As a parent to two young kids of my own, I know planning anything out of the ordinary can actually be really stressful and worrisome as a parent. New environments and people and events can be so excited to some and the worst for other little ones. As a Bend Family photographer I want your experience with me to be easy and stress free and I am here to help you feel ready for this when you arrive. SO here are some tips to help you set the stage for our session before you even show up!

What parents should do before family pictures :

1. Explain what will happen before hand to kids that are old enough to understand. I know not all kids I’m photographing talk or maybe can understand whats going to happen, but many have siblings who are older and if parents have explained whats ahead then they can help younger siblings feel comfortable coming into a session. Explain the details of what a session will looks like (i.e we will smile at the camera, play and have fun and get pictures to put in our house later). Talk about the name of the photographer and what she does and what they should do. Talk about how much fun it will be and no threats. They can see how you’re preparing as well with outfits being laid out a few days before and showing them what they’ll be wearing for it.

2. Have something fun for them in Return for cooperating or good behavior. But for real, I am not a mom above bribes. DO whatever looks best for you family and what would be motivating and rewarding for them. If that’s just having a special treat for the car ride home because you’ll be cutting it close to bedtime, that’s great. If you’re going to hit up Dairy Queen drive through or pick up a special treat afterwards, doesn’t matter to me, but something like that can be really reinforcing for good behavior for kids and a good reminder throughout the session.

3. At least one good nap and well fed beforehand. Probably the greatest stressor to a parent is sleep schedules for little ones. And with summer, you’re stressing extra hard because of how late the sun sets. However with the best and most flattering lighting and cooler tempts in the later evening, I promise kids will survive a night and a later bedtime won’t ruin everything. Just make sure that baby or toddler gets a solid nap prior to our session. Extend it, or put them down a bit later to push it back or don’t cut it off like you normally would to accommodate the later bedtime. Also, if you have a toddler who is a grumpy grump when they wake up, and typically nod off in the car in the afternoon, don’t let them fall asleep on the way to a session and then have them wake up super grumpy. If this is likely to happen, take them them for a drive earlier in the afternoon to try and avoid this. I’ve experienced this with sessions, and we’ve lost a lot of shooting time because of it.

Make sure everyone has eaten dinner or had a good sized snack, bottle, whatever they need prior to our session. Hangry kids are real and you don’t want them showing up to your family pictures. Pack snacks or plan ahead for dinner before hand and have everyone come with full bellies. Calculate the additional time needed if baby needs to be breastfed or given a bottle before a session. I will have fun snacks and small treats in addition to what you bring to encourage good listening and behavior that usually help.

4. Come with a good, happy attitude. Easier said than done, I know, but it’s true and it really helps. Kids feed off of the vibes parents give off. Getting annoyed with your kids when they’re having a moment, or throwing out the “you’re making this take longer than it has to” just isn’t helpful. Come, be patient, be kind and let’s have fun and capture the good side of your family.

5. Keep your expectations low. The lower the better. Expect the worst out of them, expect something to go wrong, expect a stain on the shirt, or crying. Take a deep breath. You can do this, I’m here to help through the WHOLE thing and I will direct and set you guys up with poses and prompts that will lighten the mood and kick the stress out the door. AND the benefit to lower your expectations going in is usually it goes a lot smoother than you thought! Clients tell me time and time again how much easier that was after we’ve gotten to the end of a session. That’s how I want it to feel for you. SO whether its 20 people or your family of three, it can be a smooth and fun process. Trust your photographer and what they suggest for locations and times and these other tips and we can make the magic happen!!

Click here to see other blog posts for tips and tricks I’ve written about.