The Best Minnesota Family Photographer for Families with Active Kids
The key to success for a successful family photography business is finding ways to truly connect with your clients and creating an atmosphere of trust. For the past 12 years, I have been a Minnesota Family Photographer who seeks to not only beautifully preserve the memories of her clients, but to do so in a way that provides them with an incredible experience which brings them back year after year. In this post, I share with you the secrets of my family and newborn photography session flow - especially for families with active kiddos. This information may prove to be not only beneficial for families seeking a photographer who understands the chaotic nature of family life, but also other family photographers who are searching for ways to better structure their client workflow from booking through session day!
Connecting with Families Before Session Day
I believe that the success of my family photo sessions depends not only on a good plan for poses and activities the day of the session, but more importantly it’s what I do before session day that allows me to have a natural connection with my clients resulting in a great experience for them and for me. My booking process is all about gathering information and making a connection with my clients before session day even arrives. First, my booking lead form is full of questions for them to answer: what do you love to do as a family? what are your hobbies? what do your kids love? is there anything you want me to know about you or your family that would be helpful for our time together? any questions? special needs? or concerns? what is your vision for your photographs? Questions like these provide a safe place for families to share their ideas, vision, as well as their concerns. This is how we begin to get to know each other and lay the groundwork for trust.
Second, after clients complete my Booking Information Form, we have a zoom call so that they can ask questions and we get to know each other a bit. This is also the time we select their date and location, talk about styling, and discuss what session day will be like. Again, continuous communication and connection result in increased comfort and confidence in you both!
Third, in the weeks before session day, I stay in consistent contact with my clients. They receive a Family Photography Welcome Guide with information from what to expect on session day, tips for keeping kids happy, and styling ideas for the entire family. 30 days prior to their session they receive a Styling Email with examples of what to wear and links to my client wardrobe for women and children. A week before and the day before their session they receive a Session Day Reminder via email and text so that they know exactly when and where to meet me at their Twin Cities outdoor location or my Northeast Minneapolis Studio on session day.
Family Photo Session Day is Here! The Warm-Up
After greeting them when they arrive, we simply talk before even getting the camera out. I introduce myself to kiddos giving them plenty of space. I get down on their level and show them my stuffed animal dog “Fred” who is my photography helper and often sits on my head to make them smile during pictures. In other words, I am breaking the ice and helping kiddos feel safe, comfortable, and themselves with me! Once we reach our first spot, whether families with toddlers and babies or those with older kids, I keep everyone close for the first few shots. I invite to stand together and tell them: "just relax for a few moments while I adjust my settings". While they begin to naturally interact with one another, I observe them for just a bit, and then I simply begin shooting some unexpected and beautiful moments. Then I say, “okay, let’s do a big family hug holding hands or embracing the person who is closest to you!" Now that we are all warmed up and we have taken a more traditional group shot with them all looking at the camera, I have them relax and focus on each other. I may ask mom to give kisses to the child she is holding while dad tickles another child. I may ask them to whisper a secret to each other and pass it down the line. I will then ask them silly questions like “who snores the loudest in your family?” or “who is the best cook?” These questions, although silly, allow them to relax and they evoke natural smiles and laughter.
“Ann Marie was wonderful for our family session! Her style is so welcoming and our daughter opened up very quickly. We are thrilled with the variety in our family’s personality she captured. Like a typical toddler, our daughter allowed us to hold her for about five minutes only and we just went along for the ride with her. Ann Marie was able to go with her movements and continue to get incredible shots from beginning to end.”
Activities Result in the Best “Poses”
Whether kiddos alone or one parent with a child/all the kiddos, we take images in these smaller groups. Now that everyone is warmed up, we break out into smaller groups. My rule of thumb is to think like the mom and/or dad and be inspired by what their vision is for their images. This is why my pre-session zoom calls are so important! They give me all the inspiration I need to lead the session! If I know that this session is especially important for them to capture the joy of her children together than I will go for those images next. If I know they want pictures of mom alone with her kids, then I create an environment where we focus on that. This is the check-list running through my head during the shoot. However, I do not “pose” them into these groups, but rather, I invite them to do an activity together and then allow that activity to inspire the shot.
Here are some of my favorite activities for families to do during family photos:
Mom and her daughters will pick flowers together.
Reading a book together
Bubbles together
Braiding each others hair
Kiddos will dance together with mom and dad.
A round of ring around the rosie.
Paper airplanes
Running under a “parachute” (a blanket that I bring)
Swinging in a blanket
Dad or mom plays his guitar as kids listen, sing, or play! Because I already know what their interests are and the vision that they want for their images, I am able to create an environment where they are able to do an activity that they are both comfortable, will fulfill their vision, and result in beautiful and authentic family photos.
Kids Alone
Now that they are warmed up and feeling more comfortable with me, I begin to take interactive images of kids by themselves and in small groups. I get down to their level, ask them silly questions, have them tell each other jokes, or simply be goofy! I am constantly shooting them from all angles and focusing on them individually and in smaller groups.
I pursue photos of kiddos in three ways:
1) Shots of them from afar while they play, express themselves, or look up at mom and dad.
2) Closer/mid-range shots of them looking at me
3) Close up shots of them looking at me and doing something they enjoy: holding a flower, reading a book, skipping stones, or hugging a loved one.
Every family is different. In my lead forms and in my pre-session consultation, we talk about what they love to do! I encourage them to think of at least one activity to do together resulting in images that are unique to each family. The best thing is the end result is that their photo session doesn't feel like a photo shoot anymore, but it becomes a lasting memory that they will hold on to forever!
Quiet Endings
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As we reach the end of our session and the activities begin to settle. I try to establish an environment for winding down. Everyone is starting to get a little tired and sometimes you just know that kiddos are just “done.” When we reach this point, I will often have mom hold and comfort little ones or have dad hold them on his strong shoulders, or we simply collapse on the quilt for a big family “pile.” At this point I say, let’s get one last family hug in which I have dad wrap the entire family up in his arms from behind for one last embrace. Voila, we are done! Then it is off to our respective cars, where I retrieve my “princess” bag or treasure box and prizes are had by all!
