Ultimate Photo Shoot Guide: How to Prepare for Studio Family Pictures with Little Kids

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Family Photo Shoot Tips and Tricks

Over the years we have shared our photo tips for every stage of life. Britt shared her do’s and don’ts for couple photos – you guys loved that one and it has been shared millions of times. The blog post is perfect for newly engaged couples wanting to prep some poses before their first photo shoot together. Or at least know the ones to avoid! I shared my family photo shoot when we just had Lila and did some do and don’t do poses that have been shared more than 5 million times. Thank you for the support! If you have headshots coming up or just want to know some tricks from photography pros check out this blog post we did with Jessica Janae. She was so helpful in teaching us ways to position our bodies for flattering shots.

And now onto the newest addition to the lineup. Tips for a studio family photo session: how to keep little ones happy, what poses to include, and how to prep the day before.

Plan Your Time Wisely for the Family Photo Shoot

When it comes to photo shoots and little kids you want to keep it as short as possible, especially in a studio where they are in a restricted area with little space to run and play. Our entire photo shoot was 15 minutes — that’s it! We knew the shots that we wanted to get and moved quickly. Our photographer Beth was great to work with and helped us move fast so we could get all the photos we wanted.

Winston almost fell asleep on the way there and we were ready for the worst but with a little bribery (I promised him ice cream after the shoot) things thankfully worked out! Also, start the photo shoot with your kids solo and together so that you can get those done before you lose their attention.

Get Photos of Your Kids on Their Own and Together

We chose to start with photos of our kids together. That way they weren’t too nervous and the photographer was able to capture moments that we will treasure forever. I loved the bright light and clean lines of the studio. It was our first time opting to do family photos indoors and I am so glad we did. It was nice to switch things up and have a different vibe for our photos.

After the kids’ photos together we had them do solo shots which was so much fun! (they were really good at making each other laugh so we got some great smiles) After that Parker and I did photos together which might seem odd but I have come to love looking back at our photos of just the two of us over the years.

We also started with just the blank wall and standing shots and then moved the bench in and did the remainder of the photos sitting. I am glad we tried out both and got some variation in the photos. I never expected my favorite photo to be the one of us sitting cozied up together on the couch but it is!

Be Silly to Get Real Smiles

With little kids, you have to add in some silliness or you will get robotic smiles. Our kids are 6 and 3 and love nothing more than when mom and dad are silly with them. Some things that worked for us were booty shaking, silly faces, and potty words. Kids will be kids and these all worked like a charm! I love the real emotion and happiness that was captured in the photos instead of them feeling too formal and staged. It was nice to keep the mood light and everyone smiling during the photo shoot.

Try on Outfits Before the Photo Shoot

This is a must with kids! I had ordered both of their outfits online and am so glad we did a try-on one week before the photo shoot because Lila’s dress ended up being way too big. I decided to swap it out with her Easter dress and thankfully it worked with our color scheme. Phew!

Winston’s shirt fit perfectly but we had to try on a few different pairs of pants to land on our favorites that fit well and went with the vibe. I also had them try on their new shoes ahead of time so we could troubleshoot any problems ahead of time.

I LOVE little girl bows and accessories but could not find anything I loved. We went searching the day beforehand and I found this linen bow for Lila that I ended up loving. Family pictures are the opportunity to be picky and particular. I am not normally as detail-oriented when I am getting the kids (or myself) dressed every day but for family pictures you want everything to fit and be cleaned/ironed.

I was thrilled with the green dress I found at Anthropologie. We used the photo shoot to announce my pregnancy and this dress fit so beautifully over my growing bump. It is not maternity and Britt wore it the other day and it looked amazing on her too. The cut is super flattering for all body shapes.

And I have told everyone about my velvet heels because I am obsessed with them! They are so beautiful in person and the perfect fall/winter shoe to dress up otherwise boring outfits with a little bit of texture and warmth.

I hope these tips help ease your nerves the next time you are headed into a studio family photo shoot. I know I was nervous going into a studio photo shoot with little ones but the most important thing is to have fun! It definitely shows in the photos. Please share any other tips you have in the comments!