Many of the families I work with confess that the mere thought of a photo session with little ones fills them with anxiety and stress. They anticipate a challenging and exhausting process, but they also deeply desire to capture their families in this chaotic, imperfectly perfect, beautiful stage of life. While I acknowledge that some planning is necessary—getting everyone dressed and to the session on time can feel like a feat in itself—I want to help shift your approach and mindset about what a family photo session can truly be, especially when you work with the right photographer.

My primary goal as a photographer is to capture authentic connections, the love within your family, and the genuine personalities of each individual who steps in front of my lens. My approach to photography differs from traditional posed sessions. While we do capture a few posed shots with everyone smiling at the camera throughout the session, the majority of our time is spent having fun and creating carefully curated moments of connection. You've hired me to create meaningful, heartfelt images that encapsulate your family as they are now. Therefore, we spend our time together creating these loving moments to capture memories that will last a lifetime.

Instead of viewing your upcoming lifestyle photography session as a stressful event where everyone needs to be "perfect" and on their best behavior, I encourage you to shift your perspective. Consider your family photo session as intentional, quality time spent with your loved ones.

Reflect on your Family’s Idea of Fun

Think about your family's favorite activities. Do you enjoy going for bike rides together, playing games, or visiting the park? Imagine these moments with your family. Do they evoke feelings of stress? More likely, they fill you with JOY, LOVE, and WARMTH.

For instance, my family loves to have dance parties in our kitchen. It may sound silly, but it's a time when my children laugh and enjoy themselves the most. They love to be wild and loud, watching their parents act goofy, sing, and dance along. During these moments, witnessing the unbridled joy and love from our children, my husband and I feel that nothing else in the world matters but being present in that moment with our beautiful children.

Shifting Your Perspective to Allow for a Fun Experience

Shift your perspective and view your photo session as a fun family activity. Start thinking about it as another opportunity to engage with your family and spending quality time together. Just like any other family activity, some planning and work are involved, but it's also a time to connect and enjoy being with one another.

When considering all this, remember to share these attitudes with your kids. Get them excited about their upcoming outing with the whole family! Instead of warning them to behave or bribing them to smile, talk to them about how much fun they'll have spending time together as a family. Mention the outdoor adventures, the chance to explore, spot animals, admire flowers, and even watch the sunset!

If you're a mom with a husband who isn't thrilled about posing for family photos, share this information with him. Let him know that this is not a traditional photo session where everyone needs to pose stiffly and smile. I've had dads and kids race, play Red Rover—anything goes! Encourage him to be open to following my prompts to simply play with the kids and let me guide the whole family into activities that will create meaningful connections for the whole family to enjoy.

Attitude is Everything!

We've all encountered someone whose bad attitude dampened our mood. Remember, your attitude as parents sets the tone for the entire session, especially for your kids. If you're stressed and anxious, or if you scold your kids for just being kids during the session, it can easily ruin the experience. Most family photographers who work with kids understand how unpredictable they can be. That's why I keep my sessions laid-back and fun. There's no "wrong way" to be. I only ask that everyone comes as themselves and is open to having a good time with their family.

During our time together, I'll do most of the work. I'll guide your family through gentle posing that creates connected moments. I'll probably crack some bad jokes, lead you into surprise tickle attacks, make silly sounds, we will probably do goofy dances, and maybe even play some games!

Having Fun and Feeling Connected

I receive messages from almost every family after their session telling me how much fun they had and how they and their kids really enjoyed the whole experience. This is my number one goal—to help families connect and feel the love for each other—because these connected moments create amazing photos that will become beautiful works of art to remind you of these moments for a lifetime.