Tips For Your Family Session – #4
Picking the location! I love it when my clients pick a location that has special meaning to them. Whether it be the place you and your husband met, where you got engaged, where you like to hang out as a family, even your own home, if it has special meaning to you the pictures are going to be even better. I love hearing the family reminisce about why the spot is special to them. The more I know about a family the more I can do to make the session unique to them. Do you really want to go to the same beach and park as everyone else in your hometown? Make it fun! Make it different!
I shot a family session last week at the very place the couple first met – the tennis courts at their college. With baby number 2 on the way, it was so much fun to take their 2 year old back to where it all started.
That being said, you have to take into consideration where your kids will be the most comfortable. If your kids don’t like sand and water, don’t take them to the beach! I learned that one the hard way 
I would suggest staying away from playgrounds and anything too distracting for kids at least until the very end of your session. You want to make sure to at least get a few shots of the family together before the kids go crazy
About DrewB
I’ve started this blog as a way to connect with other moms who love photography. Whether you are a professional photographer who is looking for advice on how to manage your own business and your family or if you are a mom who is looking for tips on how to take better pictures of your kids, I hope that you can find some good information and be inspired!
yea i learned that one the hard way too. We went to this beatuiful park to have our family pictures taken. and the kids cried the whole time they wanted to go on the playground. we ended up only getting about 3 or 4 shots before we gave up. And they are crying in all of them and pointing at the playground.
awesome site btw ;o)
Those are great tips. I am about to do my second ever family shoot (for a friend) and have been trying to think of a good location. Thanks!
.-= Emmy´s last blog ..Funny Friday: Indocrination =-.
I found your blog yesterday…and although I don’t have children…I have learned so much from your site. I have a better understanding of exposure and so much more bc of this site. Thanks and keep up the amazing work.
I really like the end advice about playgrounds. One would think that this would be common knowledge but I read that and it was a like a lightbulb in my head… “Abbie, save the playground til the end”. Thanks!
Great advice. I photographed a family on the beach the other day and they made the comment when we got there about how much their 2 year old hated the sand. And I had another shoot of a family with a dog and they told me the dog had never been in sand before!! UGH! LOL! Thanks again for all the advice you offer and the time you put into this blog.
I want to Thank you for all that you share with us. I have learned so much from visiting your blog.
.-= Cynthia´s last blog ..Ashley and Chad’s full session slideshow. =-.
Remember our first shoot with you? We didn’t even realize Kendall had THAT big of an aversion to sand before our shoot!! Good thing for fruit snacks!
.-= Jen Imus´s last blog ..Another year…. =-.