You've booked your family session! Yay!

Before your session...

We both want your photos to be everything you dream of! Here are some things you can do to prepare prior to your session for the best possible results!

Styling your family

For in-home sessions

While you want to be comfortable during our session, please avoid leggings, sweatpants, sweatshirts or yoga pants. Think more like you’re dressing to have friends over for a nice dinner. I always recommend a casual dress for mama as dresses are always flattering! If you need some outfit ideas, you can check out my Pinterest board here. 

Remember to match all outfits to same general feel. If mama is wearing a gorgeous maxi dress, make sure dad isn't in just a t-shirt! Think more like a nice sweater or cardigan! Please leave baseball caps at home.

Avoid being too matchy. Coordinating is great, but we don't want you to blend into a each other! I also have a Pinterest board of colour palettes to help you if you need it! I recommend finding a palette you love and pulling some outfits with those colours. If you need any advice or want to run your outfits by me, feel free! I love helping to style my clients for their sessions! 

Don't be afraid of patterns, but not too many or too busy is best.

Avoid logos or written sayings on clothing and make sure no phones or keys are in any pockets!

If you're struggling to find yourself an outfit, you can always access my client closet!

During these sessions, we'll utilize the places in your home that have the best natural light. Light permitting, I like to use the living room, master bedroom and any minimally decorated kid's room, but any little nook next to a window will work if necessary!

Please ensure these spaces are free from clutter, as I do not edit mess out of images. 

I recommend a neutral or solid coloured bed spread or blanket for your bedroom to keep images from feeling busy. White is ideal but any lighter colour should work!

Timing

The best time of day for an outdoor family session is right after sunrise, or just before sunset. However, it's best to steer clear of bedtime and is best to plan for a little bit earlier than end up with exhausted children!

For in-home sessions, the best time is whenever you have the most natural light in your home! Of course, it's also best not to plan the session too close to either side of nap time!

The Day of our session...

Children

What to expect

My style is all about the natural connection between parents and their children, so we don't do too much sitting and smiling at the camera. I'll be gently directing you throughout the session - where to sit, who to stand next to, to lay down or tickle each other, but mostly I want you to interact with your family in a natural and normal way.

My sessions are play-based and I like kids to act like kids. When you tell a child to look at the camera and smile, it often results in a cheesy, unnatural grin or a downright defiant scowl! It doesn't capture their personalities or reflect the beautiful relationship that is unique to your family. As a parent in the session, it's your job to relax, be natural, and lead your children. Try not to stress if your kids are being crazy, that's who they are, and that is exactly what we want to capture! 

Toddlers and pre-schoolers can be unpredictable. As your session date approaches, try to talk excitedly about the photoshoot and get them excited about participating. 

I don't recommend bribing your children, as kids can often only focus on something in the future for a short time. Instead, bring secret, healthy but delicious snacks, so if their energy dips, we can take a snack break and revitalize them!

Please try to avoid disciplining your children until after our session! If kids have been scolded in the car on the way to the session, they are much less likely to be their playful selves!

After your session

I try my best to post a sneak peek from our session on my Instagram account within 24 to 48 hours after our session because I know it's hard to wait! It can sometimes take a day or two longer depending on how crazy my children are that week!

Within 2 to 3 weeks, you'll receive a proofing gallery in your email of the best images from our session! Depending on the package you've chosen, from here you'll be able to download the images included in your package, purchase additional digital images or order wall art or an album! Your gallery will also include sample album pages as well as sample wall art galleries to help you envision your finished product!

Your gallery is active for up to 3 months, so you can come back and grab more digitals or wall art at any point while it's active!

Seeing your images

Wall Art & Albums

Being a mom is an amazing privilege, but it generally comes with a major decrease in free time! I know how hard it is to find time to print, frame, and hang your images, which is why I do it all for you - well, except the hanging! I will, however, help you measure the space to find the best size of wall art for your home!

I offer:

       Custom Framing

       Gallery Wrap Canvases

       Custom Lay-Flat Heirloom Albums