PLANNING YOUR FAMILY
tips for timing, choosing a location, outfits, managing kids and more!
PORTRAIT SESSION
We're absolutely thrilled to embark on this photographic journey with you! Buckle up, because it's about to get snappy!
Now, we totally get it – a tad bit of jittery anticipation is completely normal. After all, you're a bustling family with a to-do list that could rival Santa's at Christmastime.
But fear not, intrepid adventurers, for we've conjured up this nifty guide to quell your pre-session jitters. Think of it as your trusty treasure map, leading you through the treacherous terrain of location selection, the enigmatic realm of outfit choices, and even the wild, unpredictable wilderness of prepping your little ones.
So, gear up, get excited, and let's make some unforgettable memories together!
-Diven Laxman
Managing
little ones
Picture this scenario: you're at the grocery store with your lively three-year-old son, and out of the blue, he decides to serenade the entire aisle with his enthusiastic vocals. Now, you might feel like he's drawing disapproving glances from fellow shoppers, but guess what? They're actually witnessing a charming, albeit slightly exuberant, three-year-old superstar in action!
This intriguing phenomenon isn't limited to grocery store escapades. It extends to our enchanting Family Portrait Sessions. When your child encounters this new environment with a friendly photographer wielding a substantial camera, it's only natural for them to put on a little show. Your usually reserved child might suddenly become an extrovert, and the shy one could decide to shine brighter than the sun!
But here's the heartwarming truth: it's all perfectly okay! These moments of transformation are like the threads of a captivating story we weave through our lenses. They represent the authentic, beautiful quirks that make your family unique.
So, embrace the magic of these moments during your Family Photoshoot, knowing that every facet of your child is a treasure to be celebrated. Contact us today to book your session and let us capture the essence of your extraordinary family journey.
A NOTE ABOUT
NEWBORNS
If we’ll be photographing the newest members of your family, the following tips below will help ensure everyone is happy throughout the session.
01
PREPARING YOUR BABY
Feed and change your little one’s diaper right before we arrive. This helps ensure that they are ready to go as soon as we arrive. However due to the tiny size of their tummies, it’s also likely that they’ll need another feed (and maybe a diaper change) during the shoot.
Please don’t worry about pausing the session to feed your little one. This is normal! We plan extra time for newborn sessions.
02
PREPARING YOUR HOME
While your entire house doesn’t need to look like it’s ready for Pinterest, we do recommend cleaning up the nursery and any places you think we might shoot. This might include your bed, the couch or a spot in your home with beautiful natural light. But truly, that's all you need to prep. We know you're in the throes of newborn life and we won't judge the pile or dishes in the sink or baby paraphernalia that has suddenly taken over the house.
03
DEAR MAMA,
This is a season when you might not quite feel like yourself. A fresh outfit you feel good in goes a long way. We’ve found longer, a-line dresses that are nursing friendly are often the most flattering. Brands like Petal and Pup and Morning Lavender tend to have quite a few of these at affordable prices. Session days are also a good day to take others up on that offer to help. You are one hard working mama and if you have time to nap, shower and get ready in peace, you’re going to love these images a lot more.
04
BACKUP OUTFITS
As you've probably already discovered on this enchanting journey, babies have a knack for surprising us with their mess-making talents. From unexpected spills to playful messes, they keep life wonderfully unpredictable.
To ensure that your family is always prepared for these delightful surprises, we have a golden nugget of wisdom to share. It's a good idea for every member of the family, big and small, to pack an extra outfit in their metaphorical adventure bag.
Because, my dear parents, life's messes are not to be feared but embraced. They're the brushstrokes on the canvas of your unique family story. So, let's be ready for anything and embrace the beauty of these wonderfully messy moments together. It's all part of the magic of parenthood.
NEWBORN
TIME & LIGHT
Picture this: there's no such thing as a "wrong" or "right" moment to capture your family's precious moments. We like to think of our sessions as tailor-made adventures, curated to suit your whimsical desires. Whether it's the bloom of spring's floral magic or simply aligning with your busy schedules, we're here to make it happen!
Our photography sessions usually dance along for approximately an hour and a half, twirling gracefully into the golden hours of daylight. Why, you ask? Well, because we've got a secret rendezvous with the sun! We've mastered the art of shooting when the sun plays coy and casts gentle, flattering kisses of light. That's why we often kick off our sessions roughly two hours before the sun blushes and sets, and if you're an early bird, the first two hours after sunrise are equally enchanting.
But here's the kicker: we plan our sessions around what we like to call "The Great Light Show." It's that magical period when Mother Nature dons her best attire for our lens. So, my friends, punctuality is our trusty steed! If you're tardy to an evening soiree with us, you might just miss the final act of our dazzling performance as the sun retreats. And if we rendezvous in the morning, beware – that sun can be quite the show-off as it ascends, making our photos a tad too sunny for comfort.
In summary, folks, we're in the business of chasing light and capturing your most splendid moments. So, don't keep us waiting for our date with the sun, and together, we'll create photographic magic that'll make even the sun and moon blush with envy!
Is there a "good" time to take photos?
In the warmer months, sunset sessions often fall during the witching hour. They may even fall during or after bedtime.
As much as we love a consistent bedtime routine, in order to capture the best light during "golden hour", we're like going to need to throw off your schedule a bit.
If our session takes place close to dinnertime, we recommend feeding kids (and yourselves!) before we begin shooting.
If your little one is going to be going to bed later, consider pushing their nap a bit that day, letting them sleep longer or packing pj's so that you can quickly tuck them into bed as soon as you get home.
Sunset & Bedtimes
SEASONALITY
things to keep in mind:
If your session takes place in the fall, while it might be tempting to dress your little one in a pumpkin costume to eternally remember the cuteness that babies in costumes in giant piles of leaves holds, we advise keeping attire a little more neutral.
Yes, that image would crush it on the ‘gram, but if you’re hoping to print these images for your walls, will you always want to see that pumpkin costume?
The same holds true for images taken for Christmas cards. While those red and green sweaters might be worthy of the Minted hall of fame, are you really going to want to look at photos of yourselves in holiday sweaters in the summer?
If you’re looking for outfit advice, feel free to send ideas our way! We’re happy to help curate a wardrobe that not only feels coordinated, but that looks beautiful for years to come.
OUR FAVORITE PLACES TO SHOOT
Locations
The best session locations are often meaningful to our individual families; however, we’re also happy to make recommendations. From ski slopes to lavender fields to apple picking and college campuses, the options for session locations are endless!
Birmingham Botanical Gardens: A 15-acre oasis of landscaped greenery, featuring four glasshouses, a butterfly house, and a playground1
Cannon Hill Park: A 250-acre park with a boating lake, mini-golf course, and a miniature railway2
Sutton Park: A 2,400-acre National Nature Reserve with heathland, woodlands, wetlands, and seven lakes3
Walsall Arboretum: A Victorian park with a lake, a bandstand, and a conservatory.
Sandwell Valley Country Park: A 660-acre park with two working farms, a nature reserve, and a visitor center.
Coventry Cathedral Ruins: The remains of the old Coventry Cathedral that was destroyed during World War II.
Baddesley Clinton: A moated manor house with gardens and parkland.
Packwood House: A Tudor house with gardens and parkland.
Kenilworth Castle: A ruined castle with gardens and parkland.
Warwick Castle: A medieval castle with gardens and parkland.
Birmingham Museum & Art Gallery: A museum with art collections from around the world, including works by the Pre-Raphaelites and Old Masters.
The Barber Institute of Fine Arts: An art museum with collections of European paintings, drawings, prints, and sculpture from the 13th century to the present day.
The New Art Gallery Walsall: An art museum with collections of contemporary art from around the world, including works by Damien Hirst and Yinka Shonibare MBE.
Ikon Gallery: An art museum with exhibitions of contemporary art from around the world, including works by Bridget Riley and Cornelia Parker RA.
The Herbert Art Gallery & Museum: An art museum with collections of fine art, decorative arts, social history, archaeology, and natural history from around the world.
Managing
furry ones
We know that some family members just happen to be furry and we love when families choose to incorporate pets into their session. Keep in mind that bringing a pet along often means that we’ll need to choose a pet friendly location.
We recommend planning for your pet to be at the first part of your session and having a friend take them home. We won’t use the pet in every single photo so it’s also nice to have someone available to hold him or her in between shots.
If you’re going to bring a pet, we recommend exercising your pet before the session and bringing your pets favorite toy or treats! Depending on your pet’s fur type, it might also be a good idea to groom them before the shoot.
POSING
When it comes to posing for your session, you don’t need to worry about a thing! We’ll guide you through the entire process beginning with “poses” that are super easy and natural. If we tell you to do something that feels a little funny, it’s probably because we know it’s going to make everyone laugh - and that’s the photo we’re actually looking for.
Throughout your session, we’ll keep an eye on your hair, makeup and outfits to make sure things stay in place. We want you to feel as relaxed as possible and enjoy your time together!
"What do I do with
my hands"?
FREQUENTLY asked QUESTIONS ?
Q:
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY IMAGES?
A:
While turnaround times can vary by season, we aim to deliver all images within three weeks of your session.
Q:
HOW MANY IMAGES WILL I RECEIVE?
A:
While we don’t guarantee an exact number of images, we will make sure we capture your family thoroughly. Most families should expect to receive at least 25 edited images following their session.
Q:
CAN I SHARE THE IMAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
A:
You are absolutely welcome to share images on social media. To ensure that our work is properly represented, we ask that you refrain from any edits. We also appreciate image credits and tags as they help us to continue to grow as a business.
Q:
WHEN WILL I RECEIVE MY IMAGES?
A:
While turnaround times can vary by season, we aim to deliver all images within three weeks of your session.
Q:
HOW MANY IMAGES WILL I RECEIVE?
A:
While we don’t guarantee an exact number of images, we will make sure we capture your family thoroughly. Most families should expect to receive at least 25 edited images following their session.
Q:
CAN I SHARE THE IMAGES ON SOCIAL MEDIA?
A:
You are absolutely welcome to share images on social media. To ensure that our work is properly represented, we ask that you refrain from any edits. We also appreciate image credits and tags as they help us to continue to grow as a business.
WHEN TO EXPECT
Your Images
As soon as possible after your session is complete, we’ll back up your images and begin the editing process. Unless we have a holiday closure, you can expect to receive your edited, digital images between 3 and 4 weeks after your session.
Bring Your Images to Life with
prints
We’re big believers that images aren’t meant to solely exist in a digital space. One day, most likely, Instagram will be gone, your phone will be replaced and images that you can physically hold in your hand will be the best way to remember those precious moments we captured.
Think about this fact: fifteen years ago, if we had delivered you digital images, they would have been on a floppy disk. With the fast updates to technology, you would have no way to access those images today. Even the online galleries we deliver will eventually fade away.
But prints? Those last. I bet your family still has images from your grandparents (maybe even great grandparents.) And that was likely from a time period when cameras were expensive and prints were harder to come by
CANVASES
Easy to hang and easy to change out. Canvases are one of our favorite ways to decorate a space. They also work great on little easels placed around the home.
PRINTS & WALL ART
Our framed and matted prints are the perfect way to fill your walls with memories. With a variety of frames to choose from, we’ll help you select the perfect image pairings for your space.
ALBUMS
Perfect for those who value legacy. These heirloom albums are a great way to house a large number of images in a beautiful way. Leave them on display as coffee table books or protect them with a legacy box.
Details for ordering will be delivered with your gallery
Thank you!
We know that this guide is long and hopefully it covers everything you need to know to prep for your portrait session. However if there is something we missed, or you need a recommendation feel free to email us.
divenlaxman@gmail.com
