My family photography session flow | Oklahoma Family Photographer

I’ve been an Oklahoma family photographer for 9 years so I’ve got my flow down when it comes to photographing families! My sessions are designed to be playful and laid back. I always show up to the session with a general outline of how I want it to go. I’m not rigid with this shot list I have in my head because kids are unpredictable. Sometimes kids are super cooperative and other times, most times lol, the kids have their own agenda and that’s okay! Because I’ve put in the time building a shot list in my mind, I can follow the kids’ lead and still get all the shots I need. Here’s how you can expect one of my family sessions to flow.

The Money Shot

This is the photo for grandma where everyone is looking at the camera, and we’re going to get it out of the way first thing so we can move on to the fun stuff! I normally don’t post these photos on my website or social media because this isn’t what fuels my love of family photography and this isn’t why families book me, but some people like to have it in the gallery so I’m going to post it here just because I’m being honest.

The Look At Each Other Shot

From the basic pose of the money shot, I then tell everyone to look at each other. Families are usually still warming up and feeling a little awkward so they look at each other and naturally giggle. That’s when the magic happens!

The Sibling Photo

Next comes the sibling shot. I like to get this one done pretty early on in the session before the kids get bored and start running in every different direction. Not a lot of explanation needed here other than I don’t really care if all the kids are looking at the camera or not. My main goal is to get them all in the same frame just being themselves.

Individual Child Portraits

The individual child portraits are usually sprinkled into the session at different times because I’m constantly observing the children, watching what they’re doing and deciding when to take the shot. Some are prompted and some are not. I do not expect your child to smile in every photo nor do I want them to. They also don’t need to look at me in every photo so there’s no need to stand behind me trying to get your kid’s attention. I strive for authentic expressions because I want your child’s personality to shine in the photographs.

Parent Photos

Your life isn’t just about kids even though it might feel like it a lot of the time. I know you’ve had your ups and downs because we all have, but you’ve made it this far in your family journey so we’re going to take some time to document your love.

The “In Between” Images

There’s so much to document in a family session and it isn’t just about the portraits. A great photographer intuitively feels and sees what a lot of people call the in between moments. I don’t think these are in between anything really. They are the moments, the ones that usually hold the most honestly about what it means to be a family, a child, or just a human.

You now have a pretty good idea of what a family session with me looks like. If you’ve already booked with me, I hope this puts you at ease knowing the general flow of how our time together is going to go. Every session is different and the order of these types of photos really depends on how the kids are doing. I’ll always work to make sure everyone is relaxed and having fun.

If you’re here because you’re considering booking a session with me, what are you waiting for?!