Have you ever booked a photo session and then as it got closer to the date you started to feel stress. If this has happened to you, you are not alone. I remember a time myself when we had booked a photographer when my kids were younger. We were running late of course, I hustled to put the kids clothes on in the car and of course my daughter did not want to wear what I had picked out for her which was a scratchy sweater dress and I had NO back up, I remember my daughter crying and my husband and I begging her to please wear that dress. We made it thru our session but not stress free!! I am going to give you a few stress free tips today to help make your sessions go hopefully better than mine did.

1. Try on your clothes before your session and make sure your kids are comfortable in their outfits. If the kids like what they are wearing this makes everything about the session go so much more smoothly. Sometimes parents attach huge bows or uncomfortable shoes, its not worth the fight parents!

2. Kids are curious so let them be curious, I find in the beginning of my sessions kids ask a lot of questions, they are curious about me and our surroundings so that is the perfect time to capture they perfect personalities. Sometimes I am able to capture them staring back at me, or tell me funny stories about their families and other times they just want mommy or daddy and that is awesome too to get those cuddle photos in!

3. Don’t tell your child to smile or say “Cheese” Yes, this is correct, I can’t tell you how many photos I look thru where the parents are in mid sentence saying words like this or the child is in a big holding of their face saying “Cheeeessseeee” if you try it now what does your face look like? Yes, you get what I am saying! Some kids are natural giggly people and others are not, you want your child’s personality not their fake one.

4. Let your kids explore the beach, need I say more! We take them to the beach during the day and let them dig in the sand, get in the water, and run and then we dress them up go to a photo session at the beach and expect them not to touch the sand, dig, get in the water, or run, that is such a mixed message. Let them have a bit of fun, the memories will mean so much more!!

5. Enjoy being with your family-what a sweet age this is, just embrace this stage in life. Give hugs, love on each other, run in the sand, give some piggy back rides, kiss by the waves and just enjoy being together as a family!!