So you booked a family photography session! Now what?! There are so many moving parts of a family session, and as the person planning it, I know you are probably worried about wardrobe, nap times, grumpy attitudes, everyone smiling and having a good time, and lots more. Part of my family photography sessions is to ease those worries and prepare you and your family as best as I can so everyone comes into the session feeling comfortable and excited to spend the evening with the people they love. Let’s talk about what happens before, during, and after your session and what to expect from me, your new Syracuse Family Photographer!

Mother and son throwing leaves during a fall family photography session

Mother and daughter spinning in circles during family session

close up photo of family and puppy during fall photos

family photo during a fall family session

little girl throwing leaves during fall photography session

Before:

When you book your family session, we’ll set up a call and start talking about what you’re envisioning for your session. Who all will be there? What type of locations do you like? Have you thought about wardrobe or would you like some guidance? We’ll go over all the details so I can start crafting your session to make your experience the best possible! After our call, I’ll send over the contract to electronically sign and get a few more details from you. I am here to take all of your stress and worry away! Once we have your location picked out and the vibe you're going for, we'll start discussing wardrobe.

little girl hugging her mom during fall family shoot

Every client of mine has access to my client closet to borrow from at no extra cost. You can come into the studio and try on outfits, see how different options work together and start feeling confident in your selections. I also offer a styling service in which it will pair different wardrobe options together based on your style and the vibe you want for your session. All for free! With this service, you’ll never have to wonder if something matches or goes together because it takes the guess work out of it. Super simple! So whether you want to style your family yourself completely or would like allllll the help, I'm here for you. Wardrobe help and styling is completely customizable, and I can be as involved as much or as little as you'd like. Once we have had our consultation, I will have a better idea of what you’re drawn to and what inspires you, so I can start pulling ideas and put a mood board together for you. From there, we can go back and forth with ideas you’ve had and what you may or may not like, so everyone will be feeling their best on picture day!

Mom and little girl hugging during family photoshoot

little boy holding his moms hand while they walk in the fallen leaves

During:

I’ll meet you at the location and then get ready for some fun! I’ll loosely pose you or give you simple instructions and actions to do so you’re more relaxed and natural in your images. We’ll dance, and play, cuddle, and tickle. Our session will be filled with laughter and constant moving so no one will get fussy or bored. And just know, I have kids and know exactly how missed nap times and hungry kids can get. Please don’t ever stress about someone not standing still and smiling for the camera. You just keep loving on your kiddos and I’ll keep throwing out silly noises and dad jokes. If someone is needing an extra cuddle or wants to be held the whole time, please don’t worry about how your images will turn out. They may not be filled with belly laughter, but they will be filled with that baby needing his mom or dad. We’ll capture that special time when you receive all the snuggles and you may have had other expectations, but that baby won’t be needing cuddles for much longer. Let’s capture the love and bond you have with your children, and let’s set the expectation that everyone leaves our session feeling loved and seen versus stressed and frustrated. I promise you may feel frustrated in the moment, but you will absolutely look back on these images and miss that baby’s weight in your arms. Being a Syracuse Family Photographer has shown me the importance of capturing these memories and my goal with each session is to highlight your lives and family to keep forever.

After:

As soon as our session is over, I’ll start working on your gorgeous images! When your gallery is ready, I’ll reach out to let you know and then send over your slideshow. Once you receive your slideshow, you’ll be able to view it for 24 hours and then choose your Collection. Each Collection has a certain number of digital images and a gift card to spend in my online store. Once you’ve chosen and purchased your Collection, your entire gallery will open up and you get to start downloading your favorite images and planning on what to spend your gift card on! You'll be able to favorite your images, build an album, and create one of a kind mementos for you and your family to have around your home or to give as gifts. As with the other parts of your session, I’m still hands on and able to meet to over over products, help build a gallery wall, and will personally craft your albums until you're in love with the lay out. I never want you to feel like I’ve thrown you in the deep end after you receive your images, so I want you to feel like you have the support you need! I can’t wait to craft a session to your family and get to work with you!