It’s that time of year here in North Texas: our brutal summer is turning into the pleasant season of Fall. Soon, there will be beautiful colors in the trees and it will be comfortable to go outside again! This is the perfect time to plan your family photos.
When I ask most people what their ideal family portrait looks like, very few people tell me “We are all staring stiffly at the camera,” and I’ve never had a single person say “We all look absolutely perfect.” In fact, 99% of the time, clients tell me that they want “an image where we’re all having a great time, and you can see the love we share as a family.” With that in mind, getting great portraits is easier than you think!
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1. Pay Attention to Scheduling
It’s important to remember that the number one thing that makes a portrait is the emotion involved. If everyone is stressed out, it will show in the pictures.
- Don’t schedule your portraits right before or after other appointments, or in the middle of a high-stress time at work or school. Most of my clients prefer a Sunday evening or afternoon. The more relaxed everyone is, the happier everyone will be — and the better your portraits will look!
- Given the times we’re in, remember that I have no re-scheduling penalties, whether it’s due to COVID or any other reason. This helps keep us all protected, and will make sure your portraits will happen at a time that works for your family.
2. Feel Good, Look Good
How you feel in your outfit matters a thousand times more than how you look. While we all have different ideas of what looks good in a portrait, squeezing into that “perfect” dress or forcing everyone to wear uncomfortable matching outfits will cause additional stress that will show up in the portraits.
- Whether it’s a cute dress or your favorite pair of jeans, the way you feel in your outfit matters much more than how “perfect” you look. Make sure it fits comfortably (check multiple angles in the mirror to make sure), your foundation garments aren’t showing, and, most important — you feel great wearing it.
- If you are set on having a coordinated look to your photos, I recommend having Mom choose an outfit she likes, and plan the rest of the family’s outfits around that. There are lots of great family outfit suggestions on Pinterest.
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3. De-Stress (as much as you can)
The most important thing about your portraits from Michelle Kirkland Photography is the interaction between family members — those are the kinds of portraits that give us all the feels. So it’s important to try to minimize the kind of stress that shows up in photographs.
- Try to remember that the most important thing is how happy you are to be together as a family. Try to think of your portrait day as a day to just enjoy spending time together and make another happy memory. Trust me on this: everything else is secondary.
- Make sure everyone is well-fed and comfortable. If you are including your dog in your portraits, make sure he’s had his walk and has already had some playtime. Don’t forget to bring some of his favorite training treats!
- Plan to do something relaxing and fun (but not timed or scheduled) after your portraits. Since everyone already looks nice, looking forward to a relaxing dinner out or a visit to an ice cream shop can help keep spirits up.
- Please don’t yell at your kids to “smile”! This never works, and it stresses you out. 🙂 I’ll be there to help get natural expressions from them. I’ll help you find ways for you to make them laugh, and when they start laughing, usually everyone else follows!
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Bonus: Remember what’s important
I take your portraits with an eye toward the future. When you look at your portraits 5, 10, or even 20 years from now, you won’t care that much about your hair, makeup, outfit, or many of the things you’re worried about today. You’ll be looking back at what a great day you had as a family, and what it felt like to be together. This is the most important thing about family photos. It’s always the love that counts!
