Your Photo Session – How to Prepare to Ensure a Stress-Free Picture Day

When it comes to family picture day, a lot of stress is typically associated with days leading up to the photo session. We’re here to help you relax and be prepared all at the same time. Here are some tips to take the stress out of picture day:

Outfits:

1. Find the outfits you want everyone to wear in advance and set them aside somewhere safe. Then try them on a week ahead of time to ensure everything still fits comfortably, and that you didn’t miss any stains or holes that you couldn’t see until they were being worn. I recommend taking a trial run picture of everyone in them so you know how your outfits photograph together, and how the outfits fit everyone.

2. As soon as your family changes out of their photo session attire, make sure it is clean and pressed to be ready for the big day. Wrinkled clothing photographs wrinkled. Set the clothes together (sorted by person) and place them somewhere free from harm and dirt. Be sure to tell everyone that these are picture clothes and are not to be worn until picture day. This will help to be sure that no articles of clothing go missing. Don’t forget about shoes, jewelry, belts, and other accessories.

Bribes:

3. About three to four days prior to the session, start talking with your significant other and kids about the session and what will happen and how they should behave. If you plan to use a bribe, now is a good time to set that in place. Continue to talk to your children daily to prepare them for the session. Please avoid smile coaching if you aren’t in love with their fake smiles. I do everything I can during sessions to elicit real emotions, laughter, and smiles.

Pack the essentials:

4. Two days prior to the session, pack a bag of everything you will need on picture day – snacks, props, bribery, etc. and put it somewhere you can grab it and go. Be sure to include wipes in case things get messy, an extra hairbrush, and other “emergency” items, such as bobby pins and a backup lipstick.

Don’t bring anyone hangry:

5. On the day of the session, make sure everyone is well fed, but not overfed. We don’t want sick little tummies from overeating, but we don’t want anyone getting grumpy either. Do not get your family dressed in their photo clothes until after they have eaten and brushed their teeth. This will prevent spills and other messy accidents. There is a full bathroom and spare room at the studio as well as a changing pod/tent for on location sessions for getting dressed.

6. If you have young children, avoid any colored drinks the day of the session until after we are finished. Also, get them to wear a bib or drop cloth if they drink anything on the way to the session to save their shirts from wet spots or stains.

Try to stay relaxed:

7. Try to relax once you get to the session. Please let me know if you have a bribe so I can use that throughout the session if the children get restless. Trust your photographer – know that I will take care of things and will deliver amazing photos of your family.

If you are interested in booking a session, you can do so through the scheduler under each session HERE.

Call 815-621-7077

E-mail casi@casiannphotography.com

OR Fill out the inquiry on the contact page HERE for more information.

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