If you love family portraits, but just don’t love convincing your significant other to be enthusiastic about them or worrying about the behavior of your kids, relax! Look forward to a stress-free family photo session with these 4 tips!

Save Time & Your Sanity

I’ve taken thousands of family portraits since Helena Goessens Photography first became a business. Family portraits are immensely important to many people – whether to record milestones and family growth or for the perfect annual holiday card photo. While booking a family photo session each year may be a priority, sometimes the perceived hassle of the investment can lead to nervousness and … let’s face it … a bit of dread. Today I want to share some advice on making your family photo session enjoyable – I promise it’s possible!

1. Plan ahead.

This is one of the main keys to stress-free family portraits. Where is your location? How long will it take you to get there? Work with your photographer to select a location that isn’t too far from home (many photographers, including myself, will come to your home!) and fits your family’s lifestyle. Schedule your family photo session at a time when everyone is at their best (read: full bellies, not at nap time, etc.). Be realistic! If you have certain expectations, share them with your family and your photographer. For older kids, let them know about how long the session will be. If you have younger kids, be flexible and make sure the time commitment is age-appropriate for them.

2. Have fun!

Forget about getting the perfect shot; let your photographer worry about that. Make this experience about each other, togetherness, and the memories these images will bring back to you years from now. Enjoy your (relatively) uninterrupted time together as a family. Relax! The picture that ends up being your favorite may not be the one you have in your mind at the time. Have fun during your family portraits session and certainly your photos will reflect that fun. Remember, if you’re relaxed, your family will be relaxed!

3. Hire the right photographer for your family portraits.

To receive your best family portraits, you’re going to need to make sure that the photographer you’re working with fits your family’s style. Of course I’d like that to be me (view my Families gallery here), but if it isn’t that’s ok. If you like posed photos, your photographer’s portfolio should reflect that. You can find a photographer to shoot any type of style, really, and the result will be your ideal photos of your family. It’s also nice to get familiar with your photographer before the shoot in order to ensure your expectations are in-line with your booked session. It’s very important to know your style before booking your session; every photographer worth their salt wants you to love your images!

4. Simple is best.

Believe it or not, we photographers know that having your picture taken can feel like a lot of work. Work with your photographer to keep your session within a predetermined timeframe. This can be extremely helpful when it comes to the cooperation of your children (and maybe spouse!). Make the most of your time and ask your photographer if you can also take this opportunity to capture a few photos of just mom and dad, too – your kids will treasure these snapshots, as will you.

The family portrait sessions I’ve featured in this post were taken at Crane Beach, a beautiful beach in Ipswich, MA. In conclusion, I encourage families to bring a change of clothes to their session so they can explore the beautiful area when our work is complete, and make their family photo session experience one that will be truly cherished.

For inquiries and booking, please click here or fill out the below contact form to contact me.

about helena goessens photography

Helena Goessens is a maternity, newborn and family photographer based in Dedham, MA. She loves to work with families and little ones in a fun and relaxed atmosphere. She lives for creativity and she loves to captures genuine connection between family members and for her kid friendly photogrpahy style. Helena Goessens offers sessions in the comfort of clients homes, outdoors and on location for those special occasions.  If you are looking for a family portrait photographer for your next family session, be sure to browse through her family portfolio and inquire for availability. Contact her at   info@helenagoessens.com    or call her at    617-584-9891.  For more of her work, visit her website at  helenagoessens.com.