SESSION TROUBLESHOOTING
Tears, tantrums and tiny humans all go hand in hand so let's try and get everyone on the same page.
Preparing for any session where kids are involved
Sessions can be an interesting experience as soon as kids are involved! And sometimes a little bit stressful.
Before your session:
When you decide to book a session, get the kids hyped up. Tell them we are going on an adventure to your chosen location! We are going to find seashells and splash in water or go on a bear hunt in the woods climbing trees. Tell them that a blue haired lady will be going on the adventure with us to take our picture to get them used to the idea of a stranger with a camera.
Make the experience a big game from the beginning.
Outfits. Let the kids help. I know, risky, but give them a few choices so they feel involved in the process. If they have a favorite pair of dinosaur sneakers, let them have the win and where them! Remember, we are capturing your family not a staged perfect version of your family.
Reminders. “Hey in a week we are going to the beach and Amy is going to take pictures of us! Are you excited!” can go a long way at getting everyone on the same page
The day of your session:
Naps, snacks, ipads and more snacks. Try to keep the kids in their routine as much as possible. Make sure everyone is fed, rested and excited.
Get everyone 80% dressed before you leave and do the rest when you get to the location. (Also, for little kids and babies, don’t forget a backup plan! Accidents happen and we don’t want any pants less babies running around.)
If your kids still nap, please don’t pick today to skip it! A tired kiddo is a cranky kiddo.
During your session:
When you arrive, I will introduce myself to the kids. And I immediately start playing games. Having fun and being silly to capture some smiles. (Sometimes, this doesn’t work and their stranger-danger shyness kicks in – and that’s okay!)
I always try to get the big family shot first. Everyone together, looking at the camera before we let them run wild.
Please try to remain calm. Sometimes, kids just don’t want a bar of what we are offering. And this can be incredibly triggering. Remember, deep breaths, offer lots of love, cuddles, tickles and when in doubt, swing them around until they are dizzy and giggling!
Preparing for your newborn session
Welcome to parenthood! Babies (and sometimes tired parents) cry. And that. Is. Okay. Your session will always be about capturing your love and connection with your new baby, and sometimes that means lots of cuddles, snuggles and feeding. So here is how it will go;
Before your session:
Please try your best to give baby a sleep and a feed before your session. I do not require (or like) my babies to be sleeping for your entire session. They might be tiny, but they have lots of personality and we want to try and capture that.
When I arrive, please have a few outfits and blankets ready to go and we will get bubs ready for their close-up.
My sessions are broken down into a few parts;
- Babies portraits
- Dad & Baby
- Whole Family
- Mum & Baby (will also usually include capturing feeding if that is something you want captured)
- Siblings (if any)
But this is just a guide to make sure that we capture everything for your session.I will guide you with baby, different ways to hold, cuddle and turn for the best lighting and angles. But I do not to anything unnatural or extremely posed. For baby's portraits, I will lay them on their backs, side or on their tummy if they are happy for it.
Please, relax. Let me take care of your family and guide you through capturing your new little person.
I really don’t want to have to spell it out, but to reassure you I will. If your baby is crying, I will give them to you straight away. We will try swaddling, changing nappy, white noise, cuddles, feeding and burping. But some days, mum or dad is the only place they want to be.
If baby wants to be cuddled in your arms for your entire session – That is where they will be. I will work around you, your family and baby.
