Every mom loves photos of her family! Capturing moments in time is something you come to understand in a different light, once you have children of your own. One of my favorite sayings about motherhood is, “the days are long but the years are short.” I like it because helps me remember to be present in the moment and embrace these times with my family…whether they’re special milestones or just everyday life! I enjoy looking back on photos from years past, they grow so fast…
In honor of Mother’s Day, I wanted to share some photos of our family from a recent session with my friend/photographer, Jennifer Cortes! (Be sure to catch her special offer for L&L readers at the end of the post!) She’s been taking our family photos for about 5 years now, and we always look forward to shooting with her. One of the reasons is that she’s fabulous with kids, managing to get great shots, even when someone decides they don’t want to cooperate 😉 And, while I do love traditional posed family photos, I also really like having some shots that are more candid, capturing my kids’ personalities when they let their guards down! She gets a mix of both!
All that being said, I know first-hand that getting your family ready to take pictures has high potential to be a stressful situation! Here are a few things I’ve found helpful when taking family photos…
- Give them a healthy snack before you head out. (This works for husbands, too!) Hungry kids usually won’t be cooperative, so be sure not to overlook this in the rush to get out the door.
- Find a photographer that’s kid-friendly and ready to roll with the punches! Makes all the difference.
- Don’t overthink the outfits. I like to coordinate, but not be too matchy. Pick a color or print and plan around that. Unless its a formal photo, let kids wear what they’re comfortable in and maybe help choose an outfit for the session (with your guidelines in mind, of course)!
- Get outside! I love outdoor photos! Plus, if your kids get fidgety they can play or run around a bit to get some energy out. And that usually makes for great photos, too!
- Have fun, laugh, relax…someday in the future, you’ll look back on these and remember what a precious stage of life it was, despite the chaos that are a totally normal part of having a family!
A mini photo session is a great way to get some fun, updated photos of your family! Whether you want to focus on just the kids, or the entire family, a 30 minute session is sometimes all you need! Jennifer also offers more extensive sessions, but I love the minis for a quick photo refresh. As promised in yesterday’s post, there’s a special offer for L&L readers: Mini sessions for $75! Just mention that you heard about it here when booking your shoot!
Thank for stopping by! I hope everyone has a very happy Mother’s Day, spending time with your loved ones! xx
