Family Session Welcome Guide - PREPARATION GUIDE for your home session with The Fitzroys photography
Your Family Session Welcome Guide.
You know what this means? It means you’ve booked in your own magical family portraits with The Fitzroys Photography. So awesome.
I adore these sessions. I love meeting new little faces but I also love love love having families come back year after year and watching those tiny little faces become bigger and seeing the little personalities morph into wonderful kids.
If you’ve had a session with me before then you know what to expect; but if you haven’t, then this is to help set you up.
“whooping cough”
I am up to date with my whooping cough vaccinations. I do not photograph if I am even remotely unwell, so if I contact you to reschedule, please know it’s in the best interest of your family. I will give as much notice as possible.
“working with children check”
Tick! I have a current WWC check
“safe session”
I hope this puts your mind at ease knowing that to update my training I recently spent the day refreshing my First Aid and CPR. I can say:
- I am insured
- I am trained in CPR & First Aid (baby, children & and adults)
- I have received training on Workplace Health and Safety Legislation/Regulations
- I have received training on Safety Management, Risk Management, First Aid Risk Assessment
- I have completed workshop on Newborn Safety
Your baby and your family are my number one priority.
What to expect:
Please only have with you those being photographed at the session. Your session allows just you guys: parents and kids. It does not include extended family beyond that (unless you made a Group Family Session Booking). Please don’t feel like you need to bring anyone else for moral support. It’s SO distracting and I’ve been photographing families for a long time, I promise you that you will be fine.
When I first arrive, after saying hello of course, I will scope out your home for areas with the best light and the most picture friendly colours/decor. I primarily shoot lifestyle images in the master bedroom, living room, however it’s more about finding the rooms with the best light and colour scheme.
The kids will typically determine the flow of the session. So really, there is no set schedule or plan; as a parent myself, I’ve learned to adapt.
Sometimes little ones take a few minutes to warm up to me. Don’t worry about this, it’s normal and they are usually holding my hand, cuddling me or beating me up by the end of it! I don’t shove a camera in their face straight away. I usually find myself getting to know your kids (and you!) first to find what will work best for you guys. I let them to settle in and become comfortable before I start photographing them if they are a little shy. I’m not about pushing small children into getting their photo taken, I prefer to get them interested and involved so that they are willing participants.
Prepare your kids in the normal way you would before a shoot (bribes are generally mandatory) and I urge you to connect with them and play with them as much as you can. A lot of kisses and cuddles too please. Please don’t worry about your children’s behaviour, and try if you can to avoid scolding them too much unless whatever they are doing poses a safety risk to themselves! Silliness is good. All I ask is that you relax, enjoy the time together and leave the rest to me.
If you are going to try and help me get your child to smile, remember to stand right behind me so I get good eye contact.
Any hints you can give me to help your child open up quickly would be appreciated (e.g. favourite Bluey or Frozen character!) I’d love to know as much about you as you’re willing to share.
Remember, bribes are a necessary evil, so have a think about what currency works for your children!
If your toddler still has naps, then the early start time of around 10am should be ok to get images in time for them to have their sleep afterwards.
Although this is a lifestyle session, I do offer gentle guidance for posing to get the ball rolling and help clients settle in. But I will mainly hunt for moments between parents and kids, so any directions from me will be kept to minimum.
With all above in mind, I will guide you what to do or advise if sitting/standing position isn't working etc. so please don’t worry -your images will be naturally beautiful and all about you.
I will make use of your home, your décor, your furniture, etc… I may need to move some things around or take a frame off the wall; I promise to move everything back. It’s really about getting THE shot and avoiding distractions in the images.
Please keep in mind that your session will take up to 2 hours. Please don’t make any other appointments to follow closely after your session, as you may become anxious and put pressure on yourself to rush through. My whole aim for your duration is to maintain a relaxed environment and to enjoy being in the moment.
How to prepare:
Prep your space: Your home does not have to be perfect. I promise. It’s your home and it’s supposed to look lived in, and if you have little ones, it's VERY well lived in. You don’t have to hire a professional cleaning company before your session or redecorate the living room; I’m there to focus on you and the interactions with your new baby. Instead, focus on uncluttering your home which means just tidying up a bit and basically putting stuff in the room where it belongs (no coats on couch or towels on bed sort of thing) and just toss the rest in a closet until I leave. Giving windows or mirrors a quick wipe does goes long way because streaks or dust on these surfaces can be very obvious in photographs. If you happen to love plants, display them - green looks incredible on photographs. Same with flower arrangements (simpler the better). I have a big thing for plants, so if you can gather some around the space, I will definitely feature them in the photos (creatively of course!)
I love taking family photos on mom & dad’s bed, so please make the bed. Prepare bed throw (if not already in use), and keep bed linen plain. Cushions and bed throw will pop more on plain bedding. The couch, anywhere comfy and snuggly is where we will shoot too so let’s have the spaces clutter free. No need to clean, but just try and make sure the clutter has found its way to a closet in the spare rooms.
Generally also, try to clear surfaces out of everyday items, leave anything that has decorative purpose.
You can collect any items you want used in the session beforehand such as blankets or stuffed animals. We’ll go through these together to determine what and how we can use the items in your session.
What to Wear
I have a particular style that I adore – neutral tones, feminine for the girls and rich solid colours – I have dedicated a seperate guide for clients that would like to read more about the ideas on how to dress for the shoot. You can check it out HERE
However, this may not be for you. I also adore classic style, simple but beautiful tones with great fabrics. (It’s not unusual for people to spend more on their outfits than on their shoot by the way. Or maybe that’s just me when I get my family photos done…)
Want to text me your outfit choices? Go ahead, I’d love to see. 0451 442 710 or email them to me at studio@thefitzroys.com
Warning: I’m no stylist – most of my clients do a better job at this than I’d do.
Keep in mind that I'm documenting a day in your life, so keep it real by wearing what you’re most comfortable in and by being yourself. I encourage neutral colours, steering away from t-shirts with logos or bold patterns. Casual clothing is perfect and bare feet look most natural in a home setting. Complement colours with all family members opposed to match.
I Love Light!
Natural light is the most flattering. Before we arrive, please have all your curtains and blinds open. Once I arrive, I will do a quick walk through of your home looking for the best natural light for us to get familiar with your space and best places with pockets of light, usually wherever there is a large window.
Munchies!
Chances are I will be with you close to 2 hours so I highly recommend eating a good hearty breakfast before my arrival and have snacks ready for when you/kids get peckish.
Relax
I know this can be a very exciting but maybe a little stressful! I want you to be comfortable and at ease! I am not in a rush and I will not bail because the kids aren’t cooperating. Take some deep breaths and enjoy this time, we’ll have many beautiful memories whichever way it goes. We will get great shots; sometimes it just takes time for little people to calm down.
Ultimately, I want you to enjoy this experience as much as I enjoy capturing it. It’s ok to be a bit nervous. I have to admit that I don’t get in front of the camera much myself! But I can guarantee you that you will not regret having these memories to cherish.
Having me photograph these precious moments for you, means a lot to me so anything I can do to make it a smooth journey for you, please don’t hesitate to let me know!
Aga x