After years of being a Wichita photographer I’ve come to realize that the same questions from my clients get asked. At the root of these questions what they really want to know is, what can they do to have the best session?

So here you go! These are my top 10  things you need to know to have the perfect session. 🙂

1. Trust Your Photographer

There is a reason you picked the photographer you did. You must have liked their images, their style, point of view or editing. So trust that. Trust that they know what they are doing. It is their job to make you and your family look good so follow what they say and relax. Let them worry about the location, posing and whether or not everyone is looking where they should.

2. Time Of Day Matters

I am a natural light specialist because I believe that natural light, from the sun and it’s reflections, creates photographs that feel fresh, timeless and truest to you. I begin all my sessions 1 to 1.5 hours before the scheduled sunset during “the golden hour,” when the light is the dreamiest. Use a sunset calculator online to determine the scheduled sunset for the date and location you’d like to do your session. Then, just subtract 1 hour for a 30 minute session or 1.5 hours for an hour session to figure out your start time.

Remember the sun sets much earlier during the colder months of the year and much later during the warmer months, so make sure to factor that in when choosing your portrait session date, especially if you’re taking off work or have evening plans afterward.

I understand that the evening isn’t always the best time of day for cranky toddlers so make sure to plan their naps accordingly if you can. And make sure they are fed. Hungry kiddos are grumpy kiddos.

If you are a family that couldn’t make that golden hour time work then no worries. We can still take beautiful pictures at a different time!

3. Think About What You Want To Wear And How It Will Affect Your Pictures

As you’re coordinating your outfits with your family, keep in mind that your outfits will  look the most cohesive on camera when the color palette and wardrobe pieces coordinate, but don’t actually “match.” In fact, I recommend that you avoid thinking about “matching,” and instead think about what “fits” together. This will create more visual interest, and allow each personality to shine through.

An easy way to know what colors look good together is to simply Google or search on Pinterest for a color scheme. (See example below)

The goal for coordinating a family is to visually break up the colors and shades so that you’re not all wearing the same color on top and bottom. The more you can mix that up, the better. I encourage you to think about planning each outfit with “dominant colors” and “accent colors” in mind.

A dominant color is the color that you see the most in an outfit (blue in the example above), while an accent has a small piece of visual real estate (yellow in the example above). When you’re planning each family member’s outfit, if you can aim for each person to have a different dominant color, and then tie in and vary the accent colors, it’s going to look great all together.

Also think about what kind of feel do you want your images to have? Do you want them casual, laid back and organic or do you want a more structured dressed up look? Perhaps you have a theme you’d like to include (picnic, flower crowns, campfire, bundled up in coats and hats, sports, water play in lake/river/creek, etc)

4. Keep Your Session Day Relaxed

Keep the day of your shoot relaxed. Don’t over book your day or have too many activities before your session that will stress you out or tire your kids. Plan to have plenty of time to get your and your family ready and then plan for a fun activity after the shoot that you and your kids can look forward to!

5. Pamper Yourself

This goes in hand with #4. Professional hair and makeup is on the top of most of my clients’ checklists because it looks amazing on camera and removes the stress of getting ready on your own. This is the time to treat yourself! Whether it’s lash extensions or blown-out hair, professional hair and makeup will give you an extra boost of confidence in front of the camera, and it always photographs like a dream.

If you’re working with a makeup artist, have her apply your makeup in natural light, if possible, so that it looks fresh and not too heavy. Plus, that’s the type of light we’ll be shooting in, so it’ll give you the best expectation of how it will translate on camera.

Most of our clients feel like their professional makeup is “too much” at first, since it’s more than you would wear on a normal day, or that the false lashes look too big, so if you feel that way at the beginning, don’t worry! Good makeup artists know hot to get it all just right for the camera — and my clients always love the final result. If you need a recommendation for hair and makeup, just let me know and I’ll send you their information. I know they’ll take good care of you!

6. Always Smile (Unless Told Otherwise)

Once your session starts I will be taking pictures of every detail so make sure you are always smiling and I will make sure you are having a good time. If you are in front of the camera it’s free game! I love getting those in-between moments that weren’t planned so even if your kiddo isn’t behaving like you want them, keep smiling because you never know it might still look amazing on camera!

Don’t get me wrong I will still be capturing serious pictures and I’ll instruct you when to be more serious.

7. You And Your Kids Don’t Always Have To Look At The Camera

This one relates to #6 in a way. Kids will be kids. I have had plenty of experience working with children so I know #1 that they don’t always take instruction well and #2 how to roll with it.

So if your kid isn’t looking at me but looking or playing with their sibling, great! I love capturing interactions between siblings. So don’t get upset with them when they won’t look right at me. I have ways to work around it. It’s much harder to get a good picture when the parent looks like they are scolding their child than it is to have you smiling at your child while they play.

8. Bribing Is Okay – Meltdowns Happen

Prep the kids in advance, let them know what to expect and how important it is to you. Let them know it will be fun!

Meltdowns happen sometimes with little ones. They may be tired, or hungry or maybe nothing is wrong with them and they just feel like crying. So be prepared! Bring snack, little toys or bribe them with a fun activity after the shoot. Whatever you think might turn a bad mood around.

9. This One Goes To The Dads – Please Be Cheerful!

So you can tell the moment a dad gets out of the car whether or not they want to be there. Some are smiling and joking around with the kids and others are not… I get it. It’s probably not their cup of tea to take an hour out of your day to take pictures. I understand that. But remember it’s only one hour and these are going to be pictures that your kids will look back at too when they get older. Wouldn’t you want them to see you happy? I’ll do my best to make sure everything goes smooth so you can just enjoy this time with your family while I take care of the rest!

10. The Most Important Of Them All – Have Fun

Pick your kids up, spin them around, tickle them, hug them, kiss them. Feel their weight on your chest and breath them in. Let me capture these little moments and make them last forever because in the end these moments are all that matter.

I’m Andrea Corwin, owner of Andrea Corwin Photography, LLC. I am a Wichita family photographer and lifestyle photographer. To find out what a Lifestyle Session is and why it’s so important check out my blog Stress Free Lifestyle Photography Session here. For more of my family sessions check out the Berning Family Blog! To see more behind the scenes moments with me, check out my Instagram and Facebook!