A photo and/or film session is not something for you to be stressed out about! I know (from being on both sides of the camera) that you want your children to be perfect during the session--the perfect smiles, the perfect hair, the perfect behavior. I also know that when parents are stressed, everyone is stressed.
So just sit back and relax. Enjoy this time with your family, and let me do my thing.
I promise I can make you look good. I promise to make it painless. And I promise that you will look back at your images or film someday and smile whenever you see them--remembering the fun that came along with this time in your lives!
If you've already read what to expect from start to finish in a session with me, then here are a few tips to help you get ready for your in-home session:
Don't worry about the lights
Maybe you've never noticed, or maybe you have, that different lights are different colors. Mixed lighting makes my job a bit trickier, so I prefer to keep the lights off and let all the window light in that I can. It may seem too dark, but my cameras are advanced and able to make dark rooms feel much lighter than they are. All this to say, just trust me. Let's leave the lights off and I will do my job. That's part of the reason you're paying me, right? ;)
So just sit back and relax. Enjoy this time with your family, and let me do my thing.
I promise I can make you look good. I promise to make it painless. And I promise that you will look back at your images or film someday and smile whenever you see them--remembering the fun that came along with this time in your lives!
If you've already read what to expect from start to finish in a session with me, then here are a few tips to help you get ready for your in-home session:
Don't worry about the lights
Maybe you've never noticed, or maybe you have, that different lights are different colors. Mixed lighting makes my job a bit trickier, so I prefer to keep the lights off and let all the window light in that I can. It may seem too dark, but my cameras are advanced and able to make dark rooms feel much lighter than they are. All this to say, just trust me. Let's leave the lights off and I will do my job. That's part of the reason you're paying me, right? ;)
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Don't worry about the mess
I promise, I work around messes. And no judgement here. At all! If your home is super cluttered everywhere, we may have to move some stuff, but don't feel that you have to clean every corner of your home for me. We will only go in the rooms you want, and I'm pretty creative at shooting around "stuff". If you don't believe me, just drop in at my house any day and see the messes my 4 boys leave! |
Don't worry too much about what to wear
What to wear can be tricky! I've given some advice in my FAQ's about how to choose what to wear. Basically choose clothing that is comfortable, matches fairly well, and that isn't too distracting. Distracting could be defined as neon or bold colors (unless your whole home is decorated that way), large logos, characters or words on shirts, or ill-fitted, too tight, too short, too low-cut, etc. Another thing to note is that if we are doing a video session, thin stripes tend to do weird things, so pick a broader striped outfit if you want to wear stripes. As far as foot-wear goes, if it's warm enough, bare feet is best! Simple or fun socks that match personalities are okay as long as they aren't too distracting! If we are doing a lifestyle morning at-home session and you want to capture the whole feeling of what life is really like in the morning, you can always give your child a few outfits to choose from for the day.
What to wear can be tricky! I've given some advice in my FAQ's about how to choose what to wear. Basically choose clothing that is comfortable, matches fairly well, and that isn't too distracting. Distracting could be defined as neon or bold colors (unless your whole home is decorated that way), large logos, characters or words on shirts, or ill-fitted, too tight, too short, too low-cut, etc. Another thing to note is that if we are doing a video session, thin stripes tend to do weird things, so pick a broader striped outfit if you want to wear stripes. As far as foot-wear goes, if it's warm enough, bare feet is best! Simple or fun socks that match personalities are okay as long as they aren't too distracting! If we are doing a lifestyle morning at-home session and you want to capture the whole feeling of what life is really like in the morning, you can always give your child a few outfits to choose from for the day.
What to do
During a lifestyle at-home shoot, we can do whatever it is you normally do. The goal is to get a real-life glimpse of what your family is like right now. Before the session, talk to your family and plan a few activities that you like to do on a regular basis. If it's close to a holiday and you want to capture a tradition in regards to it, we can do that! Basically, an at-home lifestyle session is chance to record what your life is like right now, because I can guarantee that in a year from now, it will be different! Think of childhood classics like coloring, cars, dolls, reading together, playing outside. I like to keep screens and devices off, so we can get a feel for real life. The whole session will only be around an hour long, so it should be easy to find activities!
During a lifestyle at-home shoot, we can do whatever it is you normally do. The goal is to get a real-life glimpse of what your family is like right now. Before the session, talk to your family and plan a few activities that you like to do on a regular basis. If it's close to a holiday and you want to capture a tradition in regards to it, we can do that! Basically, an at-home lifestyle session is chance to record what your life is like right now, because I can guarantee that in a year from now, it will be different! Think of childhood classics like coloring, cars, dolls, reading together, playing outside. I like to keep screens and devices off, so we can get a feel for real life. The whole session will only be around an hour long, so it should be easy to find activities!
