How to Prepare for Your In-Home Family Photo Session
In-home family photo sessions can be special for so many reasons!
Are you bringing your first baby home to the place that you and your husband have called home for the past ten years? Do you want to capture all of the magic and nostalgia of your kid’s childhood home? The art on the walls, the green couch y’all bought when you were first married.
Or maybe you want to document those fun-filled summer afternoons that you spend as a family, in your backyard, every Sunday. The sun in the sky, the hot dogs cooking on the grill, the sounds of the birds chirping and your kids running around in the sprinklers. . . these are the moments you’ll look back on for the rest of your lives. The ones you’ll frame and display on the walls in your living room; the ones that’ll embarrass your kids once they’re older and start inviting friends over to your house.
Whatever your reason is, you want to remember your home, and I want to make sure you remember it well. For that to happen, preparation is key. Of course, it’s easy to stress out about having pictures taken in your home. Too much clutter! It’s not aesthetically pleasing enough! It’s too dark! It doesn’t look like all the homes I’ve seen on Pinterest!
But hey, I'm here to hold your hand and walk you through everything you need to know, and to provide you with a sweet and simple checklist that will make our photos together a breeze. That way, you’ll be able to head into your session looking forward to the memories you’ll be creating and capturing as a family, rather than stressing over the messy kitchen, or the trash you forgot to take out. We’re in this together!
Are you a little earlier on in your journey & looking for maternity or newborn session tips instead? Find what you need below:
How to Plan & Prepare for Your Maternity Session
How to Plan & Prepare For Your Newborn Session
8 Tips to Prepare for Your In-Home Family Photoshoot
1. Choose one or two spaces for your session
The first thing I want you to know going into your family session is that we do NOT have to use the entire house—so there’s no pressure for every single room to be photo-ready! No need to worry about the nursery that’s not quite done yet, or the sink that overflowed last week and the fact that you’re now in the middle of getting new floors in the kitchen, orrr the game room that’s a huge mess. The good news is that one or two rooms is more than enough space for us to use and still get a great variety of angles, backdrops, and lighting!
This could be your living room, kitchen, master bedroom, nursery, porch, bathroom, a kid’s room, or really anywhere in your house that will be easy for you to clean up, and that you think would be a fitting backdrop for your family photos. White walls and minimalist spaces are always amazing options, but so are cozy spaces that have been decorated with your favorite books, photos, blankets, furniture, etc. Don’t be afraid to think outside of the box a little and branch out from just your bedroom or couch—we can always head out to your backyard, or find a spot in your kitchen that has juuust the right angle for intimate photos.
The main thing to remember when picking rooms for your session is that they need to have good access to natural lighting! Ideally, when all of the artificial lights in a room are off, we want there to be enough natural light to see your faces and your surroundings. This is because natural light is much more flattering on the skin than artificial light, and we want allll the flattering angles + locations we can get!
2. Clean up distractions & clutter
Just as we do not need to use your entire home, your home also does not need to be anywhere close to perfect. My whole thing is capturing the perfectly imperfect so why would your home be any different? Don’t worry about doing any sort of deep-cleaning; a general tidying up will be more than enough. Instead of going around cleaning every floorboard and vacuuming the smallest of corners, I recommend simply de-cluttering any of the spaces you think you might use during your session. Remove objects off of counters, clean up any trash and toys on the floor, put away any furniture you’re not using, etc.
This list might seem obvious, but you’d be surprised what I’ve seen still out when I show up to a family’s home. I’ve almost taken family pictures with a CPAP machine still sitting on the nightstand. Your home does not have to be perfect by any means, these are just friendly suggestions and completely optional.
You may want to hide:
CPAP and any other machines (Roomba, breast pumps, etc.)
Doggie gates and kennels
Exercise equipment
Piles of laundry… piles of papers… piles of anything really
Dishes on drying racks
Clutter on night stands (mouth guards, loose change, water bottles, etc)
Diaper Genies, Air Purifiers, and Fans
Just remove any distractions, take a deep breath, and trust that I’ll handle the rest!
3. Prepare your kiddos
I find that family sessions go best when parents have taken a little bit of time beforehand to prepare their kids, and let them know what they can expect/what’s going to happen. It’s easy for little ones to get stressed in scenarios they haven’t experienced before, with people they’re unfamiliar with (aka me), or if they see a camera in the room. That’s why it’s good to take a little time before your session to tell them you’ll be taking photos together, and that the focus of the photos is to have fun together + make some new memories in your home. That’s it!
If they feel pressured to pose perfectly or smile every single second of the session, chances are we won’t really be getting their authentic personality or feelings captured through the photos—I’d much rather them be running around and having messy, imperfect fun than standing still with a forced smile because they think that’s what they’re “supposed” to do.
P.S. A little bribery can go a long way during these sessions; consider having their favorite snack, drink, or activity waiting for them at the end of the session to look forward to.
Alternatively, incorporate their favorite activities or toys into the session itself so that they can sit back, relax, and have real, genuine fun while I’m snapping pictures, just like they would on a regular day at home! Maybe you play songs they love over a speaker, or maybe you turn the sprinklers on in the backyard if it’s a hot, sunny day. The more authentic fun they’re having, the more their smiles and joy will shine through the photos.
4. Gather sentimental props, decor, or mementos
Got any sentimental items you’d like to include in your session? Gather ‘em up beforehand so you don’t have to worry about doing so day-of, or in the middle of the session! This could be your kids’ favorite toys that you gave them when they were younger, or maybe the blankets they’ve snuggled up with since their first few days as newborns. Maybe you’re welcoming a new life into the family and want to include your sonogram, a pregnancy announcement, or a letter board with your family name, or the name/due date of your new little one. Think about anything that would be meaningful to include in your photos; that would help you capture this season of your life and look back on it with the most fond memories. Have them placed in a box or basket when I arrive so that I can make sure to include all of them at some point in our session!
5. Invite your pets along for the fun
Your pets are just as much a part of the fam as the rest of you, so why not let them be a part of your in-home family photos?! If your four-legged BFF’s are well-behaved and will stay fairly calm in front of the camera, you’re more than welcome to include them in your session. You will neverrrr catch me saying no to taking photos of an adorable pup or a cute kitty as they follow you around the house, snuggle up on your lap, or curl up on the couch next to you. Bribery also works here, btw ;) Have some treats ready to give to your furry friends when they behave during your session, and to reward them for all their hard work being such purr-fect models in front of the camera!
6. Have your outfits ready ahead of time
If you want to have a stress-free, easy-peasy family session, make sure to get your outfits ready ahead of time, rather than at the last minute. I know it can be easy to put it off until the hour or two before I arrive at your home, but then that gives you absolutely no time to run to the store to grab that scarf you forgot you wanted to buy, or to figure out the right accessories that’ll go with the new top you bought. Better yet, make a date out of it for the two of you, or for your entire family: as your session date gets closer, spend an afternoon wandering the mall, or exploring local thrift shops as a family to find pieces to wear for your photoshoot. Thrifting is by far the most fun way to do it, in my opinion—plus, thrift stores often have awesome, secondhand kids’ clothing for GREAT prices! And you never know what treasures you’ll be able to find.
Wanna become a total thrifting pro? Check out my blog about How to Thrift the Perfect Outfits for Your Family Photos!
7. Remember to take time for yourselves
I’m a biiiig fan of parents getting a few photos of just the two of you during family sessions; after all, you’re the ones who started this family, aren’t you?! If your kids are able to be on their own for a few minutes during our session, we’ll take a couple of minutes to snap pictures of you two and capture your love on camera. These photos are just as much for you to enjoy now as they are for your kids and future generations to look back on; how special to see their parents during this really special, beautiful season of their lives as they were growing up? Plus, you deserve a little time alone, and to come back to why the two of you are here in the first place; to recognize your love, commitment, hard work, and dedication as a team.
8. Prioritize the imperfections
Finally, and possibly most importantly, embrace and prioritize the imperfections. I know that might sound weird: “But Madison, why would we want to prioritize our imperfections? Aren’t these photos supposed to make us look beautiful and put together?”
Friend, I’m here to tell you that you have it all wrong: your family photos should be all about embracing your true selves, the way you interact together, and the space you share. In fact, focusing on perfection can end up with reallyyyy boring, meaningless photos; if you spend all of your time worrying about looking “perfect” during your session, that’s all you’ll remember when you look back at your photos.
Wouldn’t you rather look back and remember the wild laughter that came out of your kids when you spilled your coffee on your brand new white shirt? Or the giggles when dad tells an embarrassing joke? The smiles that came from a shared embrace, rather than a forced direction from me to “smile for the camera?” I promise you that every single imperfection has its place in your in-home family photos, and they’ll make your session all the more meaningful, memorable, and personal to the beautiful life you’ve all created together.
Pre-Session Checklist for Your In-Home Family Photos
I know that was a lot of info, so I wanted to include a quick checklist of all the things you’ll want to do right before I come over, to make sure your space is ready to go. Save this to your phone, screenshot it, or copy and paste it into your Notes app for quick and easy access!
Turn off any overhead lights and lamps
Open up all of the blinds and curtains (we want all of the natural light we can get)
Close any doors leading to closets, pantries and laundry rooms that you don’t want to make a guest appearance in your photos
De-clutter the spaces you’ll be using during your session (do a last-minute check of your countertops, floors, furniture surfaces, etc!)
Get out any props you want to include in your photos
Prep snacks/treats/drinks for your little ones and/or furry friends to enjoy
Get out any toys or items you may need for activities you’re including in your session
Get out any accessories you may want to add on to your outfit
BONUS: Add fresh flowers to your dining table for an extra little touch!
New Braunfels Family Photographer
If you were nodding your head along as I talked about embracing the imperfections and feeling free to be your true selves, then I think we may be a great fit. If you’re ready to capture the good ol’ days with your loved ones, and have personalized photos to remember them by, reach out now; I can’t wait to help you freeze these precious moments to cherish forever.
Considering a session outside of your home? Browse through my location guides for the San Antonio area below.
