Little Faces Prep Guide
How do we prepare for the session?
Keep outfits simple. Stay away from collars, frills, logos, patterns and ruffles. Your little ones will be moving around and this will prevent outfit mishaps. We also don't want anything to distract from their sweet personalities.
Decide if you prefer light, dark or mid-tone shirts. Stay away from solid white as it tends to blend into the background (although white tank tops work wonderfully) and black because lint will always show up. All other colors are good and your children don't even need to match. Tank tops, v-neck, henley or crew neck shirts all look great. If you have more than one being photographed I suggest you switch up the style of shirts, for example put one in a tank top, one in a crew neck and another in a cap sleeve.
Keep hair as natural/simple as possible with little to no accessories - this means no big bows, but pigtails are cute. If you must use a hair accessory stay away from white and cream please, these will disappear into the background.
Make sure that your child's face is clean before you arrive, many children do not like having faces wiped, it is best to do it before hand allowing the portrait process to be a positive experience. Moisturize their face, arms and hands a day before the session, and come free of crumbs and boogies. Chapstick is also great for both girls and boys.
Lastly, try to keep your child from getting a sunburn prior to their session. Even though images are in black and white, sunburned faces will still show and not edit as nicely.
Are you able to edit out scratches, etc?
The rule is, if it's temporary it will be edited out, such as bruises, blemishes, scratches/scabs. Children always seems to injure themselves right before a photo session is scheduled. If there is swelling or anything questionable, feel free to send me a photo so I can assess and see if we should reschedule.
Can I bring props?
Sure! You are welcome to bring props that make your child shine. Some ideas would be sports equipment (ball, glove, helmet, pom poms, bat etc.), sunglasses, hats, tiara, stuffed animal, special toy. While I won't use the prop in all the pictures, I can add it in a few. No more than one prop per child please.
What should you do during the photoshoot?
Each child is different, some want you right next to them while others 'perform' better if you stand back while they express themselves. The main thing is to allow me to build a connection with your child while capturing their attention and focus. With younger children and 'runners' we can count on it being a team effort and a bit of a workout.
I shoot many frames to get the best images and expressions, so let them do their thing!
Will I photograph siblings together?
While there is no guarantee I like to try to get a few frames of everyone together at the end of your session. Sometimes it's magic and sometimes it doesn't work out.