How To Transform Your Home into the Perfect Studio for Your Family Session
Trust me. It’s SO much easier than you think!
It’s no secret: I am obsessed with in-home family photo sessions. What better place to capture the love and fun (and, yes, chaos) of your family’s life together than right where the magic happens?
I also know that gearing up to having your home documented can feel…hard. You look around and see toys strewn across the floor, laundry baskets piled high, and your desk buried under work projects and—somehow—more toys, and you wonder, do I really want to preserve these particular memories?
First of all, yes. I promise, when you look back on this season of life later on, you’ll remember the joy far more vividly than you remember the never-ending laundry cycles or the pain of stepping barefoot on a Lego.
I also promise that prepping your home (and yourself) for a photo session is far simpler than you think, and I’m here to walk you through it, step by step.
Choosing Your Setting
Contrary to heavily lit studio sessions, my in-home sessions are all about natural light. It’s flattering to everybody, there’s no risk of washing you out or casting strange colors, and really, it just feels better, doesn’t it?
So choose the room or two with the best natural light as backdrops for your session, and before I arrive, be sure to turn off all the lights and uncover all the windows to let that gorgeous sunshine pour through. Not sure where the best light is? For morning photos, it will usually be on the south/southeast side of your house. We may also venture onto your porch or yard if the light’s appropriate, but we’ll spend most of our time in these indoor spaces, so you’ll want to focus your prep work here.
(Note: If you’re dying for photos in a specific spot—your baby in her crib, for example—that doesn’t get great light, don’t despair. We can still get some great shots there. These spaces just won’t be our primary focus!)
Preparing the Space
Here’s the best news you’ll read all day: since we aren’t going to be photographing your entire house, you don’t have to clean your entire house.
Instead, just spin through the rooms we’ll be shooting in and pick up anything you don’t want photographed. Think: phone chargers, dirty dishes, remote controls, that pile of magazines you’ve been meaning to leaf through, etc. Anything that feels like clutter will show up as clutter in your photos, stealing the spotlight from what really matters: you and your beautiful family.
Now, don’t panic: I’m not asking you to Marie Kondo your space in order to get photo ready. All you really need to do is tuck it away somewhere. Stash those toys in baskets, remotes in drawers… Or, if you’d rather, sweep it all into a box and shove it in the closet until after the session. (That’s what I would do!) Once the tidying’s done, all you really need in the way of cleaning is a light vacuum, if that. No need to scrub up or bring in the cavalry. The camera won’t notice a little dust here and there.
Finally, the fun part of the prep work: Think about what you and your family love to do together at home, and have an activity or two in mind to do during our session. Of course, we will get all the smiley, snuggly shots, but there is so much magic to be captured in the way you play together day to day. Some great activities to shoot include playing with blocks or board games, cooking or baking together, or having a living room dance party. Choose the activities that bring you the most joy, so we can capture your unique family story!
Getting Dressed
What to wear for your photo session—and how to dress your partner and kiddos—can feel overwhelming no matter where you’re shooting. My number one rule is this: wear something comfortable, something that makes you feel like your best self, and something you can move in.
Start with your outfit, mama, and then put everyone else in something that coordinates (but doesn’t match!) from there. Personally, I love a flowy maxi dress, but if that’s not your vibe, that’s okay. A cute pair of jeans and a top are perfectly cozy for spending time at home with your favorite people. For dads, I recommend pants over shorts. For little girls, be sure to put bloomers under those dresses!
As for color palette, I love soft neutrals (creams, tans, blushes, soft blues…) that don’t steal focus from your faces. You could also choose a color scheme that complements your home so that everything looks cohesive! Whichever palette you lean toward, I recommend focusing on solids, with one or two small prints woven in, and adding visual interest with different textures where you can.
Finally, I highly recommend bare feet for your in-home photos. Yes, for all of you. I promise this will photograph so much better—more natural, more authentic, easier to move in, and way more comfortable—than shoes.
Having Fun
Finally, the most important tip of all: Even more than wardrobe and lighting and decluttering, focus on having fun. Do as much of your prep work as you can in advance so you’re not frazzled going into the session. Turn off the screens and turn on some dance music before I arrive to help everyone wiggle out their anxiety and get excited.
Above all, please let your kids be themselves during the photo session! I do not walk into your home expecting perfect, polished behavior from the littles. (I’m a mom, too, remember. I get it.) If you’re stressing about them acting out, then they’ll be stressed, too, and that will show up in the shots. On the other hand, I promise you that regular kiddo antics will not stop us from getting incredible photos. In fact, the slightly chaotic images just might turn out to be your favorites!
Now that you know your house doesn’t have to be straight off of an aspirational Pinterest board for us to capture picture-perfect memories together, I hope it’s put your mind at ease! If this has inspired you to book your own lifestyle in-home family session, please reach out and let’s get you scheduled!
