Tips for a Successful Session

Smith Family Photography developed from a need that I had as a mother.  We have a "his-mine-ours" type of family, which consists of nine children.  Family photograph sessions with a family that size are typically very expensive and stressful.  Kids do not want to cooperate.  They fight.  They argue.  They give goofy faces.  They are KIDS!  Although they are kids, photographers have a set amount of time they can spend at each session, which just adds to the stress. 

My country girls.

As a mother, I hated photography sessions and the majority of the time I was less than impressed with the results.  I wanted to provide an affordable photography service specifically for families.  I strive to provide a relaxed atmosphere for the session and understand kids are kids.  A little bit of patience goes a long way with them, as I found out during my time as an elementary teacher. 

When you book a session with us, you will more than likely get to meet members of my family.  After all, Smith Family Photography is a family company and we all work together to provide a service to our clients.

I am constantly researching various areas of photography and currently I have been doing a TON of research on helping my clients prepare for their upcoming session.  I have heard many clients tell me that they want to have a family session, but they don't think their kids will cooperate and it will just be stressful.  I can honestly say that was me a few years ago! 

I recently stumbled upon an article titled, 101 Family Picture Tips and Ideas by TheDatingDivas.com.  This artcle is FANTASTIC!!  They discuss so much more than getting kids to cooperate! 

1.  Printable Planner.  The site has a printable planner that you can use to help organize all the session during the planning stage.  You can access it here. 

2.  Choosing a Photographer.  I would love to work with you and your family, however I do realize that for whatever reason we might not be able to do so.  In such an instance, I can give you some referrals for other photographers in the area that might meet your needs. 

3.  Choosing a Location.  After you have chosen a photographer, you can nail down your location.  This is typically done at the same time as actually hiring a photographer.  You might have a specific location in mind, but if you need assistance in choosing a location I am happy to do so and provide you with example portraits from those locations.  I have several "favorite" locations that I like to use in Limestone County and Waco.  One of my favorite locations is at a private family ranch.  No other photographers have access to this location which includes a covered bridge!

Rustic exclusive location with a covered bridge.

4. Props...to use or not to use.  For family sessions I like to keep props to a minimum if they are used at all.  I don't want the props to distract from the family.  With seniors on the other hand, they typically need some props to personalize their session.  The same can be said for small children.  They need things to keep their interest.  I like to talk with the client and determine what type of images they'd like to have hanging on their wall and go from there when deciding whether or not to use props.

5.  Poses.  After the session is booked, I will begin planning the session.  This includes possible poses.  I will actually make a list of poses that I'd love to use for your family.  Each list is unique in that no two lists are ever the same.  I want your session to be just as unique as your family is - no two families are the exact same so why should their photos look the same?

6.  Clothes - What should we wear?  Last week's blog was all about what to wear.  You can read it here.

7.  How to Look Good in Front of the Camera.  There are several stances you can do to make yourself look more flattering in front of the camera.  Most things are simple, quick adjustments to your position, posture, and stance. 

8.  Getting Your Kids to Cooperate.  Rewards, bribes, peek-a-boo, singing, magic words, etc...nothing it seems is off limits when it comes to finding ways to get kids to cooperate.  What I have found is that they need time away from the camera every now and then.  They need to play and have fun!

Even when kids are taking a break, you can get authentic photographs of them!

9.  Getting Your Husband to Cooperate.  Bribes, rewards, compromises...they all work with husbands too!  Include your husband in the planning.  Chances are he won't want to help plan for the session, but at least you are doing your best to include him and make him a part of the session.  No one likes being told what to wear, how to stand, where to sit.  Give him some ownership in the session.

10.  Ordering Your Portraits.  Yes, ordering your portraits in printed form.  After all, you want nice photographs to display proudly on your walls and to give family members prints for their walls.  I recently began to offer prints rather than a disc and the main reason for doing so is that a disc so many times gets shoved in some random drawer and the portraits are as good as gone.  You went through all that hassle to plan a session, get everyone's outfits to coordinate, spend a lot of time on location with a photographer, and you want a disc??  Or would you rather have nice, professional quality prints that will arrive ready to be displayed on your walls?  Every session with me includes an online gallery that makes ordering prints (and digitals if you wish) extremely easy from the comfort of your home. 

11.  Displaying Your Portraits.  Looking for unique ways to display your beautiful, professional quality prints?  This article has several examples that are unique!  When I work on your portraits in post production, I have this very thing in mind.  I want all of your portraits to look uniform so that they can proudly be displayed by themselves or together in a large group.  I view the portraits that I work on as a work of art that should be displayed on your walls for years to come.

The article also includes a few extra tips that don't really fit into any of the above categories.  You can read the full article here.  If you are interested in booking a session, please don't hesitate to contact me.  Now is the perfect time of year with the holidays quickly approaching. 

The Milestone of Turning ONE!

I was so excited for Saturday, August 29th to arrive!  Why you ask?  Well, it all began on June 1st, 2015.

I received a message from a young woman named Myranda.  She was inquiring about a One Year/Cake Smash Session for her daughter.  She explained to me that she was referred to me by a close friend and she actually didn't need the session until August.  This made me extremely happy for two reasons.  One, she was a referral!  This means that her friend would receive a $10 credit towards a future session and that she would receive a 10% discount on her session.  I LOVE referrals!  Two, Myranda was excited about the session that was over 3 months away!  When clients are excited for the session, it just makes it that much more fun.

The week leading up to the session I was busy planning (as I do with all of my sessions).  I was making a list of poses for the session, as well as a list for the possible props I would need to bring to the session.  I make lists for everything...literally! 

One Year/Cake Smash Combo Sessions are really two sessions rolled into one.  They require more time, more planning, and more cooperation.  And when you consider the subject for the entire event is ONE, you honestly never know how it is going to go! 

Last Saturday I arrived at the Falls on the Brazos Park in Marlin, Texas early to begin setting up for the session.  Soon enough the beautiful little one year old, Kadence, arrived with her mother and grandmother.  This was the moment I've been waiting for since we began planning the session.

One Year/Cake Smash Combo Sessions always begin with the One Year Old Session.  Typically the kiddo is more focused at the beginning of the session so this is a great time to get some "posed" shots.  Another reason being that the kiddo can arrive on location dressed in clean clothes with a clean face.  After the Cake Smash portion of the session, they are no longer wearing clean clothes with a clean, smiling face.

Sweet Kadence sitting so pretty for one of her one year session poses!

After the "posed" portrait session, we move on to the Cake Smash Session - which is my favorite part!  It is so amusing to watch a kiddo work through the curiosity of a cake smash session.  Kadence was a perfect kiddo for this!  She sat down with the cake in front of her and she just looked at it, examining it carefully.  I imagine she was asking herself, "Do I touch it?  What will mom say to me?  What is it?  Why is it here?"  Soon enough she decides to touch it and her hands are coated in frosting!  She does not like this too much, but she's not bothered by it enough to stop messing with the delicious cake.  One thing is for sure, she does NOT want to touch it with her hands anymore!  How else do you eat cake then if you don't have a fork?  It didn't take Kadence long to figure out that she could take bites from the cake without touching it with her hands! 

Kadence loved the cake, but not the messy hands!

Kadence sat back up and just looked at us like she wasn't quite sure what our reactions would be.  Of course we all clapped and said, "YAY!"  It didn't take her long until she was bending down for a big bite and sitting up smiling as we cheered her on.  All the cheering put her in the mood to dance!  I have never seen a kid dance the way that she danced!  It was one of the cutest things I have ever seen a kid do! 

After all the eating and dancing, it was time to clean up with a nice bath in the park.  She loved the bath!  I think Kadence had a pretty good time at the park.

Bath time!

Personalized storyboards are perfect at showcasing the entire cake smash session from start to finish.

If you are interested in a One Year Session, Cake Smash Session, or a Combo Session, message me for more information.  If you book a Combo Session, you save money by bundling two sessions into one!

From Teacher to Photographer

What do you want to be when you grow up?  Isn't that the question we ask young adults all the time?   I personally have asked this same question to hundreds of children throughout my thirty-six years.  Over the years I have heard many responses to that question - NFL player, dancer, fireman, teacher, etc.  Growing up my response was always, "I want to be a teacher when I grow up."

You might be asking yourself, if you always wanted to be a teacher then why are you a photographer?  Well, simply put...things changed.

After high school I decided to have a family instead of pursue my dream of becoming a teacher.  It didn't take long for me to realize that I loved my family, but something was missing in my life.  I still had that longing to educate young children.  I began taking classes at Boise State University and in 2007 I graduated with a degree in Elementary Education. 

I left Idaho and moved to Texas for various reasons and began my first teaching assignment at Marlin Elementary School in Marlin, Texas.  I taught fourth grade for three years and kindergarten for two years.  I loved working with the children and families in Marlin!  I found it to be an extremely rewarding career! 

As I began my sixth year of teaching at Marlin Elementary School we received a completely new administration.  They were not accommodating to my needs as a new mother.  At this time I had a newborn and needed time to express breastmilk for my daughter.  The administration told me they could not provide me with the necessary break time to provide this for me and my family.  I then resigned.  I was forced to choose my career - my love of education - or the needs of my family.  I chose my family and it killed me. 

At this very moment in time I realized that a career in education was not all that I believed it to be and I began to search for something else that could be equally rewarding, as well as provide the needs required by my family.  As I thought about possible career paths, my love of photography came to the front of my mind.  I pushed it to the back of my mind because the thought of starting my own business honestly overwhelmed me.  However, the possibility of owning my own photography business gradually seemed to sound exciting.

I have had numerous photographs taken of my kids and family.  Some I absolutely loved and others were just "ok."  I consider myself a pretty tough client.  I have a large family which consists of eleven if you count all the children - mine, his, ours, and the ones we picked up along the way!  There are two major issues with photography sessions I had as a parent of such a large family. 

The Smith Family with two kids missing from the photo.  Left to right:  Lily on the back of Gracie, Bradley, Sadie being held by Ethan, Thomas, John, Anna (myself), and Colby.  Not pictured are:  Anthony and William

One, patience.  It is nearly impossible to get all eleven of us to fully cooperate through an entire photo session!  The kids don't want to be there and it shows.  I would receive the prints and love the concept, but as a family we just looked so...unhappy.  I couldn't feel the love or emotions.  The photographs were just photographs instead of a memory that was captured forever. 

Two, cost.  The sheer cost of photographing a family of eleven is scary!  Photographers seem to have a pricing which is a certain amount for four individuals and every additional individual is an extra fee.  Well, when you have a family of eleven the additional individual fee is astronomical! 

If I was going to have my own photography business, I knew what I wanted to provide.  I needed to provide a patient and carefree atmosphere which would make families and individuals feel comfortable and allow them to be themselves.  People have told me over and over that the session was so easy and comfortable or that they could feel the emotions in their photographs.  Those comments let me know that what I am doing is rewarding.  It gives me a sense of purpose as a photographer.

I also wanted to provide affordable photography for people.  Obviously I can't work for free.  I have business expenses I have to pay.  I don't like giving families a time limit.  I don't like charging additional fees for "additional individuals."  Whether you have a family of four or a family of eleven, you will pay the same session fee.  I have my pricing set up in a way that is straightforward and is affordable at the same time.   

I read a TON of information about photography and business!  After all, I do LOVE education! I seek help from fellow photographers as needed.  I am constantly learning so I can provide the best to my clients.  This is not a task I take lightly. 

Recently I received some of the kindest words after a mother viewed her family photographs. 

“I adore Zachary’s face in their pic together and Vanna’s face in our family picture. It totally captures them! You are truly talented. I think people go through life finding out what their purpose is, and struggling with just a job. It shows this is your passion. And your artistic ability with editing and adding the right elements. I hope you have years and bounds of success. Thank you for taking the time to end our summer on a fantastic shoot. Making memories, and capturing a moment in time when families love each other IS making a difference. We get so caught up in living life, and arguing whose turn it is to do the dishes, and please get off your phone and stop yelling at your brother, that we forget to always say I love you’s, and be kind to one another. Even if just for a second. We did in the photo. - personal message from Misty Rae Bridger (August 2015)”

I made the move from teacher to photographer.  I am extremely happy.  I am looking forward to meeting many more families and capturing many more memories!