Do you dream of having perfect family photos to hang on your wall, but are wondering how to make it happen? Here's 5 tips to help you get family photos that everyone will be talking about!

FIRST, CHOOSE THE BEST PHOTOGRAPHER FOR YOUR NEEDS & WANTS

Who cares what Karen down the street is doing, pick the best one for YOU. Here's some questions you need to ask yourself when choosing a photographer for family photos of your dreams:

• Do they take the time to get to know you? And allow you to ask questions? This is huge! You need to be comfortable in front of the camera.
• Are they professional? Do they have a business license, a website, and contracts? Are they organized? This speaks volumes about what to expect.
• Does their schedule work with yours? Or do they accommodate? Some shoot only at golden hour, no questions asked. If you've got a little baby, that's a hard sell.
• Do they provide extra services you need? For instance, styling advice, client closets, or prints & products to display in your home.
• Do they shoot at locations you like? No sense in hiring an outdoor photographer if you want an in-home session, right?
• Do you even like their editing style? Follow their social media accounts, browse their website. If it calls out to you and makes you feel something, YAY!!

CHOOSE A LOCATION THAT'S SPECIAL TO YOUR FAMILY

Location, location, location! It's important in real estate AND when you want to get perfect family photos. Why?

• If it's a place you're already comfortable being, that's one less thing to feel awkward about AND your whole family will act more natural, which makes the best photos!
• A stunning location can turn meh photos into AMAZING photos.
• Where you take photos helps tell the story you are hoping to capture.

CHOOSE YOUR WARDROBE TO REFLECT WHO YOU ARE AS A FAMILY

Style is a way to say who you are without having to speak, so what do you want the photos of your dreams to say about you? Don't let this intimidate you, but don't forget it either. A good photographer will make sure you don't! Because remember:

• Just like location, wardrobe helps tell your story.
• Wardrobe selection also turns meh photos into AMAZING photos.
• If you're comfortable with what you are wearing, it shows in your expressions, your connections and how you carry yourself.
• If you choose the "wrong" thing (ie. colour, comfortability, season), it's so hard to look past! Not great when all you really want is people looking at YOU.

Check out this blog post on easy-to-coordinate outfits for spring & summer photos!

LIGHTING IS EVERYTHING WHEN IT COMES TO PERFECT FAMILY PHOTOS

Light turns the ordinary into the magical. Don't believe me? Have you ever watched a sunrise/sunset WITHOUT saying "Isn't that beautiful?" Nope! So ask yourself:

• Can the photographer I'm choosing take beautiful photos in different lighting situations?
• Which lighting situation is my favourite? (Sunset, dramatic, soft, etc) Then you'll know what time of day to book AND possibly even the kind of location to book!

CANDID, NATURAL INTERACTIONS MAKE FOR PERFECT FAMILY PHOTOS

This may be controversial, but it's true. With posed, "say cheese" photos, everyone kind of looks stiff and flat. Plus, let's be real, we take those with our phones all the time! But with candid, lifestyle family photos:

• Real personalities and connections shine through in the photos.
• You can literally FEEL what's going on in the photos.
• They tell a story and speak volumes about who you are as a family.
• You remember an experience and that is a gift in itself.

JUST DON'T FORGET TO BE YOU. LAUGH! DANCE! SMILE! PLAY! CUDDLE! OR WHATEVER IT IS YOUR FAMILY DOES TOGETHER!

Always, Always REMEMBER YOUR WHY FOR GETTING FAMILY PHOTOS

As you plan and stress, it's easy to forget why you're doing them in the first place. Ask yourself:

• Is it the details of this particular time that you want to remember?
• Is it the act of getting together, taking the photos and the memories of the whole experience?
• Is it so I can have updated photos on the walls for friends and family to see?
• Is it so you will have them to look back on when everyone is grown?

What do you think of these tips to get the perfect family photos? Want to learn more about what I offer? Click here!