Family Sessions

Welcome to the ultimate guide for making your family photo session a breeze! I get it, life’s busy, and the last thing you need is extra stress in the days leading up to your photoshoot. Don’t worry though – I’ll help you every step of the way.

So, here’s the scoop: planning ahead is your secret weapon and this guide has everything you need to be prepared so you arrive at your session calm, cool, and collected!

In the guide below, you’ll learn more about:

What is included with your full OR mini family session (don’t remember which you booked? Just ask me!)
What to wear & what not to wear
How to access your interactive styling app- it’s a game changer!
Tips & Tricks

Thank you so much for choosing me to photograph your family! I’m so happy to document this special time in your life! If you still have questions, don’t hesitate to give me a ring or send me an email. I am here for you every step of the way.

info@charlottefristoe.com

ph: 850-694-8910

What is included with your

mini session?

1 location of my choice.
Focused on great posed shots and some candid fun with our time towards the end of your session.
One outfit.
30 Minute Session
The full gallery is delivered within 2 weeks .

Generally held at 1 location, including my favorite beach location.
A lot of time for candid and posed pictures.
Ideally, one outfit, but you can bring a second outfit. The more outfits, the more variety, but fewer images in the final gallery since some of our time together is spent changing clothes. If your session includes more than 6 people I would suggest only 1 outfit.
1-hour session. This varies slightly with location, how much walking we do at the location, the lighting, and the time of year we are shooting.
The full gallery is generally delivered in 1 to 2 weeks. I will always deliver a sneak peek and let you know my schedule so that you know when to expect your final gallery.

What is included with your full

family session?

WHAT TO WEAR

Comfort: The most important thing to remember is you all should be comfortable in whatever you choose to wear. If anyone is tugging & complaining about their clothes or accessories, it will show in the pictures. This is especially true with hair bows!

Budget: You do not have to purchase all new clothes to look great! If you do choose to buy some new items keep in mind that Old Navy is the BEST store to easily coordinate colors at a very fair price. Each department (men, women, kids) coordinates perfectly and the colors available will be perfect for the current season. Pair your new clothing with clean pants or shorts you already have at home.
Shoes: Don’t stress too much about the shoes. It’s okay if they aren’t brand new, just make sure they match the outfits and style.
No shoes: If we are meeting at the beach just plan to go barefoot! We will be in the sand & water, much more casual vibe.
The fit is important: If you’d like sitting poses, make sure your jeans or pants are not too tight. This happens most often with men who have narrow pant legs.

WHAT NOT TO WEAR

Colors to avoid: bright reds/yellow/orange and anything neon. These reflect color onto the skin and can be difficult to edit.
Avoid pure white: Pure cotton white will often wash people out and cause white to pick up a blue tone in the camera. While there are some colors that don’t work for some people, for the majority of people, a soft warm white, ivory, cream, and off-white can be very flattering.
Avoid repeating line patterns smaller than a dime: Tiny patterns occasionally cause something called “Chromatic Aberration” in digital images. Men’s checkered shirts are fine if the “checks” are on the larger side.
Alternate heaviness: If you wear very dark jeans, the other may want to wear lighter pants. If you wear a navy top, the other shouldn’t wear a dark/heavy-colored top. To a certain degree, alternating the “heaviness” of your outfits can make your images look more balanced.
Avoid one of you being casual while the other is more dressy: This can look a bit awkward in your photos.
Other things to avoid: graphic tees, bold logos, too tight or too loose, and anything that you normally would not wear or do not feel comfortable in. This goes for shoes too! If you can’t walk in your shoes, you won’t be able to capture a lot of movement I’m known for.
Please don’t try to match each other: Instead, try to coordinate! Coordination means you usually choose different colors that look good together but are not close to being the same.
No shoes for the beach: If you plan for a beach session, you have one less thing to worry about! We will go without shoes on the beach.

THE WEEK OF YOUR SESSION

I’ll be in touch a couple of days before your session to confirm the date, and time, plus check in with you about the weather.
Layout all of your outfits 1-2 days before your session so that everything is ready to go in one place- stress saver!
If you need 1 hour to get ready, allow 1.5 hours to ensure you’re not stressed out or running behind 🙂

DAY OF YOUR SESSION

Plan to arrive 5-10 minutes early to have time to decompress when you get out of the car. We can make introductions & talk through the session flow.

AFTER YOUR SESSION

If you have a full family session, I’ll prepare a sneak peek within 1-2 days. Then I’ll work on editing your final gallery, which will be delivered in 1-2 weeks, or sooner! If you booked a mini session with me, my focus is on delivering your gallery as soon as possible within 1-2 weeks.

ONLINE GALLERY

You will download your digital images from the gallery. I also highly encourage you to check out your gallery’s interactive and affordable shop!

What to expect between now & your session

Tips & Tricks

Prepare your kids by letting them know we are going to meet a friend to take pictures. Show them pictures of me or pictures I’ve taken so that they know what to expect. Let them know it’s going to be fun with games and lots of family time.
Pinterest has a bad rap with photographers because they claim it dampens creativity. However, I think that it sharing your Pinterest board with me allows me to learn more about what poses you’re drawn to, the emotional response you’re looking for, and also what you’re comfortable doing in front of the camera. So, please pin away and send me a link to your session board. There will be plenty of ways for me to get creative with the inspiration you share with me!
I’ll be in touch a day or so before your session to confirm our meeting time, location, and weather outlook.

If you are having professional hair and make-up done, ask what their cancellation policy is in the event of bad weather. Some need 24 hours’ notice while others do not. If there is a chance of rain, we should take about your options 1-2 days before the session.

You can always reach out to me sooner with any questions you have too! 850-694-8910.
We usually start off with some good conversation and I go over how posing works and why I do certain things. The most important part of this process is understanding how candid moments take place and why posing isn’t about perfection! The idea is for you guys to feel confident and excited about getting in front of the camera!
Always GPS our meeting spot a day or two before your session to ensure you know how to get there.

If you’re going to be a little late- it’s okay! Don’t stress, just let me know, and drive safe.

Let me know if you have any questions about traffic or where exactly we will be meeting. I’m happy to help!
This may not apply to your shoot, but you always want to plan in advance for a cash-only parking fee that you may encounter.
If you’re wearing shoes that are difficult to walk in but look awesome, bring some comfy shoes to change into while we walk to each shooting location.

PS. Don’t forget, you probably don’t need shoes if we are doing your session at the beach!
You can absolutely bring more than one outfit. As much as I would like to say that we always have restrooms for outfit changes, more often than not, my clients do quick outfit changes in their car if there are no other options.
Empty your pockets! You don’t want to have keys or phones showing through your pockets. This is easy to overlook but hard, impossible even, to edit out. It’s always a great idea to bring a little tote bag to carry all your things in so we can easily set it to the side.
These items are super cute but can easily become a distraction if they are slipping or moving around or need to be adjusted often. Don’t let this deter you from bringing cute accessories. Just feel free to take them off if they are making you or the kids uncomfortable or becoming a distraction 🙂
If you opt for long sleeves make sure they fit properly. This a small detail that some people overlook until they get their gallery back and notice how noticeable it is. It’s pretty common with boys shirts!

Thank you!

I am excited to photograph your family! If you have any questions I can help with right now, please do not hesitate to reach out. I’m happy to help any way that I can!

Talk to you soon!

Charlotte