How to prepare for your family photoshoot

A family photoshoot is such a special experience. It’s a chance to celebrate your family in your own way, capture some gorgeous photos and spend some quality time together as a family. Here’s a little guide to help you prepare for your family photoshoot.

But let’s be honest, preparing for a photoshoot can feel a little overwhelming, particularly if you’re feeling nervous or worrying that your 3yr old is going to have a complete meltdown on the day. Don’t worry! I’ve got your back with these simple tips to help you prepare for your family photoshoot and make your session fun, relaxed, and totally you.

What to wear for family photos

Choosing what to wear for your family photoshoot doesn’t need to be stressful. It’s all about keeping things simple and true to your style.

Gone are the days of everyone in identical white shirts and jeans (thankfully!) Plan something that makes you feel confident, comfortable and that you love to wear. It doesn’t matter if it’s formal or more casual. Whether you go for big fun colours, or muted, neutral and earthy tones, think about wearing colours that work well together as a palette, rather than everyone having to match. That said, if you all own matching hand knitted jumpers and hats and want to bring them along too… we’ll plan for a matching jumper moment in your photo session. 

Try to avoid super loud prints, big logos or tops with printed text that can take attention away from your lovely faces. Printed text tends to get bunched up in photos and really loud or busy patterns can become the focus in pictures.

Make sure everyone feels comfortable. If your kids hate that fancy jumper, they probably won’t wear it happily for long. Choose outfits that let everyone move and play freely. If you don’t usually get dressed up as a family, think about what you would wear to go for a lunch out with friends.

I love a good photoshop challenge… but there are some crumpled t-shirts that are a touch beyond my skill set…so plan to run an iron over your outfits the night before. Avoid digging old clothes out from the back of your wardrobe. It’s unlikely that they’ll fit the way you want them to, or that you’ll feel the most like your brilliant self if it’s an outfit you don’t wear regularly.

Don’t go mad tidying up

This is often the thing that families worry about the most. My advice is always not to spend ages tidying and cleaning up! I can work with your space how it is and I want to capture you in your everyday space. We don’t need magazine perfection to capture beautiful family images of you in your home, and it’s best if everyone taking part feels comfortable and relaxed. 

I’ll spend the most time with you in your bedroom, living room and nursery (if you have one) and sometimes the kitchen too. You can plan which bed sheets you’d like to have on your bed in advance but otherwise we can always scoop anything distracting out of shot on the day. 

If you’re preparing for a newborn photoshoot at home, it’s even more important not to stress about the state of your home beforehand, you have enough demands on your time! I’m a pro at shuffling unwanted items out of shot, and I’m not shy about moving things if I think it’ll work better compositionally for your photos.  

Let in natural light

I like to make the most of the natural light in your home, so keeping a bit of clear space around the windows can be helpful. Opening curtains or blinds and clearing clutter from the windowsills can help light your images beautifully, and you might want to think about adding any sentimental items to your space to be included in your photographs. 

I offer photoshoots all over London, and an outdoor photoshoot could be in your favourite local park, your garden (if you have one) or near one of London’s many iconic landmarks. Check out this list of my favourite locations in London for photoshoots if you’re in need of some inspiration!

Wherever you’re planning to have your photoshoot, I’ll help you plan an itinerary for our session with a variety of different locations. Have a look at one of my recent outdoor photoshoots in Crystal Palace Park for inspiration.

Bring snacks

Make sure you bring along snacks, water, wipes, picnic blankets if you’d like or any comfort items your kids might need. I’ll plan to have lots of breaks during our session if young children need a bit of time for a reset. Bringing a favorite toy can be a lifesaver for helping younger children enjoy the session, and it’s a lovely personal touch to have in photos too.

Layer up

Outdoor shoots often involve a bit of movement, so choose outfits that are comfortable and weather appropriate. Layers are great for cooler days, and they can be easily removed if it warms up. We can always plan an outfit change if you’d like as well. 

Keep things light and playful

My approach is gentle, informal and very child-led. I’ve worked with children of all ages for many years and there’s no ‘good’ or ‘bad’ behaviour in my book.

Children absolutely thrive on play, so don’t worry about getting them to ‘pose’. We’ll run, laugh, play games, mess about and it’s my job to catch those moments on camera. 

Let your kids know what to expect and plan it as part of a fun day out or a day of activities at home. You can frame it as a fun family adventure where they get to play, explore, and make silly faces!

Finally, remember that your photoshoot is about celebrating your family as you are right now. My job is to capture your connection, your love, and those beautiful little moments of togetherness. I’ll gently guide you throughout, but the best photos usually happen when everyone has forgotten I’m there. 

If you’ve got questions or need more tips on how to prepare for your family photoshoot, just let me know. I can’t wait to create something truly special with you!

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