Fun, not stuffy - 8 tips for planning the perfect family photo shoot
Do you dread the idea of a family photo shoot? Maybe you’ve had bad experiences in the past, or can’t stand the idea of standing awkwardly in front of the camera? Or maybe you love the idea of photos, but wonder how your kids will behave and whether you’ll be able to get the photos you want?
Let’s turn that upside down and make your photo shoot a fun experience that your whole family LOVES. Use it as a chance to focus on each other, remember how amazing these people are, and to fall in love all over again.
2017 Top Twenty
What a year 2017 has been! I've met so many wonderful people, seen so many new parents created, had the privilege of capturing so many fleeting newborn moments, and laughed with, chased, played with and photographed so many fun-filled, full of life families.
Here are a few of my favourite moments from the year.
How to choose a photographer: a photographer’s experience
It all started with a shirt. A button down shirt covered in stegosauruses, to be precise. It wasn’t something I would normally choose for my dirt-loving, messy little boys, because it would be grubby within a few minutes and never look quite the same again. But it sure was cute! The idea flitted through my mind that it would look great on the beach for some photos, and it grew from there.
I spend my career photographing other people’s children and other families. I had a very strong opinion about what I wanted and didn’t want. Here are my tips on how to choose the perfect photographer for your family.
Dexter | Playtime photography session | Waikato children’s photographer
Piopio farm photo shoot | King Country family photographer
Kyrie | Hamilton family photographer
“I just fall in love with him even more every time I see them together.” Kyrie’s mum told me during our planning consultation about the incredible bond between Kyrie and her dad. It was obvious from the moment the three of them walked into my studio that their whole family is filled with so much love, laughter and happiness. Each of her parent’s faces would light up every time they looked at Kyrie – and at each other. There was a matching delight on Kyrie’s face when she caught their eyes.
Jed & Nash | Newborn twins photo shoot, Cambridge NZ
This family won their newborn photo shoot in my New Year Newborn competition. They wrote such a heartfelt entry themselves, and also had so many of their friends and family submit an entry on their behalf. This entry from one of their close friends sums up why they were chosen and what a wonderful family they are better than I could say myself!
Family Fun | Cambridge Family Photographer
I first met Jake when he was a young baby and I was still wrapping my head around being a mum to my own little baby. Our boys were Space buddies, and his mum and I got to know each other during our weekly Space catch ups while bumbling our way along this parenting journey together.
Jake has grown up into a happy, cheeky little boy, and a loving big brother to his little bro. It was so much fun getting to work with the whole family together and seeing the love and laughs that they share.
Bailey | Rustic and a little girly | Waikato baby photography
Like most families waiting for their first child, Bailey’s parents were incredibly excited but also a little scared! One of the highlights of newborn photography for me is talking to people during their pregnancy and hearing about their hopes and dreams, and then watching them slot into the role of parents as if they had always known how. There are so many little ways the bond between them is visible, and for me, Bailey’s tiny fingers clinging on to her dad’s hard working, capable hands sums it up in one photo.
Zara | Lace, textures and fresh flowers | Waikato newborn photographer
It turns out that a plug is a fairly crucial part of a maternity milk bath photo shoot. Who would have thought? Our session narrowly avoided being a complete washout when we realised that ours was missing!
This was the first time I had tried a milk bath photo shoot, so I’d done plenty of research online to get tips and tricks and make sure I was fully prepared. Milk powder, scissors for the flowers, a bowl for mixing milk powder in, cornflour for extra whitening – I had it all. It never even crossed my mind to check the plug! Living in a house with two children under 3 who love to squirrel things away to random places, I really should have known better!
The Truth About Family Photography
We almost didn't take this photo. It looks like everybody just jumped into position and smiled happily for the camera, right? If that's how you think most perfect family photos are created, you couldn't be further from the truth! Sure, that might happen with teenagers or older children, but with toddlers and a brand new baby in the mix? Not a chance!
Shekinah | Auckland newborn photographer
Shekinah's parents knew from when they first met and fell in love that they wanted to build a family. Then came a long stretch of getting their hopes up, only to have them crashing down again with one negative pregnancy test after another. Month after month brought frustration, hopelessness and despair. They wondered if their dreams would ever come true – and then, finally, the test showed what they had been hoping and praying for! They wanted to have these photos of Shekinah as a newborn to remind them how much she was worth the wait.
Rory | It's worth it
Your first trip out of the house with a new baby is pretty daunting. Getting this tiny bundle strapped safely into a car seat; rounding up nappies and wipes and bottles and dummies and an insanely large assortment of other necessities for such a tiny little person; trying to juggle nappy changes and feeds so that you all have a comfortable car trip but still arrive on time; and leaving the comfort of your own home when all you really want to do is sleep. Combine all this with a fog of tiredness like you’ve never even imagined could exist, and this whole new world of responsibility and care seems pretty overwhelming.
Hamilton family photography | Hamilton Inline Hockey Rink
I already knew I liked this family before I even met them. In their pre-session questionnaire, their mum wrote that she wanted to have something that shows the love between them and how special her boys are. Her words were so filled with love for her sons and I could tell straight away how much they adored each other.
Connection and belonging are my favourite things to capture in a family photo shoot, and I could tell this shoot was going to be oozing with them!