Photo Session Tips for Families

As a portrait photographer, I get lots of questions about clothing choice, props, and even makeup. So this post serves as a guide for clients new and old to best prepare for a photo shoot. Even if you’re not shooting with me, the advice should serve you well in front of any camera.  

What should I wear?

It’s one of the most common questions a photographer gets. First and foremost, you should be very comfortable and confident in anything you wear to a photo shoot. This goes for adults and kids. If something doesn’t fit, or you just don’t like it, don’t wear it. Your discomfort will come through in the photos, even to the casual observer.

Do we all have to match?

No! I prefer a very natural, lifestyle look in my work. Does your family all wear matching outfits for a night out? I didn’t think so. So there’s no reason you need to match for your photo session. 

Is there any clothing to avoid?

Even if it’s the most comfortable outfit you own, if it’s neon pink, don’t wear it. Anything with loud or neon colors, or heavy patterned fabrics, should be avoided — it’s simply too distracting. Same goes for large logos and text.

Stick with soft or neutral tones. Solid colors almost always work. Remember, if the outfit has the potential to take attention away from your face, keep going through your closet.

My kids keep running around. I’m worried they’ll get all sweaty or grass stained.

They are kids, that’s what they do. I’m not looking to photograph a perfectly groomed, eerily pristine child. A little intensity is just fine — action shots are awesome on your walls!

Makeup?

Women, wear your ‘normal’ makeup. You should look the way people are used to seeing you. I’ll help you look like it’s a particularly good day for you, but we’re not doing glamor shots.

Men, don’t worry. No makeup necessary. But say you typically use some kind of facial moisturizer with sunscreen that you got for Father’s day. Be careful. The problem with this stuff is that it can clump in facial hair or leave your color a little blotchy if not perfectly applied. This can be a nightmare to address after the fact.

What if my child isn’t cooperating?

My goal is to capture a child’s natural expression, so if they’re being themselves, they are cooperating. Even if your kid goes into full meltdown mode, we can get great pictures. I know this may be tricky, but resist the urge to tell your kids to act a certain way during the photo session. Some are natural goofballs and others are a little tougher to crack. A smile forced at the threat of no wifi for a week will be obvious on camera, so this isn’t the time to play disciplinarian or get into arguments. A well timed bribe, on the other hand, can sometimes help everyone get in the spirit of things!

What if my spouse or partner isn’t cooperating?

See the note above about difficult children. Same strategy, different bribes.  

Should we bring props?

I believe props should be subtle so as not to take away from the people. If we’re at a park, there’s no reason you can’t bring a ball or frisbee. For younger kids, having a few favorite toys on hand can help.

That’s all for now. I hope you found these tips useful. If you have more questions don’t hesitate to ask me on Facebook. Most importantly, just relax and enjoy the experience!

Saddlebrook Farms Community

The last few months have kept me busy with lots of headshot photography. But recently, I had a unique commercial project come up. The Saddlebrook Farms retirement community in Grayslake was in need of some new marketing images to showcase the development.

A community is not just the space, or the activities, or the people, it’s all these things. Saddlebrook Farms needed photos that captured it all. I had to be ready for real estate photography, capture some great landscapes, and also to do portraits capturing the residents in their daily activities. It’s rare for a single project to involve three very distinct types of photo work. But I love the challenge.    

Probably my favorite part of the day was meeting the members of the woodcarvers’ club. These folks were making some amazing stuff. With more time, I would've sat down and picked up a block of wood myself. Then again, I was reminded of the time as a kid I tried to open every blade in my new Swiss Army knife — all at once. I still have the scar. I’ll stick with the cameras and leave the sharp objects to the experts.

If you’d like to see more real estate work, check out my profile on houzz.com. It’s a great site, full of ideas, and a perfect way to find a local professional.

School Pictures With a Twist

Remember school picture day? You’d get all dressed up with your hair just right, and spend all morning hoping your cowlick behaved. Your class would be shuffled down to the auditorium or gym, and one by one you’d be ushered onto a stool, then quick smile, click, and done. A few weeks later the picture packages would arrive and everyone would huddle over their prints. The lucky few would proudly display their big grins, others would sheepishly downplay the awkward results.

The school portrait industry has evolved since then. Now there are green screens, digital proofing services, and fancier lighting. Those changes are great, but the basic ‘assembly line’ setup has been left intact. Time to shake things up!

Making a great portrait requires more than a few seconds with the subject. So I’ve been working on a twist of the traditional school model: I decided to bring on location portraiture to the whole school. Traditional school pictures are like fast food: quick and efficient. Not the best, but fine in a pinch. With just a small additional investment of time and care, we can do so much better for our kids. I suppose in the fast food analogy, my approach is like the carefully packed lunch, made with love, attentive to individual preferences. And like the perfect packed lunch, it can be pretty simple but feel like a gourmet meal — because it was made just for you.

I spent a few days at a Lake Forest preschool making outdoor lifestyle portraits of over 100 children! It was truly exhausting, but so much fun! Just 10 minutes with each child allowed me to capture a range of expressions. With kids, it's never really small talk — it's more like making 100 new friends. My knowledge of Disney heroes and princesses has never served me so well.

Enjoy this short slideshow and if you'd like me visit your child's school, drop me a note! 

Headshot Hangout

Polishing up your professional online profile, tweaking your resume — these tasks can often feel tedious and dull, the kind of thing you put off as long as possible. But keeping your headshot fresh — which, if you're a professional, entrepreneur, or creative type, is just as important as keeping your resume current — doesn't have to feel like a chore at all. Turns out, it can feel like a party.

My brother and a few friends needed new headshots for LinkedIn, Facebook, and various work websites, so we came up with the idea of holding a 'Headshot Hangout' to get all the pictures taken and make an event out of it.

I headed into Chicago to set up an impromptu photo studio at Mike's apartment. He made some pizzas for everyone to snack on. Josh, who runs a wine business, brought something to drink. Our friend Mark, a stylist at Trunk Club, helped all the guys dress the part.

Over the course of 3 hours, everyone ate, drank, enjoyed great company, and spent some quality time in front of the camera. It was a fun afternoon and the shots look great. I follow several of the guys on Facebook and it’s been cool to see the comments they get when they post their new photos as profile pics.

Sound like fun? If you're interested in hosting your own Headshot Party in Chicago or Lake County, drop me a note — I'd love to help!

Hold the Cheese Please

Photographing kids is always a challenge, especially when the kids are your own. When I work with adults that take direction, the job is almost too easy! The great thing about working with kids is that you never know what sort of expression you’ll get.

In this smartphone age, kids are bombarded with cameras. Many have become conditioned to snap out a smile as soon as the camera comes up. But do you really want a cheesy smile all the time? I certainly don’t.  

You’ll almost never hear me ask anyone to directly smile in front of my camera. A forced smile is obvious on anyone. And with a child’s playfulness, it doesn’t take too much to get a far more interesting expression.

So mix it up next time you pull out the iPhone in front of your kids. Ask them to do anything but smile. Ask them to sing a song, do a little dance, whatever comes to mind, and grab a few shots. I bet you’ll get some new looks! Before long, you’ll have quite an outtakes reel (like this shot). But you could also catch a timeless shot perfect for the mantle.