Family Portraits
Family photos are an integral part of our memories. Have you ever cleaned out an attic and found portraits of your family that you had never seen before? Or maybe, fund an old hard drive with photos? Lots of time and effort was put into those old photos and memories. I love to help you and your family make those memories. I enjoy shooting on location in local parks, beautiful places like the Sonoran Desert or even in your family home or garden. Whatever you choose, your session will be fun and your images will be delivered online for easy sharing. Prints are available with every session and packages start at $99. Please read our FAQ below to learn more.
About our portrait sessions.
Can I book with short notice?
Yes, often times you can. If we already have a shoot scheduled for the day you are looking for, we can add you before or after at the same location. Just give us a call or text to confirm the day and time you need is available.
How long will the session last?
Family sessions typically last about an hour. If you have young children it will depend mostly on them and their attention span. Especially with early toddlers. But don’t worry, we work with kids all the time and are really good with them. We will discuss what your priorities are to ensure we start with those poses and work quickly and efficiently to keep everyone happy. If working with extended families, we will add a little extra time to the session to allow for a variety of family groupings.
What happens after the session?
About a week after your session you will receive an email and a text with your online gallery link. In the gallery you will be able to download your images. Prints are available for order right in the gallery and ship directly from our professional printer. Many options are available from small 4 x 6 prints to large canvas or metallic prints.
What to Wear?
The goal of any fine arts portrait is to direct the viewer’s eye to the subject’s face. All other elements should be secondary. Not sure what to wear during your family portrait session?
It’s a lot to consider – after all, these portraits will hang on the walls of your home forever. Here are a few tips to help you and your family look your best!
Be Timeless
Clothing can easily date your portrait. For that reason, we often suggest simple clothing with a timeless cut and style. Long-sleeves work best for most portraits, taking attention away from the arms and keeping it on the faces and expressions. Jeans can be timeless and casual. Darker clothing recedes in the image and can appear slimming.
What else do we need to bring or think of?
Children
If you have young children in your portrait, please make sure that they have eaten and are rested before the session. Nothing like a happy kid for a smooth experience. You are welcome to bring along any snacks or drinks that your child especially likes. Also bring along any lovies or toys that will make your child feel comfortable and safe.
Can we include our dog/s in our portraits?
Absolutely! We love dogs and know they are an important part of the family. Unlike kids though, dogs do better if they are slightly tired, so you will want to use up some of their energy with a nice walk before the session. Also, bring a bag of their favorite treats.
What if it rains?
When choosing an outdoor location session, we are at the mercy of Mother Nature. If the weather does not cooperate, and we have rain or other extreme weather (other then the normal desert weather), we will call and reschedule. If that is not an option for you we can have the session at our studio, at your home or in any other available indoor venue. We will work together to make sure that things work out to create the perfect portrait for you.
More about clothing…
Coordinate
Family portraits are an occasion to look your best. Try getting everyone to wear variations on the same color or a similar style of clothing for a cohesive look. It looks great when everyone’s clothing works well together. The emphasis then becomes the relationships and faces of those in the portrait, not the clothing you’re wearing.
Bold patterns and bright colors can detract from a portrait, but if it’s your style you may want to consider pairing bold patterns with solids.
Accessorize
Scarves, hats, bows, bow ties…they can all add a little ‘fun’ to your timeless style. Accessories are also a great way to coordinate looks, and props can help express your family’s unique personality.
Layering
Layers will not only provide more visual interest in your photos but they will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and poses. Layering also lets you easily and quickly vary your look: simply add a sweater, jacket or hat and you have an entirely different look.
Comfort Counts
Our goal is to capture the members of your family as they are today. Choose clothing they love to wear and that accentuates their individual personalities. Consider that you might be sitting or leaning in different poses. You want to wear something that you feel very comfortable in and that will cover any areas you do not want to show in the images.
Try this. Lay out everyone’s clothing together in the room where your portrait will live. Replace outfits and add accessories until you achieve a fresh and exciting look for that room.
Shoes
Remember to match the shoes to the style of your overall look: formal-casual and that they match your chosen color palette. Young children can be barefoot if you prefer.
Nails
Keep in mind hands usually show, so make sure everyone’s nails are camera ready.
Extras
If you want, you can bring some extra clothing options just in case. A brush, hair spray, lipstick and translucent powder are always great for last minute touch-ups.
Finally, get everything ready the day before. This will ensure that portrait day goes smoothly and you will not need to rush last minute.
Senior portrait session:
1 Hour session with multiple poses and wardrobe changes.
Up to 15 images individually retouched and color corrected, for web, social, and print.
Print release included for full printing and sharing rights