Routinely getting professional photographs is something I’m getting used to. Don’t get me wrong, you don’t have to get professional pictures in order to be successful in blogging and social media endeavors, but it is the route I went for a variety of reasons and if anyone ever wants to talk about them, I’m happy to answer any questions! Before having children I’d see people on Facebook getting professional photos for seemingly every family and childhood milestone and as someone who almost didn’t have a videographer at my wedding to save money (would’ve been the biggest mistake, thank God I changed my mind) I was like oh, we’ll never be like that! It seemed like too much hassle, too much money, and I just didn’t get it. And
I didn’t even get maternity photos when I was pregnant with Margaret, which I wholeheartedly regret, and I elaborate on that in this post. Once we had newborn photos done with her, I was so thankful to have those beautiful pictures and especially with each month as she grew and changed, that I became sold on getting pictures done at least two times a year. Then when I started blogging they became a part of how I share stories and feature brands.
I figure with so many families in the midst of scheduling pictures of various types, holiday cards and so on, I’d share my thoughts on ways we thrive (or at least survive) when taking professional pictures.
- Location, location, location. I’ve had beautiful, treasured photos taken in places as simple as my own backyard and as difficult as the dunes of a beach. Beach photos are great, and so are backyard photos. If you can’t get that perfect location be it due to weather or other complications, remember it isn’t as much about where the photos are as who are in them.
If you do it at your house, consider having your photographer take some detail shots around it if they’re open to that! This is your home where you live and make memories, and I’ve loved having pictures of nooks and special spots where those memories happen!
- Pick a photographer who reflects your style and vision. There are highly edited and styled photoshoots with seasonal props and backgrounds (even sometimes Santa Claus!) or there is the more simplistic lifestyle approach. Poke around on the photographer’s websites or past work to get a sense for their strengths and talents! Also, I’d love to note that some people are self-timer, tri-pod wizards who can do these photos themselves and I am so impressed by those skills!
- Plan your outfits. This doesn’t mean you need to get new outfits, maybe it’ll be a blend of new and old but however you do it, just think far enough ahead that you have it picked out. What accessories do you need? Tights? Shoes? Will they be barefoot? Whatever you want, just plan it and have things steamed, ironed, hung and ready to go to eliminate that last minute running around sweating and nervously stressing right before. That said, we just did our pictures and for a variety of reasons, the shoot was moved a few days early and I didn’t have their new shoes in yet so they were barefoot – big deal! And we were all a little hodgepodge in terms of our outfit, but everything was clean and ready to go! I’d recommend having a suitable back-up outfit for each child because accidents happen.
- Be your own hype girl. Talk kindly to yourself. So many of us have complicated relationships with our bodies, but I decided a long time ago that while I’m working on that relationship, I’m not going to let the ugliness that sometimes echoes in my head stop me from doing things with my family – including family photos. So show yourself some love. Sometimes for me that is really leaning into pampering myself like a long shower, some face masking and eye patching. I do love those chin masks whether they decrease the puff or not, I’m not sure. But the ritual of caring for myself gets me in the mood!
- Remember it’s just another day. Whenever I take pictures involving the girls, we try to make it mimic as close to our real life as possible. Clearly we have more makeup and primping going on but remember this is just another day. Consider bringing a favorite toy to lighten the mood and make your little one comfortable. Do things you’d normally do like go for a walk, play in your yard, get on the floor and snuggle up to read a book. Impromptu tickle fights and silly faces can lighten the mood! And seriously – bribe! I mean you are asking a lot of them, getting dressed up and taking pictures might not be their idea of a fun time so pack some gummies or jelly beans to sweeten the deal!
- You only need one. At the end of the day you only need one great picture if it is for a card. But more thank likely you’ll have a bunch of great ones to choose from. The benefit of hiring a professional is that they have a better idea than I do of lighting and posing, not to mention they can snap away multiple pictures and you can choose the winners!
