A celebration of fun, family, & a glorious So Cal “winter” with Samantha, Orlondo, & their beautiful tikes Wyatt, Silas, & Blair! May the glow of love follow you through the New Year!

This is such a fun time of year for me—it’s when I get to catch up with families & their growing kiddos, & if I do my job well, I get to give the gift of the perfect photograph that each family will use on their holiday card! I know it can also be a REALLY stressful experience for parents & kids, so I always do my best to make the portrait session a fun, relaxed, easy time for all involved. My approach is a combination of letting kids be kids, using a photojournalistic eye to capture their candid moments & also gently guiding & bringing out the most glamorous, camera-ready personality in each family member.

So here is my advice for “How to Be Photographed,” which will hopefully help anyone who is having their photos taken be a professional (or by that generous friend or relative who has offered to snap you). We always scoff at supermodels who make a lot of money, thinking, “Sheesh, how hard can it be to have your picture taken?” Well, there is some skill & talent involved in getting a really GOOD picture taken!

DO’s & DON’Ts

1. Parents, if you are in the photos with your kids, have some fun! Your job is to look relaxed at all times, which means just connect with your children & each other. Stand close to your spouse/partner, so you look like you actually know & love each other. Get down to your child’s level & entertain her & show her what a great time you’re having. Try to avoid directing your child, because too many voices stating commands can overwhelm the little ones. Often a child will respond to a cue & look in the right direction or have a great expression, but the picture doesn’t work because the parent is talking & not in the moment. Be patient, & trust that an experienced family photographer KNOWS that kids are kids, & s/he can go with the flow. If I give a child a cue or idea for what to do, I don’t expect them to necessarily do exactly that right now, so don’t worry about making sure they do it. I am usually just feeling out what a kid is willing to do or what they might think of doing on their own. The idea is that the parents should be lookin’ great at all times, so when the kid does finally do that AMAZING thing, I can catch it & count on the adults to be camera ready all the time.

2. Be aware of the camera. You don’t have to look at the camera, but know where it is relative to your position. While you are playing, hugging, being natural & fun with your kids & spouse, do keep in mind if your back is turned, if you’re obscuring another family member, or if your face is hidden. Women, especially, if your hair is long & down, try to make sure it’s not covering your face if you’re in profile. Tuck your hair behind the ear that is closest to the camera, or whip it out of your face in a fun, sexy kind of way. Sometimes, I finally get a great shot of the group–everyone except for mom, because she’s so sweetly looking at her brood…but her hair is hiding her whole face! And c’mon, mom is the one who REALLY needs to make it into these pics, because she’s usually the one behind the camera! And don’t fidget with your clothes & your kids’ clothes & hair too much, or you’ll get caught on camera adjusting something that probably wasn’t a big deal. If something major is amiss with your wardrobe, your photographer should let you know. Otherwise, just stay in the moment!

3. Dad, you’re the leading man! Many a time, I can tell that Mom has dragged Dad to the session, & Dad would rather be nursing a beer in his comfy chair & watching the game at home. Dad’s participation is so important in setting the tone for the shoot with the kids. Just be yourself! Wrestle your sons, tickle your daughters, throw your kids into the air, & dance with mom & bring her in for a romantic hug & big kiss. You’re the hero in this story! Don’t be a stick in the mud, & at the very least, try not to make it so obvious to the photographer that you think the session is going to be a big pain or a bore. If it turns out that way, it might be because YOU were!  😉  I often find that the dads are so pleased with the portraits when all is said & done, because they really DO want to have these great pictures with their kids; they just don’t want to suffer through the process. Remember, it should be fun, so just loosen up & go with it!

4. Parents, if you’re not in the photos with your kids, you can be the perfect kid wrangler by standing close to your photographer & help to inspire your kids to respond to the photographer’s suggestions. If s/he is going for some big laughs, make silly faces, do a crazy dance, make animals sounds, whatever it takes. You know your kid the best, so pull out all your tricks & use them. (Now, there is a time & place for wrangling. Try to take your cues from your photographer. I usually love to get the parents involved, but some photographer might hate this.) Or, if your child seems distracted by you or whatever is in your snack bag, you can also fade into the background & give the photographer some space to work with the kids alone. Half my job is creating a rapport with the kiddos, so they trust me & have fun; if it seems like they are connecting with the photographer, let them have their own interaction for awhile. Often times, this is when I’ll get some of the best, natural expressions.

A few random tips: Don’t bring food to reward your kids during the shoot, because it can be hard to pry those gummy worms away. Ladies & girls, beware of really short skirts or dresses, which can be too revealing when you sit down. Bring props if you have some that will work well (& discuss with your photographer ahead of time).

And finally, give yourselves a pat on the back for getting it together to even do any pictures, professional or otherwise. The amount of coordination & organization it takes to get family portraits taken is extraordinary. Not having a huge fight while getting everyone dressed & out the door on time is an accomplishment in & of itself. When you find yourself putting your kid in a headlock to attach a barrette, just take a deep breath & remember: It’s supposed to be fun! I have to remind myself every year too, when we do our holiday picture (with a tripod!). It IS supposed to be fun…& it sure is when you get to see the final results of all that hard work!

Cheers & here’s to happy portrait sessions for the holidays & all year long!   🙂

Alice

This is a special sneak from my session with the Madden-Lennertz family. I really wanted to post this one image for Shannon & Chris to enjoy while I am working on their other shots, because this picture just strikes me as so dear. Neave’s expression (how can I even describe it?), & the way that Chris is looking at her just make me sigh. I have a couple photos of my dad & me from when I was a little girl that just give me that certain feeling of sweetness & memory of complete safety. I cherish those pictures of my childhood & my father…& I hope that one day Neave might love this picture in that way too…