Planning Your Portrait Session

Welcome! I’m excited to work with you and to create some magic! Please read through this guide to get the very best of our session together.

Group of young children in summer clothes playing outdoors, tossing colorful hats into the air, standing on a paved surface with green trees and plants in the background.

Before Your Shoot

Please be very detailed in your family questionnaire; it’s how I learn about you and what makes you unique. Even better, please complete the questionnaire prior to our pre-session consultation.

Try to talk about your upcoming session in a positive tone at all times, especially in front of any family members that may be feeling a little uncertain. Avoid bribing children beforehand. Instead, make this about spending time together as a family. You can even frame it as an adventure. The goal is to capture you enjoying one another while you create memories. Let’s make these moments positive and joy filled!

Family group photo outdoors near a lake with trees and grass, smiling and dressed in casual summer clothing.

Prep Guide

    • If you’re looking for a more formal, traditional session, I recommend simple, complimentary colors without being too matchy. Wrinkle-free too.

    • If you envision a more candid and informal session, come as you are and for the weather conditions. Perhaps your family has its own vision!

    • My favorite photos of my family are in many ways unscripted. Let me know if you’d like to add-on a virtual wardrobe consultation prior to your session.

    • Should be done at least a week prior. Remember to groom facial hair as well.

    • Glasses can become distracting for many reasons. If you have highly reflective glasses or transition lenses, please either go without or wear contacts.

    • Additionally, please leave your personal cameras at home and enjoy your professional portrait session. Other cameras are a great distraction and interrupt the creative process.

Two women at the beach, one giving the other a piggyback ride, under a partly cloudy sky.
A young girl smiling with her eyes closed, wearing a beige hoodie with red trim and a yellow floral dress, standing on a wooded trail surrounded by green trees and foliage.
A family enjoying a day outdoors by a lake, with children playing and parents smiling, on a grassy area with a body of water and distant hills in the background.

Shoot Day!

Time of day and lighting is very important. I do not schedule mid-day sessions unless they are water or adventure ones. Early mornings or evenings (about an hour before sunset) work best. When is everyone in the best mindset?

Please arrive with full bellies. Non- staining snacks and drinks are okay to bring, especially to have available after your session. It helps with morale!

Consider bringing brushes, hairspray and make-up for retouches to your session. Small, favorite toys or water accessories (i.e. big towels/goggles/buckets) are okay to bring for children, too. For little ones, simple blankets to lay on the ground are a great option.

I will keep an eye on the forecast the week before our session. If the weather looks sketchy, I will make the best decision based on my professional experience and let you know if we will need to reschedule 12-24 hours in advance.

Four children playing on a small dock and water. Two children are on the dock, one in mid-air jumping into the water, and two are in the water holding the dock.

Ideally we will schedule a pre-portrait session consultation by phone close to your session date so we may go over exact details regarding your session. I look forward to speaking with you soon!