How to have a great Holiday Photoshoot ||| San Diego Family Photographer

This time of the year is crazy  for photographers and families alike, so I decided to put together a little guide on how to have a great Holiday Photoshoot. I will list a few things I have noticed worked best with my families. I am glad to share it with you all so we can have a smooth season.

First and foremost: choose a date and book it!
This time of the year all of us, family photographers, are swamped with photo shoots. When I start telling my clients to book their session in as early as August, I am not joking around. It is not a marketing strategy: the struggle is real. Many photographers I know are fully booked for the year before September ends. I still have some spots available, but I’ve been getting inquiries every day and I don’t expect those spots to last much longer. Act quick to book the date you want with the photographer you want.
And by booking I mean sign the contract and pay the deposit. Without the contract signed and deposit made, no photographer will hold your spot.

Are you in a hurry? Book fast!
If you are in a hurry, book your shoot fast: this time of the year my turn around is 3 weeks. So count with me: shoot + 3 weeks turnaround + your time viewing and choosing your photos (if you are quick that can be done within an hour – but usually people take a little longer to choose) + time to download (close to nothing since with me once you choose your files, you can download them right away, all done online) + time to choose and create card online + card company turnaround + time for you to receive, address and mail them + Post Office time. So, you see, the process is a little long. So if you want your cards to arrive at your friends and family’s homes by December 10th, time is running out. Don’t delay and book your session in October. It is all in a first come first serve basis: the sooner we take pictures, the sooner you will receive your them.
Fall/Winter mean short days. Short days mean: afternoon sessions will start reeeaaaally early. If you want the dreamy golden hour light, your session might have to start as early as 3pm. So keep that in mind also when you choose your date: the earlier in the year (before daylight savings ends), the later you can have your afternoon session.

Now that you booked your session, let’s choose a location.
Trust your photographer! Late afternoon light is very flattering on the skin. Harsh midday sun will create unwanted shadows on your face and you will probably have to squint a lot. So, which one would be the best option? The same goes for large shaded areas vs wide open fields. Discuss with your photographer the best combination of light + location + time. Some locations will work well a little earlier in the day because it might have some great shaded areas. Like the beach for example: I will only shoot there 1 hour before the sunset or early in the morning on locations where the cliffs are so high that will provide a good, full shade on the beach. I don’t mind traveling a little farther or a little earlier to get the best combination for a shoot. And you should consider it too. The park across the street from my house would be so convenient… but can I get amazing light and backdrops there? It is one day, one hour. It is worth the effort.

Time to choose your outfit. 
Here is a very simple way to choose your outfit. A good 3 color combo is ideal: one plain color, like black, white or ivory, one strong color, like blue, red, fuchsia, and one splash of an awesomely bright color, like yellow, aqua, or bright green. By splash I mean a statement necklace, a scarf, shoes, or cardigan. Not too matchy-matchy, just play with the 3 colors you choose. I always tell my clients to text me pictures of their selections if they feel like they need a second opinion. I also have a Pinterest board with ideas on what to wear. Everything there was selected thinking on my colorful style to photograph.
One other suggestion I have is that in case you are planning on getting some prints done for your walls, I would try to choose colors that will compliment your decor colors, so it all looks perfectly in harmony once you hang the pictures up.
Also be aware of the environment we are shooting in. If we are in the middle of trees, I would avoid wearing green for example. The point here is not to blend in, but rather pop.
I have a great post on what to wear also. Check it out!

Get pampered!
Do you hair, make up, wear clothes that are flattering to you. This is the opportunity!
Don’t get so caught up on being in shape, loosing the baby weight and thoughts like that. We are all beautiful! We all have our best assets. Love your legs? Show them off! Beautiful eyes? Let’s put those beauties to strong expressions. But I tell you this: dressing up, feeling beautiful, knowing that your kids will love having pictures with you will give you a great head start in feeling more comfortable during the shoot. Another thing is that I don’t like to take a lot of posed shots. So we may do some of those, but I also want to get some candid moments of you and your kids, or you and your husband. Remember that no one knows you, so, who cares?

Husband and kids
Sometimes my husband can be more difficult than my kids in a photoshoot. Specially if he is hungry. haha
And quite frankly, we all know that most guys are not into having family pictures taken. But guess what? They love them afterwords. So it is all worth it.
My husband needs to be fed before a session. Just like kids, sometimes we have to bribe them… Maybe a happy hour after the session? Or a beer before? If you are driving, of course.
When it comes to kids I will say this: don’t stress! My two boys are CRAZY, so there’s very little other kids can do that I haven’t seen my kids do. And just like my kids, yours will probably listen better to a stranger (me) than they will to their parents. So from time to time I will pull one kid to the side and just take some single shots and interact with him/her. That will all build up to more cooperation throughout the shoot.
Also manage your expectations: you get frustrated, they get frustrated. Not every kid will smile at every single shot. Actually,  no kid will ever smile at every single shot. I would rather have a beautiful serious expression than a fake smile. If you follow the link on what to wear you probably read my comments on serious pictures. Here is the link again.
The same goes for “everyone looking at the camera”. I get soooo many amazing shots of the families interacting with each other and just playing silly. More than I can count. Be open!

No Cheetos!
On the day of the shoot there are a couple of things you can do to assure we have a some parts covered before you even get to our location.
1. No Cheetos. Or any other food that may stain your kids clothes, teeth, hands. Say no to Cheetos, berries, smoothies, chocolate, lollipops. Some good ideas are: marshmallows, cheerios, string cheese, grapes…
2. Dress a different top while driving the car. Wait until you get to the location to put on your shirt or dress to avoid excessive wrinkles.
3. Don’t carry a lot of things to our shoot. Leave as much as possible in the car.
4. If there is a lot of walking involved consider bringing a stroller and comfortable shoes for you. And change shoes when we are at the shooting spot
5. Respect nap times. When is your baby the happiest? Morning or afternoon? Book accordingly to avoid melt downs.
6. Come with your little bag of tricks: what songs does your child like? What little games will get her attention? For better candid shots of you, these little playful moments work great!….

Seems like a lot, right? But it really isn’t. The most important thing really is to check your schedule and book your date. Then everything else can be arranged. These tips will definitely help you have a great Holiday Photoshoot. Or any other photoshoot for that matter.
Live in San Diego County? Visiting San Diego? I am waiting for you email so we can book your session. Today is the day.