Celebrating motherhood with my family

I’m always telling mamas to get in front of the camera and make memories with their kiddos. The crazy thing is, even though I’m a photographer, I don’t really like being on the other side of the lens. It’s pretty silly, but as I’ve mentioned, there are too few pictures of me with my family.

When I heard my sweet friend Laura Watson would be in Texas for one weekend doing family minis, I jumped on the chance to update our three-year-old family photos that were missing two kids and a dog. I’m so glad we did!

You never know how young children are going to handle a family photo session. Your kids, like mine, are used to being photographed literally all the time, whether you’re pulling out your DSLR + a favorite lens or relying on your iPhone. Here are four simple tricks I used to help our session go as smoothly as possible:

01. I scheduled the session after nap time because rested kids are happy kids.

Early session times work for some families, but we aren’t really morning people.

02. The day of our photos, we talked a lot about our big family adventure – family photos!

My oldest was super excited about a family adventure, so our middle kiddo was excited too by default. I did everyting I could do minimize my own stress level (because if mama ain’t happy… you know how it goes, right?) This means I had everything prepped ahead of time so that there was literally zero last-minute stress: everyone’s outfit was laid out, snacks for the car were packed, directions to park were on my phone and I had the diaper bag totally loaded the night before.

03. Once we met up with Laura, our photographer, I let myself relax and enjoy being with my family.

Not only has she been a photographer for around 10 years, but she also has kids too. That means Laura understands what it’s like to photograph little monkeys like mine and she’s skilled at giving direction, creating connection between each of us and knowing when to give the kids a break. Mamas, trust your photographer, even if this means you set up a call or a meeting beforehand to get to know them better. Let us do our job, which is capturing your family making happy memories.

04. We promised the kids a special reward if everyone followed directions during the session.

A little bribery goes a long way 🙂

What would I do differently?

Our session was scheduled for mid-October, and everyone knows the weather is totally unpredictable in Texas. When we met at the park, it was 90 degrees outside and we were sweaty in no time. Two weekends after our photos were taken, it was around 40 degrees – chilly, but better for photos, if you ask me. You might have better luck with cooler temperatures booking a November session, if you would prefer long sleeves.

Otherwise, I wouldn’t change a thing about our session. We opted for a package that included high-resolution files, which means I can show them off online or have them printed.

So, when should you start thinking about spring/fall minis for next year?

I’ll release my spring mini session dates in February and the fall dates in July 2018. Sign up below to receive my mini session alerts so that you don’t even have to worry about when to schedule – I’ll send you a reminder with all the info you need!

Who are minis for and what are they like?

Anyone can sign up for a mini session – but I don’t advertise them on my website! The only way to access details about my spring and fall minis is to join my mailing list, which you can do by clicking the button below. These sessions are not like my traditional maternity, Fresh 48 or newborn options, so even if you’ve reserved your date to celebrate the birth of your baby, a mini session is still a great option for you, too!

Typically they are between 20-30 minutes long and held at a pre-determined location. For fall 2017, I met my clients at a beautiful park in The Woodlands that offered a variety of different backgrounds. I haven’t finalized all of the details for my 2018 spring minis just yet, but I guarantee you’ll love the location!

Most of our time together will focus on your entire family, but if time allows, we’ll also capture just your child(ren), and even a few photos of only mom and dad, too.

My Special Collection packages vary each year, but typically I offer three very reasonably priced options that combine digital files + prints, as well as holiday card designs!

After your session is reserved, you’ll receive what to wear tips and other information to help prepping for your session effortless! 🙂 All of the details are just a click away!