Articles · August 1, 2026
10 Tips for Family Photo Sessions
Planning an Atlanta family photo session? These 10 simple tips help kids stay comfortable, relaxed, and ready for natural, beautiful photos.
10 Tips for Family Photo Sessions
If it's your first time doing family photos with the kids, or if your last one was too stressful or filled with tantrums, check out my top 10 tips for family photo sessions to make your next session a success (and even fun!)
- Don’t worry about your kids having to be "perfect" during the session. I want to capture their personalities, and if that means they’re silly sometimes, or wiggly, or goofy, that’s part of the process. The more stress you feel, the more they’ll feel, so we’ll go with the flow and see what works and what doesn’t as we go. These sessions are about showing affection and interaction between family members, so we’ll be focused much more on getting relaxed moments than everything being too perfect.
- Coordinate clothing so that you all look good together. Don’t try to match exactly, but think of color families, like earth tones, or jewel tones, or black/white/grey so that you coordinate but don’t look like you’re in a uniform.
- Bring a snack and drink that your child likes. If we need to keep everyone happy during the session you’ll have it. Just make sure the snack isn’t a lollipop or brightly colored juice that can stain their lips or teeth during the session.
- Bring a reward, but don’t promise a reward to them before the session. A reward implies that the session is a chore that requires a trade, so let’s focus on how much fun we’ll have during the session. Before the session, play up how much fun we’ll have and how they get to really shine and show off. Think about things they have recently learned to do, like tying their shoes or singing a song, that we can brag about during the session. If you bring a reward, it will be a surprise, or a little added incentive if they’re moody. That way we can stay in the moment as we shoot, but if we need something extra to make it happen, we’ll have it ready.
- Let’s schedule your session for a time when your child is normally well-rested and happy.
- Bring a toy your child loves. Not only is it great to be able to capture them with the toy they carry around the most, but it can provide comfort if they want it during the session. Portrait sessions are a break from a family’s normal routine, so something comforting is good to have.
- Bring kleenex or wipes to clean noses or faces. Kids can always find a way to get dirty in some way or another during a session.
- Consider bringing something fun for them to dress up in. A hat, a silly wig, or a colorful scarf, are fun and cute.
- Props or activities can help capture real moments. Things like bubbles, balloons, books, chalkboards, or anything fun they can play with.
- If we’re doing a session with a newborn and an older child: If you want the older sibling to hold the baby, have them practice safely holding the baby … then we’ll have them show off their skills during the session!
