Planning Your Family Session

With a little planning, and maybe a little luck, we will make this your best family photography session ever. Here is everything we go over with families before a session so that together we create images your family will treasure.

Before your session

Theme

Think about the type of session you would like to have. We would love to capture anything that shows your uniqueness as a family. What activities do you all enjoy? Are there games you like to play? Hiking, piggybacks, maybe even a water fight.

Planning for your finished images

Start to look around your home with this in mind. Is there a wall or two that are blank, or that have an old print from your university days that could stand to be replaced? Displaying your images on your walls is one of the best ways to enjoy them. We also offer a line of framed prints - the smaller sizes (5x7, 8x10 and 11x14) stand on their own and look great on bookcases and side tables. If there are too many favourites from your session, we have Italian-made albums that become family heirlooms your children and their children will treasure. They are also a great gift for grandparents.

Location

Our place or yours, or maybe a park or the beach. We have a 1,200 square foot studio and two acres at 19 Diana Drive in Hammonds Plains, so between the inside and out we have you covered. We can also come to you and shoot inside your home and out. There are so many details in your home that we all take for granted now, and that you will love looking back on as the years go by.

What to wear

This is a big one, but it is really not that hard. The main points:

• You do not all have to match - thank goodness, right?
• Darker solids are best - denim, greens, browns, greys, blues and sometimes black. We love black and wear it all the time, but it is easy to look like you are all in uniform if you overdo it.
• Avoid bright colours, busy patterns and too much white - they pull the eye away from faces. White pants are the worst. Sorry, we had to get that off our chest.
• Bring a quick change. It can be nice to mix things up, and if you arrive and think "what was I thinking when I picked that out," you have a plan B.
• Lighter at the beach, darker everywhere else. White pants are fine at the beach.
• Dress for the weather and in layers. Taking off a jacket or sweater is a quick way to change the look.

Timing

Kids' schedules trump all else. Things can go south quickly when our smaller subjects are tired, so if there is a best time of day for your little ones, let's go with it. Otherwise, a couple of hours before sunset is usually best for light.

Bring your dog. We love dogs. We love cats too, but most are not into travelling - if we are shooting at your home, let's get a shot with the cat.

If you have younger children, it may help to chat with them in advance about the shoot and let them know we are going to have a whole bunch of fun and take some pictures along the way.

The session day

• Feed the children beforehand - and maybe your spouse. Hangriness and photo shoots do not mix.
• Snacks during the session work better than bribes for later.
• Let us do most of the talking. Sometimes kids like to argue with their parents - we know, right? It often goes better if we coax them into position.
• We keep things moving, interactive and fun. With two of us at every session, one can be shooting while the other keeps everyone engaged.
• BYOP - bring your own props. Totally optional, and no need to force it. As long as it is authentic, bring something that says "your family": baseball gloves, a favourite book, an instrument, team jerseys if you all dress up and watch sports together.

Once we wrap up, it might be a nice time to go out for some well-deserved ice cream or a family dinner. Pro tip: telling older kids during the session that this is the plan can work in your favour. Telling younger kids, not so much.

After your session

Within a few days of the session your finished images go into your private online gallery, where you choose your favourites and order at your own pace. We are always happy to help with sizing and placement for wall art, and we carry the prints, gallery-wrapped canvases, Italian-made albums and Canadian-made frames ourselves, so what arrives matches what you chose. There is no minimum purchase and no pressure - we would just love to see your family on your walls.

See our family photography or get in touch to plan your session.