I know what you might be thinking. Wrangling your sweet bunch of rascals can be be difficult, but I am here to tell you that it is very possible to have a stress free family session. You only need to have all the right tips and tricks up your sleeve to make this a reality. I’ve spent a lot of time with families of all sizes and all ages. Kids can be very unpredictable. I am here to share with you my top 3 ways to have stress free family photos.

I, myself, have four precious nieces. They are all different ages and have different personalities. I am used to chaos and random mood changes. Call me crazy, but I love the chaos and their little wandering minds. The curiosity that children have is only natural. When you put them in a new environment, things can get a little tricky and fast.

That is why I created a very detailed client guide for all of my beautiful families so they are more than prepared for their time behind my camera. The best part is, my clients understand that they have to leave room in their hearts for unpredictability. At the end of the day, no guide in the world is going to be able to dictate what happens the day of.

We can have all the tips and tricks in the world, but kids will be kids. You’re probably thinking, “I thought you said you have tricks to a stress free family session?” I do! Believe it or not, the magic in all of this is understanding and welcoming unpredictability. I preach to my clients that their time behind my camera is for them to unwind. That’s exactly what they do and it’s beautiful. That is where the magic happens.

You might be thinking I’m a little crazy at this point, but let me explain. If you go into your session with the right attitude, everything will fall into place. Besides, you’re investing in photos of your family at this stage in life. If that means chaos, silliness, and lots of moving around, then that is exactly how we will capture your family. You want to remember them at this stage anyways so we will do just that!

With a little patience, a little creativity, and a whole lot of love, anything is possible! I share all the details in my client’s welcome guide, but I think everyone deserves to have a few tricks in their back pocket. Whether you’re working with me or not, you’ll have the tools to help you do less stressing and more living in the moment.

My Top 3 Ways To Have Stress Free Family Photos:

Prepare your kids ahead of time- Tell them you will be meeting with a photographer friend. Tell them how much fun you’re going to have and how they will get to play with you the entire time.
Bring Snacks- Make sure they are dry snacks that aren’t very messy. I also suggest bringing along some wipes just in case. Choosing snacks that don’t leave a residue of any kind is also a great idea. If your kids feel like they’re doing a great job, a little treat will be a positive surprise for them. It will likely keep their momentum going. It’s also a lifesaver if they’re getting a little fussy.
Last, but not least, YOU have to show up ready to live in the moment. You have to come with an open mind and open heart. Being ready for anything will allow you to feel stress free and guilt free. Throw out all the expectations of everything going to plan. If little Johnny decides to go play in the mud, maybe you should join him. What a wonderful memory that would be for him to remember you living in that moment with him.

I think more than we realize, kids have much to teach us. They teach us to live in the moment and have very low expectations other than just having fun every day. I believe it does us a lot of good to let them run the show. Their wandering little souls remind us how valuable our time is. How often are you carving out time in your schedules to just let go and be with your family? Are you taking time to have someone document these little moments? One day, those little moments will become big memories.

Finding mess in magic and laughing along with the chaos is all your kids really want. They want you to be there with them, loving and laughing along in their playfulness. This is your reminder that family pictures don’t have to go perfectly as planned. I believe that as long as you’re together making memories, messy or not messy, that is what life is all about.

Remembering this stage of life with your children is what you’re investing in. Make the most of it. Take my top 3 ways to have stress free family photos and prepare yourselves, but show up knowing that anything is possible. I can assure you that whatever happens, it will be beautiful and your images will be bursting with heart.

To schedule stress free family photos, reach out here. I can’t wait to document this fun stage of life for you.