THE BLOG IS BACK!!!
And I am so excited to share more amazing stories, inspirations and tid bits with you!!!
I am going to start off with a little bts of a children's photo session and what goes into planning a successful session with kiddos!! It is my goal to ensure that not only my clients end up with wonderful, timeless images to hang on their walls and enjoy for many years, but it is important for me to make sure that their whole experience with me is seamless, stress free and fun.
And that all starts with helping to educate and prepare the clients for their session so much that on the day of the session, they can just show up knowing I will take care of the rest!
Here is how we get there!
STYLING THE SESSION
I chat with my clients by phone, zoom or in person about their vision for the session. What style and vibe they are looking for.
Will it be more traditional or more casual and fun?
Who will be in the portraits... family, kids, pets.
I get an idea of where they will display the portraits so we can talk about decor colors. It's important that the images match the style of the room where they will be displayed.
We talk about locations. Studio, home, parks or other locations that will match the vibe they are going for.
I get an idea of each of the kids that will be photographed, their personalities and anything I should know about each. That information helps me know if they are shy, or outgoing, silly or quiet so I can tailor the session to them.
Then comes my work of choosing backdrops, floors and clothing suggestions. For the clothing, sometimes clients have the right outfits and sometimes they need more guidance. I put together some inspiration outfits and sources so they can get them together before the session.
In this case... we are going for a muted color palette of greens and creams. The vibe is modern industrial yet classic. This is the backdrop set up and clothing suggestions I gave for the 3 kids.
THE SESSION
Session day is the fun day!!
I LOVE working with kids... maybe because I am just a big one myself.
First thing I do is invite them in and get comfortable. I make sure they grab something to drink if they want, hang up any clothes and get relaxed.
I take a moment to get down and chat with the kids. It's important that they get to know me a little so I can gain their trust. It's usually not long before they are giggling and jumping around. The shy ones take a little longer but I allow time for that.
I chat with mom about the clothing and she starts getting them dressed. I like to have the backdrop and lights all set up and ready to go, so I can give all my attention to my clients.
If the whole family is going to be in the photos... I will start with that so the kids get used to the lights... and me. Then I start to breakdown the group to all kids, then singles of each. I like to make sure kids are having fun and being themselves. If that means mom & dad have to hide so I can get their personalities out.. then that's what I do.
The important thing here is to capture your family or the kids as they are now... so that when they change, you have these memories for life. I don't force them to be what they are not. If they are quiet... I love a soft expression that shows that. If they are silly... then giggling photos are perfect. The only expectation I have, is that they are to be themselves. Once parents understand that I don't expect kids to be perfect... then they are allowed to relax too.
And I don't stop until I KNOW I have captured it all!
Kids change so darn fast.
It is so important to take and save photos and videos of them often... we live with a camera in our hands called a cellphone. There is no reason not to document their lives and growing up. It's also important to download those photos from your phones and organize them in an online storage such as dropbox so that you can have them safe for anytime you want to access them. Those photos and videos will be more priceless the older they get.
And every year or two... think about hiring a professional to really capture those high quality moments. I don't think anyone has ever said they regretted taking portraits of their kids and family.... but I HAVE heard people regret NOT doing it.
You know where to find me when it's time!
xo
annie
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