A portrait session should be relaxing and fun. I want to capture the true spirit of your family, especially the spirit of your children. Those silly grins, unique gestures, and mannerisms, make them who they are!  The best way to do this is to just let them be themselves.

Preparing for the Session
Your photo session starts when you call and make an appointment. We will discuss the look you are trying capture. Are you looking for a casual, intimate portrait or something more formal celebrating a special occasion?

What to Wear or Bring
Many clients wonder what clothing choices work best. For family portraits, it is best to choose similar styles for all family members. For example, jeans or kakhis and black shirts work well. Dressing in this manner lends itself to a timeless more unified portrait. You should also avoid busy patterns, or too many colors; they draw attention away from the subject.

For infants just a diaper or their birthday suit allows me to capture just how small they really are. When choosing clothing for infants or toddlers, again, select simple classic styles. Avoid big collars or too many ruffles. These tend to draw attention away from the child’s face and often can get in the way. Children are more themselves in clothing that is unrestricted and comfortable! I have a supply of different diaper covers and bloomers as well as other simple clothing, hats, tutus, etc. in the studio that can add a new look for different portraits.

It is also a great idea to bring your child’s favorite toy. (This goes for our pet children as well.)  This has two purposes…one, it may help them feel more comfortable during the session and two, it is great to capture them with the things they love. You will be able to look back on these portraits and remember what they were attached to at a certain milestone in their life…or watch how they grow in comparison to that well-loved and worn lovie they just can’t part with.

The Session
Depending on the type of session you schedule, it can last from 30 min to 2 hours. There will be plenty of time for a few clothing changes (except in the mini session) and breaks for snacks or cuddles. Often times these little breaks are great opportunities to capture the child in a more relaxed situation…thus providing the opportunity for me to catch the most natural expressions.

During the session I ask only those to be photographed come to the session. Too many other people in the shooting room can be distracting to the children being photographed. They can become confused to who they should be looking at.

There are also two words you will not hear during a session, “Say Cheese”. I joke that Joy Hamilton Photography is “dairy free”. Those two words, when said to children between the ages of 2 and up, elicit those big, fake, cheesy grins you capture every time someone pulls a camera out. I let your children play, we talk, we laugh, I can do dances, sing (not very well, but it illicits some cute grins!)…all of this…to capture those natural smiles and contemplative thoughts that define your child.