If you’re here, there’s a good chance you’ve considered family photos many times, but something is holding you back. If you’ve had the thought, “I would love that, but I don’t know if it’ll work for my family”, then you’re in the right place. Today, I’m answering all the common questions parents have that hold them back from booking a photographer and making beautiful memories with their kids.

“Will my child last an hour?” I often get this question from parents who contact me looking for mini sessions. Because I want to give the full, best experience to my clients, I don’t offer shorter sessions and this is usually the concern parents have that lead them to thinking they need one! The truth is, an hour is a long time for little kids. But, since making them sit still and stare at a camera is not my style, it’s not usually a problem! My sessions are what I call “play-based”. I have fun prompts to get children smiling, laughing, moving around and engaging with each other and their parents. I do this for two reasons. The first: the moments of connection and joy that come naturally from a child who is having fun and feeling comfortable are the moments I want to capture for you. These are the moments you’ll want on your walls to look back on when your kids grow. And secondly, because it’s unreasonable to expect a 4 year old to sit and do what they’re told (I know, I’ve had two.)

“What if my kids are terrible at sunset?” This is another one of those common questions parents have. Unless we’re doing an in-home session, I usually shoot at sunset because this is the most flattering light of the day. If your kids turn into a pumpkin near bedtime, they are not alone. There is a great remedy for this too! There’s another most flattering light of the day – my old friend, sunrise. It’s stunning, often a better time for kids (especially in spring when it’s not super early), and the popular locations are pretty much empty at this time. And since it’s a much less popular time to photograph, it means clients who choose to shoot at sunrise have much more availability to choose from!

“What do we wear?” If this is what’s holding you back from booking a family session and getting those memories made, worry no more! Helping you choose the perfect outfits for your family is something I am great at (and love doing!) After 5 years of photographing families, I’ve learned what looks great together and what to avoid, and I help my families navigate that. We often start with a colour palette that matches your home, so your images will look like they’re made to be on your walls – because they really are. From there, some people are good to go, while others like me to help choose pieces from their wardrobe or send them links to my favourite shops or Pinterest boards so they can get inspired!

Find some inspiration on what to wear to your family session here as well!

“I don’t have the time.” As a mom of three and a business owner, I get that. Photography session, especially ones that are focused on a great customer experience, can take time. If time is your big barrier, I would bring up two things: one, do you really want to wait until you have the time? Isn’t this super busy season of life, with tiny little arms clinging to you while you find time to do the things that need to get done, what you want to capture and remember? If we wait until there is time, we might miss out on the moments we intended to hold onto. Secondly, I’m here to assist you to make sure you spend a lot less of your time thinking about things like what you should wear, what size frames are best for your space, which images you should print, and many others.

“My kids are so shy. I’m worried they won’t engage.” Some kids struggle to open up and be themselves with strangers around. This is always a challenge, but there are a few things we can do to make your little ones feel more comfortable. When kids are particularly shy, I do recommend trying an in-home session. Kids are most comfortable in their own space and tend to open up much more quickly. If you have an outdoor session in your heart though, I recommend bringing your little one out early before the session to get used to an unfamiliar area, and bringing a comfort toy or blanket that will help them feel more secure during our session. If they can be present during our consultation so I’m not a complete stranger, that can help too!

Check out why I love in-home sessions here.

“I don’t love myself in photos.” This is a hard one. I understand looking at a photo and not being happy with how you look because maybe you’ve changed with parenthood and you’re not quite the same vibrant young woman you used to be. This is very common. Despite my sincerest hope that I can get you to see your beauty in your images, this is often not something I can fix. However, I can respect those feelings and do my best to guide you during our session so that the things you do love about yourself are highlighted. I can also guarantee that, years down the road, when you’re looking back at your images with your kids, none of your children are going to comment on how you look; they’ll just be happy they have photos with you. And I hope that you’re happy you have images of that season of life.

These are the main questions parents have, or hesitations that I get when chatting with families who are concerned about the process of family photos, even though they want them! This stage of life is often a hard one, with so many things going on, and so much unpredictability! Kids are kids, and I can’t guarantee they are going to be little angels during our session, but I can tell you that after 5 years of photographing families and 6.5 years of mothering small children, I do have some tricks up my sleeve to make things easier!

If you have other questions or concerns and want to see if there’s a solution that can get you the family photos you dream of, please reach out below! I’d love to chat with you!