Preparing for Your Family Portraits

with Jamie Escola Photography

 We’ve set the date….

And now it’s time to prepare for your family portrait session. To help you do that, let me tell you a bit about what to expect.

We’ll choose a time for custom sessions to make sure we’re getting the best light of the day. We’ll meet in the parking area and make sure we have everything we need before heading to our spot. While here at the car, it’s a great time to make sure everyone is ready to go. Hair brushed, makeup checked and dark clothes rolled with a sticky roller to remove lint. I recommend giving any little faces a thorough swipe with a wet wipe to make sure there aren’t any little crumbs or dried skin around the nose and mouth.

We’ll then head out to our spot and get started! My job is to make you and your family as comfortable as possible in front of the camera, and so I’ll be asking questions and giving prompts to help everyone relax and even have fun. So, please don’t be afraid to tell me a bit about yourself. There’s no need to stress about talking while I’m snapping away. Some of the best shots are the ones you didn’t know were coming, and my goal is to capture your authentic expressions and movement. In this same vein, if you have little kids with you, and they are engaged with something else or exploring, I recommend engaging with them and looking where they are. I’ll be sure to let you know when I’m hoping to have everyone looking my direction.

So, how should you prepare?

Prior to our session, we can absolutely touch base via phone call, text, e-mail, however you like, if you want to chat about your hopes for the session. You can also send screenshots of inspiration images if you’ve seen other family portraits that really spoke to you. This is definitely not something that you need to do, as I always come with PLENTY of ideas. But if you have something specific that you are hoping for, please don’t hesitate to reach out and let me know!

Choosing what to wear

Your own personal style is going to be the star of this show, so keep that in mind with the following suggestions.

Scout Your Looks Online Before You Shop

Whether you’re shopping at the store, online or in your own closet, I recommend surfing a bit online to see what jumps out at you in family portraits. I’m a BIG fan of Pinterest, and I recommend checking it out and typing in “Family Portrait Outfits.” Go in with an open mind and see which outfits jump out at you. You’ll probably notice that clothing with texture and those that show a bit of movement really jump out at you. This will help give you some direction when it comes time to choose YOUR outfits.

I have a Pinterest board that I’ve put together with timeless looks that I think work well with my particular style of photography. You can check it out HERE.

Earthy Colors & Jewel Tones

For most locations, colors that are earthy and neutral are going to work the most harmoniously with the backdrops in your photos. They won’t be distracting or competing for attention from the true subject of the photo - YOUR FAMILY! This doesn’t mean you can’t wear color. But when you do, instead of the primary versions of yellow, blue, purple and red, consider mustard, navy, eggplant, and maroon. If there’s anything you really want to avoid, it’s large pieces in fluorescent or neon colors, especially if they are close to the face. Again, if you are drawn to these colors, it doesn’t mean you can’t wear them at all. But I recommend limiting them to small designs on top of another color.

Accessorize

If you or members of your family have a favorite jacket, pair of sunglasses, hat or piece of jewelry, bring them all along!! Even if we just pop them on for a few photos, you’ll be thrilled to have some extra variety and a chance to showcase more of your family’s personality!

Glasses

Normal lenses in glasses will reflect light and leave a glare in photos, and it’s a difficult thing to avoid during a session, especially when we’re trying to capture a bit of movement or a laugh. There are anti-reflective or anti-glare lenses that you can put in frames, and they are pretty amazing. But if you don’t have these or the time to get them, you can also have your optometrist take the lenses out of your favorite frames and put them back in after the session. If these aren’t options for you, I’ll do my best to avoid the glare when taking the photos, as it’s not something I’m able to remove when editing.

Day of Your Session

  1. Be sure to iron or steam your family’s outfits to get out the wrinkles, so that they won’t show folds in your photos. If your outfits will show wrinkles, you might want to consider bringing shirts or dresses on a hanger and putting them on when you arrive.

  2. Your hands will be in the photos, so be sure to trim nails or remove old or chipping nail polish.

  3. If you are wearing dark colors, use a lint roller to get any little pieces of lint or hair off the fabric. Even small pieces will show up in photos and can be distracting.

  4. Bring along anything you might need to touch up while we are shooting. That could be makeup, lip balm, a hair brush, hair spray, etc.

  5. FAMILY PEP TALK!!! As much as we want to preserve the special times and moments in our lives, being in front of the camera is rarely something an entire family is excited about doing. I totally understand that and will do my absolute best to make sure everyone is comfortable and relaxed. But I HIGHLY recommend a little pep talk the day of the session or on the way to it in the car to make sure everyone is prepared to give their best. Let everyone know that while they might be a little uncomfortable in front of the camera, I am also a little nervous behind it. I want to give my clients the best, and that pressure gets my blood pumping before a session. I use that to help keep me moving and shooting and chatting, but if someone is really upset about being there for photos, it can definitely make me tighten up. So, let everyone know that this moment is important to you, and in the grand scheme of things, it’s not that much time. The more positive everyone is, the better photos we will get, and the faster it will seem to go. Before they know it, they’ll be on their way, and hopefully, they’ll be a little excited to see the images we’ve captured, too!

  6. Speak Up!!! This is important! I truly want to make sure that you get the absolute best family portraits that I can give, and I am ALWAYS open to suggestions, ideas, etc. If I choose a spot or pose that doesn’t feel like YOU, I want to know so that we can move on and keep the session authentic to your personal style.

  7. Let’s chat. The easiest way for me to capture your authentic expressions is to talk as we work. I’ll have questions and posing prompts, and if you and your family are chatting with me and with each other, everyone will be able to relax and give the expressions that you all love and recognize in each other.

Between Now & Then

Don’t be afraid to reach out with any questions you might have. OR, if you see a family portrait that you like, send it my way! As I said before, I’m always open to suggestions, and I want to give you what you are truly hoping for. I LOVE family portrait sessions, and I want you and your crew to have fun with it, too!!

~ Jamie

330.806.4620

jmescola17@yahoo.com