HOW TO PREPARE YOUR KIDS FOR A FAMILY PHOTOGRAPHY SESSION


Hello you, and thank you for being here! If you are reading this is because you already have a planned session with Carlota Stewart Photography and are wondering (or freaking out) how you will prepare your children. Do not worry, there is nothing to worry about, I'm here to help and please read this blog completely.


  1. First of all, please read your styling guide. I have already sent this to you in a .pdf document. This will help you get the best and most appropriate clothing in order and make sure your child is appropriately dressed. When I say appropriately dressed, I’m making sure that if it's winter, please dress them in a way they won’t be cold. A cold shivering child won’t enjoy being there at all and you will be risking a terrible time with your little one as well as your child getting sick, your child, I can assure you the child will have a rough time and so will you.
  2. Please show your children a photo of me. You can head to my instagram account www.instagram.com/carlotasfotos and click on the bubbles at the top where it says "About". If you don't have instagram, please show them this photo of me so I wont look like a complete stranger to them. I’m a believer in being very upfront with children no matter the age. The days leading up to the session tell them that I am going to be taking your family photos. Tell them that we are going to go to a fun place and that we are going to play. Tell them that I am going to be asking them to stand and sit in a few different ways. Tell them you expect them to be in the photos. You can tell them that I’ll be quite fast. My shoots normally are around 30 minutes to an hour and I still get loads of photos.



Carlota Stewart Photographer posing in the Austrian snow with a camera hanging from the neck

3. Show them past family photos and explain that this is what is going to happen, we will be taking photos and having fun. When kids know that this experience will result in a series of fun photos of themselves, they will be more excited. Even if you only have phone photos to show them, the effect is the same. Most kids LOVE to see photos of themselves.

4.  Ensure that your kids are fed, rested and I know. Don't go on a hike and then to a singing lesson on the same day as your photo shoot. Make your photos session the main event of the day. Feed them dinner or a big snack before the session so they aren't hungry. Hungry kids are never easy to work with.


Please note, that I will never force smiles on your children. If you child is happy the smile will be natural and I'm happy with photos which reflect the true nature of your child. I will try to do many tricks to make your child laugh, so don't be surprised if I make lots of squeaky and weird noises, that's the whole point. I'm absolutely fine with honest, pensive portraits of children. I also will never make your child leave your arms if they he/she does not feel comfortable being separated from you. I will capture them exploring and being them and then sneak in some portraits along the way.


Please trust me as your photographer, I do this every day. My aim isn't to make you look perfect or to make your children behave perfectly and sit straight up on a stiff chair with a stiff smile. No, no. My job is to show you that you and your children are absolutely perfect just the way they are!


I'm looking forward to your photoshoot and I hope you are excited too. XoXo, Carlota  



Boy and Girl holding hands and looking at each other in mountains in Austria
Father carrying son and faces together in Austria
boy with black eyes looking at the camera
happy mother and father carrying children walking towards photographer
family posing for a photo on a field in Lower Austria
mother and father swinging girl from arms in Lower Austria