When it comes to family photos, most parents immediately have the vision of sunset photos, maybe near an ocean or in a field, where everyone is happy, laughing and cuddly. And while this is all wonderful, most families overlook an often even better option! I’m going to share with you today my top reasons why in-home family photography sessions are awesome, despite being so overlooked.

As moms, in our minds we have the fantasy that our kids are going to be their natural, best selves in front of the camera. But, in reality, when you dress up small children, are stressing to get out of the house on time, and then plunk them in a new environment in front of a perfect stranger, they are often anything but comfortable and natural. The number one reason why in-home family photography sessions are awesome is that children are comfortable at home. They’re in their own environment, with their own things. I’m coming into their turf and they know it. Children are less likely to be overly shy or acting out in the environment they’re most comfortable in. Their sweet little personalities come out more easily, resulting in images that capture all those thing you love most about your little ones!

Life as a mom is busy. Often when we’re at home, we’re having to say no to a lot of activities with our kids in order to keep up with the laundry, the dishes, the cooking and everything else. In-home family photography sessions are great because they give you a chance to say “yes”. You have a full hour or more dedicated to jut spending time with your kids. My clients often choose to make cookies or pizza together, read stories or do any other activity their kids love that means they get 100% of their parents’ attention! And since this is the only thing you need to be doing at the moment, you get to just relax and enjoy the special time.

Those stunning sunset images we all have in our mind have one very big drawback when you have little kids – sunset always shows up around bedtime. If your kids are like mine, bedtime is definitely not when they are at their best. Most kids tend to turn into a pumpkin around the time the sun starts its descent and that gorgeous glow we all want shows up. In-home family photography session have the added benefit of being able to be done almost any time of day instead of close to bedtime! In fact, I always recommend choosing a time when your home is brightest that won’t run into nap time! Most of my families choose morning, sometime between 9 and 11, when kids are fresh and haven’t had time to get overstimulated by all the changes in activity and choices of the day.

See an in-home session here!

Another reason why in-home family photography session are awesome is that they can be done in the winter. The vast majority of families only consider family sessions in the spring, summer or fall unless there’s a special event. Because of this, photographers are often very booked up and juggling a lot of clients in those seasons, particularly in the fall. A session in the winter means you get more of your photographer’s time and resources. Your photographer is fresh, has more flexibility in her calendar, and isn’t splitting her creative juices between a plethora of different families in the winter months, meaning your experience will be just that much better!

Maybe you’re thinking, this is great! If only my house was photo-worthy! Don’t worry! There are so many options, from placing more neutral throw cushions and blankets around the home, to renting a more neutral space – though it won’t have the added benefit of being your kids normal space. It will still allow us to minimize some of the risks of bad weather and shooting near bed time!

If you’re wanting to capture some natural, beautiful memories of your family, and skip the chaos and uncertainty of outdoor photos at bed time, get in touch to chat about an in-home session!

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