I prefer children (and parents) to have fun and be carefree at our photo shoots….often thinking of them more like playdates than photo sessions. I believe that the memory associated with family photos should be a fun one, and not a memory of a stressful experience. To me, creating a pleasant experience is just as important as the final product.
Lana understood this vision completely and decided to bring along a picnic basket to their family session, and I absolutely love that idea.
My style is very candid and natural, and I’m not really into props in the traditional photography sense. I do bring a variety of blankets for clients to sit on, but you won’t find me with much more than that.
But what I do love to include in sessions is anything that a family would naturally have or do at an outing. As a lifestyle photographer, my goal is portray your family in everyday situations, being together as you naturally would. So a picnic is a great idea of something to include. To me, the difference between this and a “prop” is that the picnic basket is something you would truly do in your ordinary life. Unlike, for example, an choreographed backdrop or scene.
There are lots of ideas of things you could do to add some fun to your family session. I’m going to list some ideas below, but the big thing is that whatever it is, it is something that fits YOUR FAMILY….something you’d normally enjoy together.
Ideas to do during a family session:
- Bring a picnic (like Lana did!)
- Bring a cooler of popsicles to enjoy at the end of the session…perfect for summer fun.
- Have me to your home at your outdoor pool for a fun family session.
- Invite me to your family farm to capture a day in the life.
- Do an at home lifestyle session and bake Christmas Cookies (or your Grandma’s favorite recipe) together as a family
- Decorate the Christmas Tree at an indoor session
- Bring a football, or other sport you enjoy together, to an outdoor session
- Have an indoor session in your game room
- Bring your bicycles to an outdoor family session
The options are endless. And of course, you don’t have to bring anything at all other than an open attitude about having fun at the session and enjoying the time with your family.
