Fall is in full swing here in McKinney, Texas, which means we are gearing up for all the traditional things: pumpkin patches, Halloween, outdoor cookouts with warm apple cider, and of course….fall family photo sessions. If you are finding yourself planning your own family’s session, here a few tips to keep in mind to make sure you have the most fun family session you possibly can!
Let Go of Perfection
Let me get this one out of the way upfront. If you are envisioning an entire session of perfectly posed, Vogue-style perfection, you may have come to the wrong place. While I 100% appreciate the beauty and talent that goes into these types of picturesque photo shoots, that’s not really what I offer. Of course, we will get at least one beautifully posed, smile-and-look-at-the-camera shot. I mean, you went through all that effort to select great outfits and wrangle your kids into the car, right? But that’s not where we’re going to stay, because that’s not what life with little kids is like. Over the years, I have found that when parents are worried about keeping their kid’s hair perfect and shoes unscuffed and constantly smiling for the camera, things go downhill fast. Kids pick up on their parent’s tension like a sixth-sense, so if you find yourself tense and snapping, those little guys are going to hand it right back to you. So make sure that you are ready to loosen your grip on controlling everything that will happen, because right when you do, that is when the real magic starts to happen.
Get Ready to Play
This is my number one tip to families of all ages. I don’t care if you are 2, 40 or 80 years old. You are never too old to play and have fun. For families with young kids, this one is a no-brainer. I mean, kids are just made to play, right? If you tell your kid to go off and do something serious, they’ll probably skip the entire way there. Kids just have a way of turning every task into a game. So for one single hour, I ask you to show up and be ready to bring out your inner kid. If you think you might have a hard time being silly in front of a camera, think about things you love to do with your family, times when you can relax and be yourselves. Maybe it involves a game of chess, or sitting around a campfire, or shooting hoops. Guess what…we can incorporate those things! I promise you that if you show up ready to play with your kids, they are going to have the time of their lives. And you will love the images we capture.
Show Off Your Talents
Oh my goodness, this is one that I wish more people would do! Have you ever felt like family sessions start to all look like each other after you see a whole bunch of them? Be willing to break that mold and show off what makes you unique. If you love to play guitar and sing for the kiddos, bring it along! Have a kid that can do the splits or a back flip? Let’s show that off! Do y’all love to go for evening bike rides or all have a thing for skateboarding? Please please please, bring those along!
One of the things I loved most about this particular fun family session was how they incorporated elements from their own story. The mom and dad had met in college at a swing dancing club, so they practiced some of their old moves in front of the camera. And the kids LOVED seeing their mom and dad dancing together.
In case you can’t tell, I love to show off what makes each family unique. So show up and let’s capture the essence of what makes you you!
Pile the Kids On
Okay, this one is a lot of fun if you don’t have any physical issues that prevent you from doing it. Moms, dads, grandparents…get ready to be the bottom of a kid pyramid. We can do this both sitting down or standing up, but it’s always fun to let the kids just pile onto laps, backs, shoulders. The more kids there are, the more fun it gets.
Show Affection
And my final tip for a fun family session…be ready to show affection. At some point during your session, I will typically try to guide you into some close poses where you can be free to hug and kiss. Some kids love to do it in a silly way, getting chased for hugs and kisses and tickles. Others love to sit in Mom and Dad’s lap and are happy to hide from the camera by snuggling into their arms. Whatever your child’s natural inclination may be, lean into that. If they love to snuggle, make sure you stroke their faces, move their hair out of their eyes, put your face close to theirs. If your child is a wild one, make the most out of the moments when you finally catch them, spinning them around and really teasing them with big hugs and kisses.
And of course, it’s important to catch some moments alone with just your significant other. Again, we will play off of your natural ways of interacting with each other. If you love to dance, let’s make sure we get photos of you dancing. If you love snuggling together on the couch, let’s make sure we sit you down and let you lean into each other. If you love to go for walks together alone, let’s make sure to capture that. Again, this is all about photographing what makes you unique.
Ready to schedule your own fun family session this fall? Christina Freeman is a family and child photographer based out of Anna, TX, but serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out this details page for an idea of general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start your own process of booking today!