“Personalized Family Sessions” are a fantastic way to ensure your family photos will be genuine, playful, and candid. As a family you’ll get to participate in an activity that is truly “you” and I’ll be in the background capturing memories as they unfold. There will be genuine excitement and smiles and lots of candids of the kids, but don’t worry – I’ll also create some of my classic “candidly posed” photos of your family during our time together!
What is it that makes your family unique?
Do you go to your favorite ice cream shop every Sunday afternoon? Do you love spending time in the pool together and have created your own game that you like to play? Or do you spend your summer mornings gardening and teaching your kids how to plant seeds and grow their own food? What about nurturing butterflies and releasing them like this family does every year??
Whatever it is that makes your family “you”…. let’s do that together!
How to Plan a Personalized Family Session
First you have to answer the question… What traditions do you have, what hobbies do you pursue, where do you go as a family unit to have some fun??
Once you’ve figured that out we can start deciding how to create a personalized family session for you and your loved ones. And then, I’m going to come with you and photograph you while you’re doing your thing and having some fun!
You might be thinking about your own family and saying to yourself, “nothing…” and getting worried. But don’t. If you had asked me this about my own family, I probably wouldn’t be able to answer that question either because the things that make us unique are just so ordinary and normal to us. That’s the cool part! They may not seem so interesting and amazing to you because they’re part of your daily routine, but to others they totally are! And then you just get to be your totally-normal-awesome-selves and do your thing while letting a photographer come and take pictures!
Here are a few ideas that almost every family can relate to:
Baking Christmas cookies, Hiking, Playing a sport together like basketball, Fishing, Gardening/watering flowers, Getting ice cream together, etc.
The featured photos in this blog post come from a family session where they released the monarch butterflies that they care for every year through their lifecycle. To see the full session click here: https://www.hpalecek.com/butterfly-release-family-photos-hamilton-nj-photographer/
Tips for your Photo Shoot:
1. Dress the Part
If your family is a big fishing family and we decided to do your session at the D&R canal, don’t worry about dressing up for the photo shoot. Sport those waders and boots, wear a hat and a fishing vest – play the part and have some fun with your outfits in that regard!
2. Bring Props
These sessions are so unique and fun, they should be filled with activity-appropriate props so we can use them in the photographs! Bringing props allows you to participate in the scene, which is what helps makes these types of sessions candid and natural. Using the example above of a family who loves to fish… bring your fishing poles, a cup of worms, fishers hats, etc. and lets have some fun with those props!
3. Have Fun & Don’t always look at the camera
The images that come from these sessions are so amazing because they’re all so candid and in-the-moment. Try to forget that there’s a camera pointed at you, and just enjoy your time with your family!
If you’re ready to start planning a personalized session for this year, I’d love to chat with you and help you plan it!