So you’ve finally been able to get the whole family together in one place at one time and you’re finally getting to do the family beach portrait session that you’ve always wanted! Your beach session will be stress-free and fun for everyone!
There are only three things that you need to plan:
Clothing – this is easy. Think casual, light tones, bare feet. Everyone’s clothing tones should blend together so that the individual faces are the focus of your portrait and not bright colors or patterns. While everyone does not have to match exactly, it’s best to pick 2 or 3 tones that go together and let everyone wear what they’d like in those tones. We recommend denim or pale blues, whites, tans, soft pastels to blend nicely with the light, cool colors on the beach. Here are some clothing suggestions to give you the idea.
Getting the little ones excited about the session – The beach session needs to be made when the light is perfect just prior to sunset and sometimes this may be bedtime for the younger ones. Well-rested, well-fed kids will be ready to have fun, especially on vacation and we want them to feel like the photo session is playtime. Just like when Grandma is coming for a visit and you talk about it all week so the kids are super excited to see her, we encourage you to treat the portrait session in the same way. Enthusiastically describe the activities in the days leading up to the session. If your kids see you looking forward to our session, chances are that they will too.
Think about where you’d like to display your portrait. Your family portrait will be something that you’ll cherish for a long time. If you have some ideas about where you may want to display your photograph, it will help in choosing a size and finish to complement your decor. Would you like it hanging over a mantels or sofa? Perhaps a collages of images grouped together to tell your family’s story would look best. Would you like your portrait to be hung horizontally or vertically? Often clients snap a couple of photos of their interiors and Mary Pat will help you in designing!
And here’s a couple of things you that you CAN forget…
Blemishes, bumps and boo boos. It always seems to happen..and right before a photo session. Every image you choose for a portrait will be hand retouched and blemishes will be removed. Our editing magic will also smooth lines and skin tones so everyone will look great.
Making a list of shots that you want. You don’t have to give us a family tree or a list of groupings that you’d like. Mary Pat will photograph every combination of family groups and give you some ideas too. The extended family, individual families, just the kids, grandparents with the grandchildren…she’s got it covered.
Leave the camera behind – Please remember to leave the cameras and Iphones at home! We have a limited amount of time with the perfect light to get all the great images that you want. When others are trying to snap away, it is often difficult to get and keep everyone’s attention – especially the little ones. Thank you in advance for this professional courtesy.
Saying “cheese”! We want the children’s expressions to be natural. With lots of kid experience, Mary Pat knows how to get the innocent expressions by talking with the children and allowing their personalities to shine through. So for more natural expressions, resist the urge to tell them to say “cheese”!
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Check out more information on planning for your perfect session!
