I begin every session with the staged portraiture shots. This helps you get used to me, warms you up to being in front of the camera, and ensures that we capture the structured portion of the session before anyone gets dirt on their pants or juice pack on their shirt.
If your kid is having a hard day and winds up having a meltdown or is just not cooperating, then I’m happy to stop for five or ten minutes. I’ll give your group a chance to step aside and decompress. I’m always happy to accommodate this and will not take that time away from your overall session. If you have other family members I can be photographing during that time, then I’ll use the time to zone in on them; if that isn’t where we’re at in the session, then I’ll give you space until you’re ready to regroup.
If you have a shy or cautious kiddo, then you’re in the right place! My oldest is extremely cautious around unfamiliar people (and sometimes familiar people too) so I get it. I’m very patient and will pick up on their personality right away. I will be more soft spoken and provide your kiddo plenty of space.
I completely understand if you’re running late to your session (when I have my kids in tow, that’s 100% me!), so it’s my policy to wait up to 20 minutes past our agreed-upon appointment time. We may need to reschedule if you are running later than that, especially if you have a late afternoon/evening session. Please call or text me if you are running late (you will find my cell phone number in your welcome email and in our contract).
If the weather is not in our favor, then we will reschedule. I will try to make this decision at least 24 hours ahead of time but sometimes that’s not possible. I’ll keep in close contact with you on the day of your session and will notify you as soon as possible if we need to reschedule.
getting ready
Tips For Your Session
I strongly encourage you to bring your child’s favorite toy, stuffie, blankie, pacifier, etc. This can help enormously if they’re feeling nervous or worn out. I love including these honorary family tokens / security items in the shots because they add another level of detail and storytelling to the images (especially when you look back at them in 15 years!) but we can try to work around the security item if you don’t want it in the shots. Usually having it along and giving your kid a quick five minute break with it is better than pushing through the session with an unhappy kid.
Bring snacks and water. Depending on your session length it might not seem necessary, but if your kid is just not having a good time then stopping for a five minute snack break might make all the difference.
If you have a particularly cautious kiddo, I’m more than happy to arrange a short video call with you both so they have a chance to meet me ahead of time.
Have jackets waiting in the car just in case. Often, photography outfits are not a perfect match for the temperature so being able to throw on a jacket and warm up for a few minutes can help keep everyone in good spirits.
