What to expect from start to finish after booking a family session
Have you ever booked a shoot and thought, “…Now what?”. Well, let me tell you- I HAVE TOO. There is so much that goes into planning shoots and staying informed is one of the most important things that can happen between a photographer and their client. Here is a list of what to expect after you book that shoot.
The most important thing is setting the date. If you don’t have a date, you don’t have a shoot.
Picking a location. The location is setting the scene for your art. You can pick a place that is meaningful to you, a location that the colors will compliment the vibe in your house, or a place that you generally just think is romantic and beautiful.
Picking an outfit color palette to keep the aesthetic of the vibe you are going for. Outfits and color coordination can make or break an image. It can make a gorgeous location look completely different. Imagine this, all the characters in Pride and Predjudice wear neons and large animal prints. What do you think? Would that change the overall emotion and feeling of the film?
Find mom’s outfit first. She is usually the last one to dress herself so if we do this we eliminate ALOT of stress for her. Pick the color she feels most comfortable in and loves. Once this is picked, make sure she tries on the outfit make sure it is comfortable and without any whoopsies {too short, top falls down, too tight…etc). Then we can start building the rest of the families wardrobe. You want to pick colors that compliment mom’s outfit. If her dress has a pattern, you will want to find colors in that pattern and pull colors from it into the others outfits. When in doubt, go monochrome. Find colors in a different shade that is similar to the first. For example, Mom picks a brown dress, we find a floral taupe, brown and mauve dress for daughter, or a cream and dark brown striped shirt for the son/dad.
Plan for any kind of weather. Bring layers and blankets if you think it might be cold. Bring a clear umbrella if you think it might rain. Prepare your hair and outfits for windblown romantic images if you think it might be windy. Remember that your outfits and clothing should make sense with the location and season. Personal preference, but I LOVE slightly windy days for shooting, it creates such a cinematic effect in the images.
By this time, your photographer should have sent you a location pin and time to meet. Make sure you go through the day of the shoot checklist with them.
Show up to the shoot and lower expectations on your kids. Set your mindset to connect and have fun with your family and trust your photographer.
After the shoot, expect anywhere from 2-6 weeks to get your images back. Every photographer is different. For some, it takes only a week to edit, and others it can take a little longer depending on how busy the season is for them and how in depth their editing process is. Some photographers may send a proof gallery of minimal edits for you to pick the allotted amount you purchased. Once those are chosen, the photographer will continue editing the final gallery.
Your gallery should be delivered via a gallery website and you can order prints for your home and to share on social media. There is a small window for any minor fixes you may want to make to your gallery. Don’t hesitate to speak up! I would much rather you be happy with your images once the fixes are made than never using and loving the images. Once you are happy with the final result, don’t forget to tag your photographer!
