How to Survive a Family Photoshoot

I love photography. LOVE. I love the art of taking a photo, I love coming back to photos later and recalling memories, I love seeing history captured in a photograph.

But I know that some people (ahem, most kids) detest a photoshoot. And to be honest when I was a kid, I don't remember loving it either. It was stressful! I remember those little black combs they would try to hand me in elementary school that only got tangled in my hair. Photos outside can get hot! Kids can get hungry! And bored! Oh me oh my!

But there are some tricks I have picked up along the way taking photos of families of all ages. Here are some:

Prepare. I cannot stress this enough, but a photoshoot is an event in and of itself. Make sure that the night before everyone gets a good night sleep. Don't let anyone get hungry during the shoot! Bring snacks (preferably non-messy ones like graham crackers, fruit snacks or a banana), make sure to eat a meal before and for goodness sakes bring a water bottle with you. Pack and bring a photoshoot bugout bag and make sure it includes something from the big three: HTB (Hungry, Thirsty, Bored). I've also found that planning something fun afterwards like ice cream can also help kids keep their eyes on the prize!

Outfits. Sometimes it is fun to make sure to match for your photos. My recommendation is to do as the family above did -- pick a color and have everyone wear a shade of that color. Even varying shades can be complimentary. It also helps, as this family also did, to agree on similar general attire -- jeans and button-downs or blouses. Notice how even her tattoo compliments the flowers on Mom's blouse!

Let Kids be Kids. They might not be doing the "arms around each other looking sweetly into each other's eyes" department store photo studio pose, but in my opinion, when you let kids do their own thing (with some minor direction), they can come out looking pretty darn cute on their own. Take the above photo. The little girl in front came up with this all on her own. And her brother kneeling beside her with the peace sign and his tongue sticking out shows his personality so well. As does the posturing of their two older brothers standing guard over the two of them which perfectly displays their loyalty to their younger siblings.

Choose Somewhere/Something Fun! The above photoshoot was for senior photos -- the guy in the middle being the star of the show! This sweetie wanted to have his photos taken at a few locations, all of them close to his heart filled with fond memories he shared with his family. So of course, we had to get some family shots in there! One of the places he picked was The Carousel of Happiness. It was not hard to get smiles on a carousel!

Let them Roam. Some of my all-time favorite shots are the candid ones. I was taking pictures of their younger siblings, when I caught this sweet photo of the two older boys going exploring on their own. They were teenagers but still capturing curiosity in their exploration of nature. The oldest leading the way and the younger keeping an eye out for the others, both of them smiling, the gleam of the water and the serenity of the mountains in the background -- not too bad as an extra photo. Not too bad at all.