Before We Shoot: Session Preparation Letter

Ticklebugs photography: Full Session Prep Letter

I know getting everything organized for our session can be tricky, so here are a few tips:

*Make sure everyone has eaten, washed their faces, and “gone potty” before you leave the house. Or, you might want to leave arrive early and take care of that if it is possible at our location.

*Pack a snack and a water bottle. You might want to think about what color clothes the kids are wearing so the snack doesn’t dirty the outfit. Snacks can act as more of a comfort or distraction than a necessary food item. With children under 3, we often break after 20-25 minutes just to talk and gear up for the next set of pictures. I’ll explain that to you when we meet.

*You are welcome to change outfits as many times as you would like within our time frame. (I do recommend shielding yourself to avoid tickets. Tickets make photo sessions much more expensive.)

*You are welcome to bring props. What does your family like to do together? Bike? Jump rope? Chalk? Bubbles? A ball? Balloons? Giant lollypops (and the kids say, “YAAY!”)? Think of these as toys, as well. Sometimes we need to stop and play while children get comfortable with the camera. I am a big proponent of play as a means of getting comfortable.

*Please make me aware of any special needs pertaining to your child. I am sensitive to children sometimes being afraid of the big camera, and I have some tricks to try to make that fear go away. (We try to have lots of fun!)

*Clothing: Wear what you like. Be yourself. Think about your environment- if we’re outside in Autumn, think reds and oranges and purples and browns and greens & *autumn* yellows.

*Try to avoid white, unless everyone is in white. But keep in mind that white always wins the eye (it also tends to overexpose), so if only one person is in white, the eye will be stolen by that shirt or dress. And often not the face of the person in the white, but the shirt itself. So, plan accordingly. A photoshoot designed as a “white dress photo shoot” is one thing--classic and beautiful, but otherwise you will find white competing for the attention of the eye, and a portrait is generally more about the people than the clothing. Generally.

*It is best to avoid clothing with patterns. Children’s faces are best showcased with a solid top. Of course, striped tights and crazy socks never hurt anyone. Enjoy your outfit! Let it represent you!

*People with lighter skin tones should be careful with wearing light colors, like white. People with darker skin tones should be careful with wearing darker colors, like navy, dark purple, dark brown, or black. Portraits look best when there is significant contrast between skin and clothing.

*While this is less important, women should be careful with necklines and undergarments.

Necklines are best when they do not “mock” the actual neck. For example, a circle necked T-shirt repeats the line of the neck, which some people find unflattering when they see pictures of themselves- it can seem distracting to the eye to see that shape repeated so close together. Just a slight “scoop” or “v” can solves that---or, a v-necked sweater worn on top of the round neck shirt can sooth the look.

Undergarments should be planned so they cannot creep out while we shoot, and think about lines that can be seem beneath the fabric. Look in the mirror from the front and the back, and think about if you raise your arms or bend over.

*Put the brightest colors on the smallest people. For example, if 2 people will be in navy or brown and 2 in red, put the brown/navy on the adults and the red on the toddlers/ kids.

*If this list stresses you out, throw a dart at it or something. Look the other way. Ignore it. And go to your closet and pick out what you love and meet me at our location. Period. :)

*Kids: You have a special job. Your job is to HAVE FUN! We’ll run and jump and play. We’ll do funny things, say funny things, and then pause for those regular smiles, too. We will have lots of fun, I promise!

*Parents: You have a special job. You job is to be smiling (or, photo-ready) from the time we begin ‘til the time we finish. It might be tricky to get a smile out of your child at times, so I need you to be ready in that split second your child flashes that fabulous face you want on your wall. And good news: I am not stressed out by your child’s disagreement, sass, tantrum or crying. I will be ready to capture each smile that comes our way, and you do not need to worry about the time in between. Let’s have fun!

Once we begin our session, we will be having so much fun that it will be hard to stop to go potty, so make sure that is taken care of before we start! (We will, of course, do so if necessary!)

Let’s have fun!