This was originally posted on another blog of mine (Happy Homemaker Reviews). I consolidated them to continue to simplify my life. – Jen (04.2012)
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I am a picture person. I haul my kids to the photo place more often than is considered sane and I have picked up quite a few tips along the way.
1. Pick a theme. I pick a theme to make the process easier. For family pics, we pick a color scheme. As an example, we did warm colors last year. It would have looked silly to have 3 brown tones and then bright pink. Hubby & wore brown & cream and the girls had gold & cream. We’ve also done the beach, Easter & Halloween.
2. Schedule the time carefully. Pick a time that doesn’t interfere with naps, as early in the morning as your studio allows. The first appointment is great because then you aren’t waiting on anyone else and get right in.
4. One clothing change. Little kids, especially babies, hate clothing changes. Pick one. But pack a spare. Think of it as insurance.
5. One background. Kids have short attention spans. If you move them all around to do a different background, you may not get anything else out of them.
3. Brush their hair. Or better yet, bring it (brushes, sprays, barretts, etc). I can’t tell you how many times I’ve forgotten to tame the tresses!
6. Go with the flow. Get everyone together first and then get individual pics done as the little peoples moods dictate.
7. Bring props. If you have babies, props that you don’t mind being in the picture. The love having things in their hands & it keeps them occupied longer. In the past I’ve used sunglasses, blocks, and plastic swords, coins & Mardi Gras beads.
8. Bring snacks. There is usually a wait between the picture taking and the photo selection. To make this go smoother, I bring snacks to eat while they wait. Being cute is hard work!
9. Bring a list of prints & sizes needed. To help make selection quicker, bring a list of what you want. I always get the $8.00 package with a variety of prints of both girls during the year and the huge package including a CD for family pics. I always have a list of number & sizes needed for each type (I.e., 8×10 of girls together, 5×7 of each individually, etc).
10. Have fun! If you stress, they will stress. Know that you may not get a horde of fabulous shots every time. Take what you can get as quickly as you can.
As an added bonus, I’m linking to my printable photo shoot packing list!
Do you have any tips for keeping your sanity when getting photos taken?
This post will be linked to Top 10 Tuesday @ Oh Amanda.