As I prepare for spring family portraits and summer beach sessions, I’m so grateful to all my families who trust me to capture the love they share. In my admittedly biased opinion, there is tremendous value in getting professional family photos, not only because I’m a family photographer but also because I love having beautiful keepsakes of my own kids as they grow. And they grow way too quickly! My oldest two are more than halfway through their childhoods, and while they’ll always be my babies, it won’t be long before they’re off building their own lives.

I know a professional photo session is an investment in both your time and money, and I’ve been doing this long enough to have heard all the reasons why people are hesitant to pay for professional pictures. I thought I’d first explain what you can expect when you book a family photo session with me, and then address some of the common concerns about hiring a professional photographer. 

Prior to our session, we will discuss location options and select the one that feels best for you and your family. Most of the time, I’m familiar with these local places, but whenever it’s a new location, I get there early to find spots with great background and light, so I will be prepared to get right down to shooting when you arrive. You won’t need to bring anything with you unless you have something special you want to include in your photos. I have blankets and often some small boxes to sit or stand on if needed. Choosing what to wear can be very overwhelming and stressful, so I’m always happy to help with that! Basically, you want your family to be nicely coordinated without looking too “matchy-matchy.” (I’ll be writing a more in-depth blog post about outfit selection soon, so stay tuned for that!)

By the time our session is over, I will have captured some posed portraits as well as more candid smiles so that you’ll have a variety of beautifully edited photos in your gallery.

It’s pretty expensive. I’ll just ask a friend or set up my iPhone to get some family photos. 

Sometimes people ask me what the best camera to get is, and I always tell them that the best camera is the one they have and will use, whether that’s a cell phone or a professional digital camera. But when you hire a professional photographer, you’re sure that you’re going to get photos that are high-quality, well-lit, and, well, flattering. I’ll be making sure everyone is looking (even if that means a little editing magic), and, sometimes, making a fool of myself to get your little one to laugh! 

I’m so awkward in front of the camera. I won’t know what to do.

There’s a reason I stay behind the camera most of the time – I also feel very awkward in front of it! Luckily, nearly 10 years of photography experience has taught me to notice what looks awkward and how to fix it. Sometimes it’s as simple as relaxing your shoulders or tipping your head a little bit. Minor changes make all the difference! Also, I do a lot of interactive posing, which tends to make people more comfortable. Everyone loves looking at their cute kids!

My extended family is so big. It will never work.

Posing and directing large groups of people can be a challenge. I’ve worked with groups as large as 28, and, yes, it can be tough to get everyone looking at me at the same time. My goal is to get at least one good shot with everyone smiling at the camera (even if I sometimes need Photoshop’s help – also known as head swaps – to make that happen!). 

I doubt my kids will cooperate. My sister-in-law doesn’t want to be there. My husband hates wearing a button-down shirt. 

I never expect kids to be perfect angels who sit still and smile naturally on command. That’s not realistic, and rarely delivers genuine smiles! I try to get a few sit and smile pictures (we call it the “grandma pose” because that’s the shot most grandmas want), but then I set up more fun and interactive photos. That’s when I get the best smiles anyway. As for adults that are less than interested in being at a photo session, my goal is to make it as painless as possible. When necessary, I do remind them that while the process may not be the way they wanted to spend their evening, everyone will love the end result. And like I tell my own kids, the quicker everyone cooperates, the quicker we’ll be done. 🙂 Speaking of photographing my own kids, they have conditioned me to be exceedingly patient with other people’s kids. Trust me, if I can handle photographing my kids, yours will be no problem.

I don’t know what to do with all these pictures. I have only so much wall / shelf space to display them. 

I always strongly encourage my clients to print their pictures, and print them big! I include a gift print (5×7 or 8×10) with my packages, but I love when I see families with even larger images framed on their walls. I know people who like to have canvas prints made, which makes for some really original artwork. Personally, I like to update my family pictures frequently, so it makes more sense to have a frame so I can easily swap out the picture. Every year, I make a photo book for my own family. That’s where I include all the professional pictures I had taken that year. I have a photo book add-on that’s available for clients, too, if they want a book of just the photos from our session. Many people post their pictures to social media as a way to share them with friends and family afar, and it serves as a place to store them since you can go back and scroll through years later. 

The largest benefit of professional family photos is ensuring you document your family as they grow and change. Not only will you be able to enjoy looking back on your photos over the years, but you’ll have these wonderful snapshots in time to pass on to your kids one day. I know I love looking through old pictures from my childhood, and I’m sure your kids will one day too!