It’s best not to instruct your children to say “cheese” as it tends to transform a child’s naturally lovely face into a strange and strained smile. Instead, you know your kiddos best and know that one thing that ALWAYS makes them laugh, do that!

I find that while bribing your kids may work, it only works for a second. The problem is, that as soon as you set a prize at the end, kids tend to only focus on that. They start to think of our sessions as a chore to check off to get their reward and that is exactly what I don’t want.

The best thing you can do to prep the kids is to tell them we are going to have lots of fun - cause we will!

I often ask children to do something and on the way to doing it they do something even better, so please don’t feel the need to force them into something I’ve asked them to do. Chaos is beautiful to photograph, and children are the best chaos creators I know!

These ages can be tough! But don’t fret! Really we just go with the flow of the kiddos mood and see what they are feeling. At this age some kids may be shy and some may be on the move the whole time (hey, can ya blame them… they just learned to walk!) It’s all ok, we will embrace it!

It is totally fine and actually preferred to include your favorite four-legged family members in our sessions. I am a dog person myself (and they probably will be able to tell that)! They can lay in the background or some even enjoy being the center of attention, either is fine with me!

We all know finding something for ourselves to wear is almost the hardest part, so start here with finding something you are comfortable in. Then build from that! Maternal pieces look great if you like a traditional or boho look (dresses, maxi skirts, maxi dresses, flowy tops, etc) If comfortable showing skin (backless, off the shoulder top/dress etc) can tell a more raw and real story of motherhood - but choosing a dress or top with flowy sleeves or skirt creates beautiful images as well.

Think about how you will all look together. If mom is wearing a maxi dress and bare feet, it’s not going to work if dad wears a suit and tie. Keep all of you in a similar style. The clothes that work best are those that don’t look forced, but rather like natural choices for the activity that you are doing.

White shirts and jeans have had their time. Pick three or four colors that you will all wear, and have different amounts of each color. We don’t want everyone to match perfectly or wear nothing but a single color, but we also don’t want everyone wearing totally different colors and patterns.

Go for earth tones and textures. These are the most classic and timeless. It’s also best to aim for layers in your clothing to provide visual interest and movement.

While flowy dresses or skirts are fantastic, in general, with pants and shirts aim for fitted clothing that is on the tighter end of what you would normally wear. Avoid baggy jeans or loose fitting shirts.

While the idea of outfits for the season may be appealing, our aim is to produce photos you can display and use year round! Unless you live on the North Pole, Christmas only really works once a year.