Thank you for being here!!

First and foremost- thank you for trusting me with your precious memories! In a sea of talented folks out there with a camera, I am thrilled that you chose me! My intent is to capture you in a way that is 100% authentic and shows all facets of the personalities and relationships within your family. I want you and your children to be able to look back upon these images and be able to FEEL the love that you shared with them ( and them to YOU!)

Now in capturing all the fun, REAL activities in your day to day lives, there is bound to be a bump or bruise in the process that may knock things out of whack. Our lives never operate quite the way we want them to, so why should we expect a photo session to absolutely without issues? I have found, that by treating these little incidents with a good dose of humor and a whole lot of patience, we can usually breeze right through and get beautiful imagery. That said, being prepared for a little of everything can be super helpful and can usually eliminate 99% of the worry.

What to expect.

Through our communication about your session, we will decide upon a place and time that will work best for your family.  Ideally, this should be a place that is dear to your heart.  Home sessions are always good for this because so much of my childhood memories are tied up into the home that I grew up in.  If we are meeting in your home, I ask that you not worry about turning on any lights as I prefer working with just natural light  (Often time shooting with overhead lights or lamps on will create a really orange look is that is not typically flattering and hard to correct).  Before I arrive, I find it super helpful if you open all the curtains and blinds to make the space as naturally bright as possible.  White and neutral bedding also helps in reflecting the natural light and makes a great space for shooting.  That said, please don’t eliminate that colorful quilt or fun, funky pillows that you love!  I want all your spaces to feel like YOU.

Keep Calm and carry on

I know that getting ready for a photo shoot can be a daunting experience, especially for the parents. As parents, YOU SET THE MOOD. Please try and be mindful about staying positive during the photo preparations. Maybe this includes choosing the outfits or tidying the house for an in-home session. Whatever the case, kids will pick up on your stress if you are having a tough time getting everything ready in a rush. The truth is, that some kids are better NOT knowing about it until a few hours before. Often times, when kids sense that things are a BIG DEAL, they don’t always respond the way we would like them to. If you do talk about it, I would encourage you just to mention that a friend is coming over to hang out and take some pictures ( and that it is going to be FUN!). The less pressure they feel, the more likely they are to enjoy it and be themselves…and….the more fun THEY have, the more likely you will too!

food + rest= happy kids

Every parent know’s the importance of these two things, so I am here to state the obvious: make sure your kids get a good night’s rest the day before your session and feed your them a good meal before our session. That first one is tricky, but do your best to not host a gathering or do anything the night before our session that would delay bedtime. Giving them a belly full of food before we meet will ensure that if a meltdown occurs, it’s not because of being hungry. And to be totally fair, I should mention that this applies to adults too! Hangry parents ( myself included ) are easily annoyed and typically less tolerant with naughty behavior. If our session is on location, please bring non-messy ( please no chocolate!) snacks that can help tide them over should someone get hungry unexpectedly.

Sweet treats?

It happens from time to time that, no matter what you do, kids just refuse to cooperate. Do you need to bribe them? Maybe, but probably not. Often I find that bribing your kid for something after your session results in a kid that wants to hurry to the end so they can claim their prize. If your child is constantly thinking of that ice cream you promised them after your shoot, they will be less likely to focus on being in the moment and enjoying your time together. I really want to just hang with your family and let the kids do their thing. Sometimes they have a hard time doing this if they feel pressured. That said, you know your kids best, so if you want to offer a reward, that is totally your call. I typically always carry some smarties or pez should they need a little help staying with the plan. Please tell me ahead of time if you are adamantly against my sharing any sugar with your little ones.

Like water off a duck’s back (just go with the flow)

If your kids shy away from me or melt down, please know that I have been there myself. As a mom, I have seen it all. Please don’t feel embarrassed or stressed about it! I promise, the best approach is to just roll with it and stay positive. I am going to do everything I can to make this experience fun for your kids ( and hopefully you too!). Rules that are typically pretty obvious, may be temporarily pushed off the table during our session (seriously, I may have your kids jump on the bed or climb on something they aren’t normally permitted to). I will often make silly noises, make my nose “squeak”, or even use a fart machine to get your kids to relax and giggle. If your children act up or refuse to cooperate, please just let me handle it and trust that I will make it work to get the kind of images you hired me for. When kids feel forced to do something, or are constantly being reprimanded, it makes getting those silly, fun photos that much harder. I know that it can seem stressful if your kids act up, but the best results come if you don’t stress about it and just hand the reins over to me for a bit. I promise to ask for help should you need to step in.

Tips for wardrobe styling (hint: it isn’t “matchy matchy”)

If you already have an awesome, sense of style, then the last thing I want to do is steer you away from you rocking your favorite look. That said, if you are like 90% of parents out there, one of the most stressed about components of pictures is the dreaded question : “WHAT DO I WEAR?”. Whoever it is in your family that gets to make these decisions ( I am guessing that if you are reading this, it is YOU) I always suggest dressing yourself first in what makes you feel your best, then dressing the rest of the family. Keep in mind that you want to be COMPLEMENTARY, NOT COORDINATED. I personally find that having everything match perfectly ends up looking stiff and unnatural. If you don’t typically always ALL dress in Navy blue, then doing it for a picture isn’t going to feel authentic for your family. Don’t get me wrong, navy blue is a great color- it is just one that is super easy to default to (and then it ends up being a little too much).

THIS IS NOT A FORMAL AFFAIR

Your wardrobe should fall somewhere in between a casual dinner outing with your pals and a backyard happy hour with your closest friends. Furthermore, the outfit you pick should be comfortable enough to do a couple burpees without messing anything up ( that said, I loathe burpees and I promise not to give you a wardrobe “test”). Layers, textures, long flowy dresses that move easily, as well as sheer fabrics and lace all photograph beautifully.

KEEP IT CLASSY OR MIX IT UP

Muted, natural colors are always timeless. That said, it is no secret that I love COLOR! I find joy in bold patterns, bright colors and mixing stripes, plaids and polka dots and little designs. Mixing prints and color is a fun way to express yourself. For kids, I would avoid anything neon, as well as large logos and graphics. Additionally, giant headbands and big hair bows all just end up competing with you child for attention.

KEEP IT SIMPLE

For babies, don’t get too complicated. Basic neutrals and soft colors with simple patterns work well. Simple onsies , bubble rompers, diapers or birthday suits are all perfect! For newborns, a supply of gauzy swaddles is always helpful.. as well as extra burp cloths to keep your own outfit void of last minute surprises. Always pack an extra outfit or two for your babe in case of excessive spit up, drool, or worse.

DETAILS

Don’t forget details like clean fingernails, polish, lipstick or some fun jewelry. For kids, a last minute last sweep of the face (nose and eyes especially) with a wet wipe to remove little “crusties” as well as maybe a little chapstick on the lips is typically all the little ones ever need to be photo ready. Having a spare set of clothes in case of spit-up or emergency is never a bad idea (along with a few extra wipes!).

One last thing: if you typically wear transition lenses, you may want to bring an extra pair of glasses or consider not wearing any. While they are definitely helpful in the bright sun, they aren’t particularly great for photos.

SHOES ARE OPTIONAL

Shoes at any of my sessions are always optional! Bare feet and cute little kiddo piggies never go out of style! They look just as awesome running in the green grass as they do sticking out of a big family hug on the sofa. Flip flops, canvas sneakers, and leather sandals are the next best thing for kids (I am a huge fan of kids in colorful rain boots, should we have one of those kinds of days!). If you are self conscious about your feet (or didn’t have the time to spruce up your toes) you can never go wrong with some fun socks while lounging indoors. I much prefer to see someone show up to a shoot wearing canvas tennies, flip flops or sandals, than heels or fancy dress shoes.

Be YOURSELF!

Rule number one is to BE YOU. Whatever you pick, it is important that you feel good (and can MOVE) in what you are wearing! I think it is also important that the kids feel good as well! Should you run into an opinionated kiddo ( I have one myself), pick out TWO outfits that will work (no more or they get overwhelmed) and let them choose which one they want to wear. I feel like having a choice in clothing goes a long way in making kids feel seen and appreciated. If there is a special Elsa dress that just HAS to make an appearance- bring it along and we can see how we can fit it in at the very end of the session.

No CHEESE necessary!

There is absolutely no need to instruct your kids to smile for the camera. I find that the ‘say cheese’ smile is never actually the real deal. I will be sure to prompt them with questions and actions that will evoke genuine expressions and authentic smiles. I find that the very best smiles are the ones caught mid-giggle- so I typically aim to get everyone in a silly frame of mind. As a professional prankster (April 1st is my favorite “holiday”!), there is literally no limit to how much I am willing to embarrass myself to make people laugh!

How to prep for an in-home session

Now I know that you are probably already exhausted at planning the wardrobe, and making sure nobody accidentally gives their sibling a black eye the day before picture day, and that the last thing you want to think about is cleaning your house. I am here to tell you that you do not need to go crazy over this. Your home is lived in and loved- and that is exactly how it should look in your pictures. To me, there is nothing sweeter a fridge full or preschool art, a jar full of random found treasures on your kid’s dresser or a mess of loved stuffed animals on the bed. These are all little details of this great story I want to tell and I love to include them! With that said its nice hide that clutter of junk mail that takes up half the dining table, stash bedside lotion bottles into drawers, and hide any piles of dirty clothes in the closet. Removing excessive pet hair from furniture and wiping down any doors or windows at your child’s eye level (that are prone to fingerprints) is also really helpful. If you want to get crazy, I will never object to a new plant or a vase of fresh flowers on the table ( and hey, you deserve them anyway!)

That heat, that rain ( and everything in-between )

Even when you have the last detail taken care of- clothes laid out, house tidy, etc…there is always that issue of weather. NC weather is awesome! We are so lucky to have so many days of gorgeous outdoor weather available to us. It is also highly unpredictable- and a sunny day can go from gorgeous to a thunderstorm pretty quickly. I like to stay as flexible as possible and adjust as necessary. If we are doing a complete in-home session, it may not matter if it is sprinkling if the light is still good. Similarly, if we are doing an outdoor session and it is so hot that you will likely melt ( or meltdown) in 30 seconds flat, we may need to adjust to doing an early morning or late afternoon shoot when temps are cooler. In most cases, I like to leave it until the last moment possible to reschedule because of weather. I will usually check in with you one last time a day or two before your shoot to chat about weather should things look iffy. If you ever have any questions or concerns, feel free to text or call me anytime.