Setting the expectation
When expectations are set beforehand, it can make things run smoother. If you are wanting natural family photos, what should your expectations be? HAVE FUN! If you want fun, joyful images without the stiffness, have fun and just be present!
Choosing the right photographer
If you are looking for natural photos, choose the right photographer that matches the style you are looking for. Check their portfolio and make sure that’s the style you are looking for. If I’m wanting fun, natural photos, I won’t be going to someone who has photos of everyone smiling at the camera for every single portrait. They might be an awesome photographer, but it’s not the style that I’m going for. So, before you secure a photographer make sure your expectations and their expectations are on the same page. This is something I always communicate with my clients. Anytime I receive an inquiry, I always tell them how my sessions run and if that’s what they are looking for.
Stop the nagging, parents!
Seriously! No, your child does not need to look at me and smile the whole time. I promise you! The more you are present with your family and engaged with them, the more natural your photos will get. The more you PLAY with your children, the more natural the photos will be. Once you start telling your child, look at the camera, or smile at the photographer, it takes out the FUN in the photos and makes it into a chore. You don’t want this to be a chore; you want your children relaxed and playful. We don’t want anyone upset during family photos, it’s not fun.
Don’t be perfect
This may sound awful, but I’m really not trying to be. Don’t be caught up in being perfect. Perfectly behaved children. a perfectly behaved husband (cough cough). Sometimes the most real moments come from those imperfect moments. A meltdown can lead to a mom who is embracing their child calming them down, those moments of nurturing are my golden tickets. I’m not looking to have a child with a meltdown but as a mom, I understand they come out of nowhere and in the most inconvenient ways. So, I get it. I get that we want things to be perfect and we want our whole family to cooperate, but when we start fixating on that, we lose some of that beautiful connection that can happen naturally.
Just play!
Getting those natural family photos that we want come with a great advantage. It brings a more playful approach to where kids and husbands can enjoy. As a family photographer, I ensure that we have moments of playing that lead to those beautiful natural photos. I am not the type of photographer who will pose you the whole session and require you to smile at me. We will have fun and we will bring those giggles out through playful activities. Are we going to get winded at the number of times I make you run? Maybe. But I’m sure we will also have moments where we explore our surrounding and just take in the moment.
In the end..
If you are looking for natural family photos, just make sure to select a photographer that matches that style you are looking for. Don’t aim for perfection but rather be present with your family and have FUN. These sessions are a whole different ballgame when we are not concerned about our appearance or on how our kids are behaving. If you are looking for a photographer and I live in your area, I would love to help you out! I do lifestyle family sessions and documentary family sessions for families looking for something deeper.
If you are looking for more articles to read, check out these:
–What is documentary family photography? A guide to photographing real family moments