during the breaks. That’s when the magic happens.

If there is one thing I have learned as a photographer (and as a mother) it’s that when you force a child to do something they don’t want to do, the chance of them having a complete meltdown increases 100 fold. And crying kids definitely makes for cranky parents. To me, that’s a recipe for disaster. When this mama viewed her gallery she said something to me I will never forget. She said (I’m paraphrasing here) “Thank you for letting my kids be themselves. You captured us perfectly.” Because life with two boys under the age of 4 is messy and chaotic and crazy. Yes we were able to get some beautiful family portraits with everyone smiling at the camera. But more importantly I captured them exactly as they are as a family – laughing, hugging and playing. That is music to my ears.