Have you had your family photos taken and it turns out to be a nightmare? Because yeah, same. Family photos have the potential to be overwhelming, stressful, with kids having meltdowns, people not cooperating, or bad outfit choices you instantly regret as soon as you see the photos.

But, you never have to endure that stress again.

As a family photographer of 8 years, here are some tips that make family photo shoots fun, stress-free, and worth every penny of your experience.

This family shoot was an excellent example of what to do right! What I love about this shoot is not only was the family adorable and fun, but they were really intentional with planning their shoot. Here are some things that I believe made their shoot so successful:

1. They prepared their kids for the shoot.

   Nothing is worse than kids not being ready for a photo shoot. They hate their outfits, they don’t know where they are or who the person holding a scary camera is, and they don’t know what’s expected of them. Even when they’re little, it’s good to talk to your kids to let them know what you’re gonna be doing at the shoot.

   Showing them that it’s gonna be a fun time and that they get to hug their family and make a new friend helps a ton! If the parents seem excited beforehand and not stressed, it makes a huge difference for the kids too.

   With that, also allow extra time to get ready so that it’s not a rush to get to your shoot if someone has a meltdown. Your kids pick up YOUR energy, so make sure you’re excited about the shoot as well! You’re gonna make and have so many great memories from this.

2. Their outfits were coordinated well.

   I personally love a neutral palette with plenty of varying textures, patterns, and shades. That’s exactly what they did and it was perfectly executed! It also looked really great with the sandy and golden location.

3. They brought rewards for the kids

   …aka CANDY! I highly recommend bringing some kind of treat for your kids during your photo shoot. They can either have it when intermittently during the shoot or as a treat when the shoot is over! It helped them stay motivated for the full hour so we could capture as much as we could and get variety in their pictures!

4. We let them play throughout the shoot.

   Things like letting them run around, climb on the lifeguard tower, or race down the beach, helped them get their wiggles out AND gave me some candid moments to capture where they were truly happy and smiling naturally.

5. Come in with a Good Attitude.

   I know… easier said than done. But by “good attitude,” I mean be relaxed and knowing you’re here to capture your family as they are NOW. No families are picture perfect all the time. It’s okay if you need to walk off with a crying kid for a minute, or take a breather yourself. Remember they are still kids and you’re doing the best you can. It’s not about making them something they/you are not.

   Family photos are about capturing the essence of your family, the loving relationships, and the natural joy that you have when you’re together. Creating memories so you can look back on the photos and remember how big baby’s cheeks were, how MILF-y you look in that dress, and how cute your spouse is. That’s it! When you think of it like that, the pressure comes off and you can just enjoy being together.

Hope these tips were helpful and good luck at your photo shoot!