You booked a session, for your extended family
now what?
When we are doing large extended family photo shoots like this, it can feel a bit overwhelming for the kids and adults alike. To better prepare you all so that it's less stressful, please take a moment to read through these notes and fill out the registration form. I can't wait to work with you all!
What to Expect From Your Session
Extended family photo shoots can at times feel like hearding cats. I have found the best way to bring order to the chaos is to have a plan. I will arrive to our photo shoot location a few minutes before hand to set up some seating options that can create some diversity in our posing options.
When we have everyone arrive I will introduce myself and start by making myself friendly with the kids. The sooner, we get them comfortable with me and smiling and laughing with me, the easier the session will go. After a few minutes of everyone getting settled and saying hellos we will jump into shooting.
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We will start with all of you together, our biggest group so we can catch the kids when they are still cooperative and happy. I will move you and pose you through several different groupings as a whole big group and then different variations of the group, finishing with small shoots of each individual family. When I do the individual families, I often will walk to different areas in this property with each different family so that everyone has a bit of a different photo background but they are all tied together and similar.
After receiving the results from the below form, I will build a "shot list" for our time together. This is going to give us a breakdown of the various groupings we will be doing as well as the family order. Please don't hesitate to reach out if there is a grouping you aren't seeing listed and we will make sure to add it to the list for the day of.
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While I do like to have this type of structure with things to start, I will also be encouraging a lot of go with the flow. Kids add a whole different dynamic and I have learned how to flow well with their personalities to always get the shot. My sessions are not like others you may have attended... This is going to be fun and a little silly, with lots of moving, and LOTS of interaction. I do what I call a "happy blend" of posed and lifestyle photography. Your family is unique, each person with their own quirks, smiles, and expressions... and that is what I aim to capture in our time together. To do this, I will be working to pose you for shots but we will be playing in between and I will be snapping away the entire time. I love doing this because when kids are allowed to play; their true selves come out, and in interacting with the kids, all of the adults let their personalities shine too. And that is exactly what I want to capture. I want that photo that, years from now, will pull you right back to this version of life because you can "feel it".
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I will be touching you during this session, moving you where you need to go, so be prepared, I don't bite :)
Because of my style of shooting, I will be including a whole lot of photos in your gallery. We are going to capture so many moments together, that I prefer to treat it more as the story of your family. Please let me know if we are wanting one large gallery that everyone receives access to, or individual galleries for each family.
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I am so greatly looking forward to working with you all and I hope that you are all excited to. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you have any questions.
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Our Session Rules
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Be on time for our session. Because our photo time is very reliant on our light, I ask that you arrive at sessions on time.
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Keep things light and fun. I know that often, as parents, our immediate desire is to make sure our kids are smiling and posing how we want them to. This can make for very flat pictures with fake smiles, or worse cranky kids who just want to be done. If your kids are smiling in my photos, it's because they are wanting to. We will be super silly and have lots of fun, but I ask that for our time together you resist the urge to take control.
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I have years of experience in working with kids in these sessions and have many tried and true techniques for shifting the mood and getting the desired results. You are all along for the experience, let's just have fun and enjoy it. Remember that when mom and dad start getting annoyed, the energy of the kids, will quickly mimic yours.
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Don't be afraid to let loose! Kids love it when adults are silly and a little weird. It allows them to feel safe doing the same, and while you might not want a bunch of silly faces on your wall, the smiles they are giving in between are magic, and those ARE the pictures you want.
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Let's have fun and love on each other. Don't stress to much about the camera. You are paying to have me capture the love and laughter that you all have. Be yourselves, and just enjoy the process and I will worry about capturing the moments.
Please take a quick moment to answer these questions and better prepare me for our session.