Landis Family

Don’t even get me started on how much I love this family. Dustin and Janelle have an incredible story about how their family came to be, and I have been so blessed to photograph the miracle that they are!

I’ll let them tell their own story to the people they know.

Instead, I’m going to take this time to talk about photographing kids and share some tips for your own family sessions with me!

I know it looks like kids are always super well-behaved in my photos and I can assure you-they are more often not! Keep in mind that I take photographs, not video. You’d be surprised at what we’re able to get from even the sessions where you feel your children were so wild you don’t know how we got anything good. Here are some ideas for how you can help prepare the way for a successful session.

1. I know that lots of parenting experts say you’re not supposed to bribe your kids, but they do work for photos. Especially short term, or immediate rewards such as smarties, tic tacs, gold fish or anything small that they can snack on in between photos. I will never judge your parenting styles and I hope you wouldn’t judge me for suggesting this even if you decide not to do it, which is also totally fine!
2. Bring a blanket for sitting in some photos, or a cute little chair, if you want. Anything neutral or something that coordinates with your outfits should work! This family also brought along bubbles but didn’t bring them out to the end, which is helpful. This is my appeal to have every session end with a bubble dance party please!
3. If you have small children, you could bring a favorite toy for me to hold to give them something to look at. You could also bring a grandparent, fun uncle, or family friend to stand behind me and make silly faces. Kid’s always prefer to look at people they know! Just make sure this is someone “chill” that isn’t going to backseat drive or critique anyone during our session. That can be a real Debbie Downer kind of situation.
4. Try your best to relax as much as possible and enjoy your time together as a family. Some of my favorite photos I’ve taken were snaps during transitions and the in between moments. If you’re scolding your kids or stressing out about them behaving it won’t make for nice photos. I photograph families all the time and you’d be surprised at what I’m able to get from even the wildest sessions. Trust me to get the good moments and enjoy this time with your family. Let your kids be kids and I’ll worry about the rest!

Getting good photos is not my only goal, I want you and your kids to have a memorable, fun experience when I photograph your family. I hope these tips help you know what to expect and how to prepare for your own session! Until then, enjoy this sweet family.