Lubbock Portrait Photographer | Thereasa Gwinn Photography

I asked the amazing Amanda K Photography to do a guest post this week!  She is the brains behind the inspiring Dream Workshops that help you get your photography business on track.  She is also a good friend and fellow Military Wife.  All the photos in this post are belong to her.  Enjoy! —

 

Are you the type of person that gets nervous just thinking about a photo session?  Whether it’s a family session, a session for your children or newborn, a couple photography session for engagements (or just because!), an event like a wedding, Bar Mitzvah, party or celebration; most clients have at least a little trepidation when it comes to having their photo taken.   It may be that you just don’t think you’re photogenic (believe me, us photographers hear that from almost every single client!), maybe you’re worried that your children won’t behave, or that your baby won’t co-operate for the session.  Perhaps, your spouse hates photos and your stressing about how that will affect the session.  Regardless of what may worry you about your photo session, here’s five tips that will help you have a fantastic photo session with your chosen photographer!

1.  Come Prepared and Put Together For Your Session:

This is the most important thing for you to remember.  This is YOUR photo session.  Be prepared!  This can include lots of things, but for my clients, being prepared consists of everyone being rested, well fed, and coordinated for the session.  Let’s break it down and go more in depth on what exactly coming prepared might mean.

                  Being Prepared:  Make sure that you have a photographer who communicates with you before the session!  When you know about how long a session will last, what to expect in sessions, and how the photographer will work, it goes a long way in making the time enjoyable!  For instance, many family photo sessions with children last around an hour to an hour.  If you have very young children, the time may only last around 45 minutes.  On the other hand, if you’re having newborn photos taken, many new parent don’t realize that these sessions can often take 2-3 hours.  Sometimes many feedings are needed to get the baby into   that deep sleep so they can be posed and moved.

                  Communicating with your photographer about what you would like for the session is important too.  Do you want a more urban feel with the session, organic and outdoors in an open field?  These details help your photographer create a session that you’re going to love, while also documenting the emotion and interaction throughout the session

                  Rested and Fed:  This is most important for sessions that are going to include children.  It doesn’t matter if they are infants, toddlers, or teens; children are just happier when they are rested and fed.  Their attention is held longer and they’re not worried about their hungry tummies or how tired they are.      

                  This is also true for newborns.  Your session will go much smoother if you schedule your session to coincide with the baby’s schedule.  Have your session when they are tired and right after they’ve eaten.

                  Coordinated:  Being coordinated can mean many things for different people.  I like to share   Pinterest boards that I’ve put together for my clients, so that they have a visual example of things that they can put together that will work for photos.  You don’t have to go out and buy a whole new wardrobe for the family.  Many times, clients can look through their own closets and then go buy key pieces and accessories if they want to.  I helped a friend get ready for a session once, they pulled together dark blues and grays from their own closets and then she purchased some scarves, tights and hair pieces in yellow to bring everything together and add a little pop of color!

                  The most important thing to remember when choosing what you wear is that you’re comfortable.   Remember that your photographer should give you some guidelines or inspiration on what to wear for your session so that everyone can look their best….after all, you are investing in these photos!

2.  Don’t Sweat The Small Stuff:  Most people are at least a little self-conscious about themselves in some way or another.  As photographers we can’t count the times we’ve heard- my nose is to big, my eyes are to small, my thighs are to large, I only look good from this side, my child never smiles good for photos, etc, etc, etc.  The fact, is that your photographer is going to make you look beautiful.  Half of the battle is already over, if you’re well informed for your session.  Trust your photographer, that they know what they’re doing.…which leads us to the next tip.

 

3.  Listen To Your Photographer:  Being prepared and not sweating the small stuff is great!  The next step is to really trust your photographer.  They’ve most likely been doing this a long time, with many different people.  They also are using equipment that you may not be used to using.  So whether they put the sun behind you for some beautifully backlit portraits, or stand further away than you’re used to standing when taking a photo, or even ask you to do something that seems totally ridiculous, remember to just listen to them.  I often get the best photos from my clients in between the actual set up photos.

One of my favorite things is to have a client lean back and let out a huge belly laugh for no apparent reason.  They always look at me like I’m crazy, but I also always get the best photos right after they’ve let out that laugh.  When they’re not concentrating on me, but laughing at how silly they felt.  That’s when I get the “real” laughs and emotion out of them that make them who they are.

4.  Wear Clothing That Is Comfortable and The Correct Size:  This may seem like a silly tip, but it’s something that can make or break your session.  No one feels comfortable in jeans that are to tight, or shirts that are about to have the buttons burst off.  From a different perspective, be aware of the weather!  If it’s hot outside, make sure the family is dressed in layers that can be removed.  If it’s cold then have jackets and mittens on hand so that they can be easily put on between shots and locations.  Are you seeing a theme in these tips? 

5.  Relax and Have Fun!:  That’s right!  Your photo session should be fun!  Gone are the days of stuffy photos where everyone has to be perfectly still and posed for the photo.  Today’s modern families want to showcase the personalities and lives that live within each person in their family.  Often photo sessions include some kind of activity or location that is special and unique to the family or person being photographed. 

Your photographer will make sure that details like hand placement, angles and light are taken care of, usually without you even knowing it!  When your session is fun, you’ll be all the more excited to see your finished product!

Katie Trujillo is the photographer behind Amanda K. Photography, a boutique wedding and lifestyle studio based out of Boise, ID.  She travels worldwide shooting, speaking and encouraging other photographers to follow their dreams.  You can connect with her on Twitter @Amandakphoto, on Facebook (http://facebook.com/amandakphoto), or her blog (http://amandakphotography.net/blog).  Katie spends her free time with her 3 children and Navy husband.