How to Make Your Family Photos Picture-Perfect This Spring
We love a good family picture when springtime comes around, but we know the stress that can come with doing them. There’s all the prep and planning beforehand - you have to find outfits, a location, a photographer. And then, there’s the unknown chaos that often ensues while you’re in the middle of taking them - your baby is hungry, your toddler is having a meltdown, somehow one of your kid’s outfits already has a stain. With all the planning that goes into it, you’re left hoping you got at least one good photo. Sound familiar?
Well, we hope to make it easier this year with some of our top tips for prepping and surviving your family photos so that you can enjoy the moment and all the beautiful pictures that come from it. Here are seven tips on how to approach the day with ease and a little bit of flexibility. We’ve also included some of our favorite outfits we are loving this spring for your little ones.
1. Pick a theme and coordinate around it
We recommend outlining a vision for your photos, really focused on one hero color. You can either go with a beautiful, coordinated print or a classic solid color. For prints, we are loving all the patterns by Malabar Baby this spring - the perfect pops of color that don’t feel overwhelming. They are available as toddler dresses or shirts for boys. For a classic solid color, you can never go wrong with denim. It goes great paired with cream, or you can mix in a fun secondary color like light blue or mauve. For more inspiration, check out our four favorite spring outfits for families this year.
Once you have your colors picked out, then look for a location that will pairs well with it. We love checking out local parks, non-crowded spots on the beach, a lake dock, museums or even monuments. Talk with your photographer for recommendations! We love sharing our outfits and inspiration with our photographer to get their thoughts on the perfect spot - there’s a good chance they know of locations near you that you weren’t even aware of. Plus, they’re the best at knowing what will photograph well.
2. Chat with your photographer beforehand
If you don’t chat with your photographer about locations, be sure you still connect with them before showing up that day! They will give you direction on what time of day is best to shoot, watchouts with weather and lots of other tips specific to your photography session. We always like asking them any tricks they recommend for keeping kids entertained. Many photographers will bring their own props for entertainment, but some often have extra recommendations for what you can bring as well.
If you’re worried about anything in regards to your shoot (the weather, the location, your outfits, etc), let them know!
3. Prepare everything before you arrive
Adjust your schedule day-of so that you arrive fully prepared. Kids are always happier with full bellies and good sleep! This may mean feeding your kids a little bit earlier or encouraging a cat nap if you have an early photo session. Or it could mean having a big snack and a full nap if you’re doing an evening session. We always show up to our photos with our kids in their regular clothes, and then change them into our coordinated outfits in the parking lot. It’s amazing how many messes they can make in a short car ride! Changing them on site helps avoid any last minute messes or wrinkles. We also keep their spring outfits hung up in the back of the car so they stay nice and pressed for as long as possible.
4. Have snacks and toys on-hand
Now that you’re on-site for your photos, pack a spare bag full of treats and toys. Whichever snacks, games or toddler and baby toys are your kids’ favorites, come with plenty of them! It’s amazing how far a good bribe can go. If you start sensing one of your little ones getting fussy, pull out a snack to avoid a full meltdown.
5: Be ready for something to go wrong
It’s very likely that things won’t go perfectly - and that’s okay! But it’s much easier to adjust your plans if you’re prepared for any situation. Come with plenty of diapers and baby wipes. Have a spare outfit (or two) on-hand in case your baby has a blowout. We also love packing instant stain remover, umbrellas and extra hair accessories, just in case.
6: Be flexible
It’s okay if things don’t go exactly as planned! Just because the event itself isn’t perfect, doesn’t mean your pictures won’t turn out that way. One thing we recommend when kids start getting upset is to take a quick break. You can even bring a big baby blanket and whip out snacks for a fun little picnic. It helps give your children (and you!) a moment to relax, and oftentimes the photographer can get some candid photos from the moment.
Try to be as carefree about the day as you can - having fun and laughing at anything that goes wrong. Sometimes when everyone is crying, those photos are the best ones to look back on years later and laugh.
7: Reward the family afterwards
What’s one of your family’s favorite activities together? Maybe it’s grabbing donuts or ice cream. Or going to the movies or a toy store. Whatever your kids love to do, have that planned for afterwards! Let them know in advance that if they smile and say ‘cheese’ for your photos, they will then get rewarded with a fun surprise after.
Remember family photos are meant to capture all the beauty and chaos that comes with being together. Tap into these tips for your photo session this year so that it’s picture-perfect.