The warmer season is just around the corner and you might be planning your family’s annual photo session at this point. I’m going to share 5 ways to plan your session for success this year.
NUMBER 1: BOOK YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER IN ADVANCE
Good photographers tend to book up fast during the most popular dates of the year, so reserving yours ahead of time means you’ll get the best option. You want to avoid scrambling at the last minute to book a photographer when the season is almost over and photographers have very little availability left.
NUMBER 2: BOOK THE BEST DATE
When is the best date for outdoor family photos in Winnipeg? In the 17 years I’ve been doing this, the most beautiful colours and weather tends to be between September 28 and October 10. And the prettiest hour of light on those days is generally between 5pm and 6pm.
Some people prefer spring photos, or even winter photos, but the vast majority of my clients love fall photos. The weather isn’t too hot or too cold, the colours are spectacular and the beautiful pre-sunset time is at a reasonable time of the day for kiddos who might be going to be early. It’s a win-win for a lot of families.
NUMBER 3: PICK A LOCATION THAT WORKS WELL FOR PHOTOS
Some of my favourite locations are ones that have lots of trees, but also a lot of variety in landscape. This means picking locations that have a mix of forest, water, fields, trails, elevation, etc. I also avoid picking locations that only have wide open spaces because not having any shade to use could be a problem on a very sunny day.
A good location also factors in accessibility (it has to be easy to get to for all family members). However, if your family is up for an adventure, picking a location that includes some hiking or trailblazing to find the best spots could be fun!
Here are some of my favourite locations in Winnipeg for fall photos:
Henteleff ParkLagimodière-Gaboury ParkKings ParkThe English Garden at Assiniboine ParkUpper Fort Garry ParkAssiniboine ForestHarbourView ParkSt. Boniface CathedralCrescent Drive ParkBois-des-EspritsBirds Hill ParkWhittier Park
NUMBER 4: DECIDE WHAT TO WEAR
One of the most common questions asked is what should the family wear for their photos. My go to answer is always this:
For colours, I recommend a light & neutral colour palette. For example, greys, beige, cream mixed in with pastels of pinks, greens and/or blues is good. You can add one or two patterns (a floral or a low contrast stripe in the same colour palette). Things to avoid: bright saturated colours, high contrast, logos, graphics or lettering. I also recommend avoiding wearing black (if possible) as black cotton tends to show white lint a lot more on camera than when we see it in real life.
I have a Pinterest board with photo examples of what works well. Click here to see it:
Click here to view my Pinterest board with ideas for how to pick outfits for your family photo shoot.
NUMBER 5: TRUST YOUR PHOTOGRAPHER
One of the hardest things is to trust the photographer to lead you, if you haven’t had much experience with a professional photo shoot before. I know how much work and energy it takes to plan a photo shoot for your family, and when you finally do show up, the stakes feel high. I often have moms arrive at a session worried their kids won’t cooperate, or that their outfits don’t work, or that everyone will look awkward posing for photos.
All I can say is – trust your photographer.
I’m the professional and my job is to take all the personality dynamics, the energy, the colours, backgrounds, sunlight, angles and MAKE SURE your photos turn out amazing.
I’m just as invested in the outcome of the photos as my families are. I want my families to be happy with their photos, but I also want the photos to look amazing for my own portfolio! Taking photos of families especially with younger kids is my specialty, and I’m more than prepared for the challenge.
I also know that kids can move quickly, and making sure to catch action shots, or shallow depth of field photos can be hard. I often use the auto-eye-tracker on my mirrorless cameras to nail the focus, even in fast moving subjects (hello toddlers!). Combined with my beautiful Sigma Art Lens, I’m all about catching those gorgeous moments that I’m seeing moving quickly before me.
So remember, trust your photographer and give yourself permission to let loose to enjoy the process. The family photo session is a place for you to play, to enjoy the company of your family and to spend time bonding with your spouse and kids. When that is your only focus, the rest will fall into place. I promise.
Looking for a beautiful location in Winnipeg with blooms from July to October? The English Garden is that go-to spot. It’s a gem inside the city and a very popular location for family photos. Although it can get crowded on warm summer evenings, it’s still a great location if you’re looking for colour with rich foliage & flowers. I had a blast taking photos of Mayo and Bea’s blended family: so many personalities and tons of fun! I enjoyed this shoot so much!
Looking to update your family photos? Contact me for availability and fun location ideas:
We’re coming up quick to the busiest time of the year for family photos: September! Fall is by far the most popular season for family photography sessions. People love the cooler air, nicer sunlight earlier in the evening, fewer mosquitoes and pretty colours in the trees.
But for a lot of moms (and dads too) the task of planning a photo shoot can be super daunting.
Over the last 15 years of taking family photos for my clients, I’ve found the following planning tips to be really helpful:
1) Determine what type of vibe you want to capture.
Do you want casual, candid portraits?
Do you want formal, posed photos?
Do you want a nature or architectural background?
Do you want photojournalistic, storytelling photos or a more formal and directed shoot?
Do you just need four or five photos to print a Christmas card?
Do you need a well-rounded collection of images to fill frames, print holiday cards and add to your annual family photo album?
Do you need 100+ photos so that you can keep and cherish every little moment from the photo shoot?
Once you know how many photos you need, you can pick a mini session or a full session. If you’re not sure, a mini session or half-session is a good option because you can always order extra photos if you change your mind after you review the gallery of proofs.
This might be THE most stressful part! My best advice is to start early and not leave this to the last minute. Start by picking out an outfit for the hardest person in the group. If there are prints or patterns in this first outfit, make sure the next outfits you add have mostly solid colours in the same colour scheme or tone. At all costs, avoid logos, distracting graphics or really bright colours.
You also want to make sure your outfits fit the location. If you’re wearing really formal wear in a casual park setting where there’s lots of adventuring through the woods or sitting on the ground in tall grass, that dress shirt and tie or cocktail dress might look out of place. In the same way, if you’re wearing really casual athletic wear in a location that has funky architecture or an artistic flare, this might not make sense.
And finally – don’t wear a new article of clothing for the first time at a photo shoot. You may be surprised at how uncomfortable or ill-fitting an outfit feels. If you feel uncomfortable, it’s hard to hide that in your face! I recommend wearing your outfit at least once before so that you are sure that you like how you look and how it makes you feel.
4) Prioritize golden hour, but not at the expense of your kids’ moods.
Yes, you want good light for your outdoor photos (and that’s usually the 2nd hour after sunrise or the 2nd hour before sunset), but if that’s close to bed time for your kids, it’s not worth it! Although brighter parts of the day may not be ideal for photos, I can help find locations that have shade from the sun if you want to make sure the session ends before bedtime. It’s better to have smiles and happy toddlers than gorgeous lighting with cranky kids. Also, parents look and feel their best in photos when their kids are happy. 😉 (I can attest to that personally from my own photo shoots!)
I’ve been a big fan of Terry’s flower farm just south of Winnipeg for years now, and when I had the opportunity to go back there to take photos of her own family, I immediately said yes! Not only is their property stunning in late Summer, but her family is just as beautiful and full of colour. I had so much fun capturing all these photos, running around with the kiddos and taking photos as they explored the gardens full of vegetables and flowers. What a delight this was!
A drive out to the rural outskirts of the city, an early morning sun filtered by thin clouds and a beautiful family is what made this photo session absolutely perfect! Their daughter is almost a year old, and capturing this special milestone is something that I love so much. She toddled around with her cute little feet, she babbled some very interesting but incoherent stories, and had the biggest, beaming smile for so many photos. She even took a few bites of fresh dill and showed off her cool shades. Spending time with a 1 year old is so refreshing! It was an absolute delight to document this moment in time and here’s a handful of the photos we captured:
