So you are thinking about getting some photo's taken of you and your family...
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your photo shoot...
Tip 1
Choose a photographer who has a style that appeals to you - is it studio or out door? Whimsical or modern? A photographer should have a clearly defined style so you can see if is what you would like to hang on your walls.
Also think about the level of post editing you want - for example, we will make small changes to photos (evening or smoothing skin tones, brightening eyes, removing dribble or food from babies etc) but we don't make cosmetic changes to photos or other large editing changes. This keeps the costs down but if you are wanting a highly edited image shop around as there are some truly inspiring artists in this area.
Check out our gallery to see more examples of our photos so you can get a good idea of the type of photos we take.
Tip 2
Think about taking the photo's in a location that has special meaning to your family - it will add to the story of the photo. Another good tip is to go somewhere with a playground close by so bribery is close at hand...
Tip 3
Much like when you change your hairstyle, look around online for the type of photo's that you like and send them through to your photographer ahead of time so they can think about how to incorporate them into the shoot.
Tip 4
Ahh, the all important wardrobe choice!
There is no right or wrong choice here but a few tips on this would be...
- Bold patterns can sometimes be distracting so it is be best to stick to simpler designs
- Grown ups, avoid bright red, yellow or orange for photo's - kids however - go crazy!
- Avoid too much of exactly the same shade of a colour for everyone in your shot
- Babies are just so perfect as they are and don't need fancy clothes - keep it simple
- White looks stunning on babies - the whole family actually!
- Theme colours can look great - check out our gallery for our family in blue - they look amazing!
- If you are having studio shots check the background colour - if you wear black with a black backdrop you will look like a floating head
Most importantly though, wear what you feel comfortable and confident in - it will show in the photo's!
Tip 5
Got a special toy, a favourite princess dress or superman cape? Let the photographer know and they can try and work it into the shoot. One of my favourite shots is off a couple on their 50th wedding anniversary who bought along a book written about their family!
Tip 6
Plan the shoot for a time that works for you. Make sure it doesn't clash with sleep times or meal times and give yourself plenty of time so you can relax and enjoy it.
Tip 7
Bribery! Being a Mum of 2 little ones I know the power of the odd bribe. Photo shoots aren't always your little ones idea of fun so it pays to bring along a little distraction or treat for when attention spans wane. I have a few little distractions in my bag also and we try to keep sessions really short and fun so little ones don't get bored.
Tip 8
Tell the photographer in advance about any deadlines you have for getting the photo's back - retouching and editing can take longer than you sometimes expect so best to make sure everyone is on the same page before booking the session.
Tip 9
If you are working with a larger group make a list of the individual groups that you want photographed and provide it to the photographer ahead of time. Also make sure to order the groups based on who will fade the quickest (usually children).
Tip 10
Think about the type of light you want - the golden hour (the hour after sunrise and before sunset) provides a beautiful golden light and spectacular backgrounds but does require commitment to get to a shoot at these times. Wide open spaces or trees with sparse coverage in bright sunlight are terrible for taking photos with lots of harsh shadows so try and think of locations that have open shade. Likewise - a cloudy day on your photo shoot is a great thing!
Tip 11
Don't panic when things go wrong. Things happen - we will work through it. One of my favourite sessions ever was a little girl who was so shy that she wouldn't even come out from her Mum's legs and was crying. Mum was just about to give up and we just downed tools and created a photoshoot for her baby doll and she put baby in, got her all ready and took a few photos and by the time we did that she was happy and confident and ready to rock her shoot.
Tip 11
Relax, have fun and most importantly be yourself - its your life, this is your story and at the end of the day you are the only one who can tell it - we are just here to help capture a brief moment of it.
Here are some tips for getting the most out of your photo shoot...
Tip 1
Choose a photographer who has a style that appeals to you - is it studio or out door? Whimsical or modern? A photographer should have a clearly defined style so you can see if is what you would like to hang on your walls.
Also think about the level of post editing you want - for example, we will make small changes to photos (evening or smoothing skin tones, brightening eyes, removing dribble or food from babies etc) but we don't make cosmetic changes to photos or other large editing changes. This keeps the costs down but if you are wanting a highly edited image shop around as there are some truly inspiring artists in this area.
Check out our gallery to see more examples of our photos so you can get a good idea of the type of photos we take.
Tip 2
Think about taking the photo's in a location that has special meaning to your family - it will add to the story of the photo. Another good tip is to go somewhere with a playground close by so bribery is close at hand...
Tip 3
Much like when you change your hairstyle, look around online for the type of photo's that you like and send them through to your photographer ahead of time so they can think about how to incorporate them into the shoot.
Tip 4
Ahh, the all important wardrobe choice!
There is no right or wrong choice here but a few tips on this would be...
- Bold patterns can sometimes be distracting so it is be best to stick to simpler designs
- Grown ups, avoid bright red, yellow or orange for photo's - kids however - go crazy!
- Avoid too much of exactly the same shade of a colour for everyone in your shot
- Babies are just so perfect as they are and don't need fancy clothes - keep it simple
- White looks stunning on babies - the whole family actually!
- Theme colours can look great - check out our gallery for our family in blue - they look amazing!
- If you are having studio shots check the background colour - if you wear black with a black backdrop you will look like a floating head
Most importantly though, wear what you feel comfortable and confident in - it will show in the photo's!
Tip 5
Got a special toy, a favourite princess dress or superman cape? Let the photographer know and they can try and work it into the shoot. One of my favourite shots is off a couple on their 50th wedding anniversary who bought along a book written about their family!
Tip 6
Plan the shoot for a time that works for you. Make sure it doesn't clash with sleep times or meal times and give yourself plenty of time so you can relax and enjoy it.
Tip 7
Bribery! Being a Mum of 2 little ones I know the power of the odd bribe. Photo shoots aren't always your little ones idea of fun so it pays to bring along a little distraction or treat for when attention spans wane. I have a few little distractions in my bag also and we try to keep sessions really short and fun so little ones don't get bored.
Tip 8
Tell the photographer in advance about any deadlines you have for getting the photo's back - retouching and editing can take longer than you sometimes expect so best to make sure everyone is on the same page before booking the session.
Tip 9
If you are working with a larger group make a list of the individual groups that you want photographed and provide it to the photographer ahead of time. Also make sure to order the groups based on who will fade the quickest (usually children).
Tip 10
Think about the type of light you want - the golden hour (the hour after sunrise and before sunset) provides a beautiful golden light and spectacular backgrounds but does require commitment to get to a shoot at these times. Wide open spaces or trees with sparse coverage in bright sunlight are terrible for taking photos with lots of harsh shadows so try and think of locations that have open shade. Likewise - a cloudy day on your photo shoot is a great thing!
Tip 11
Don't panic when things go wrong. Things happen - we will work through it. One of my favourite sessions ever was a little girl who was so shy that she wouldn't even come out from her Mum's legs and was crying. Mum was just about to give up and we just downed tools and created a photoshoot for her baby doll and she put baby in, got her all ready and took a few photos and by the time we did that she was happy and confident and ready to rock her shoot.
Tip 11
Relax, have fun and most importantly be yourself - its your life, this is your story and at the end of the day you are the only one who can tell it - we are just here to help capture a brief moment of it.