How to prepare for your indoor family photoshoot at home | Tigard, Oregon
I am so excited to announce that I will now be offering in-home lifestyle family sessions! These are some of my favorite sessions because they are so intimate, laid back, and really capture you and your family in your element. Today we are going to look at a session I did in Tigard, Oregon (right outside of Portland), and talk about the big question on so many people’s minds - how do I prepare for an indoor family photoshoot at my home?
HOW TO PREPARE for an inDOOR family photoshoot at home
One of the first things to consider when preparing for an indoor family photoshoot at your home is what you want the photographer to be photographing you and your family doing together. With these lifestyle sessions (a lifestyle session aims to capture and document real-life events, situations, or milestones in an artistic manner) you get the unique opportunity to have your family showcased doing something you all love in the comfort of your own home! I usually recommend choosing three different locations as well as an “activity” to be doing at each one. Think of what you and your kids enjoy doing together the most and plan to do those things. When you look back at the photos years down the road, you will have a visual reminder of the things you did together regularly as a family.
Locations AROUND YOUR HOME
Some ideas for great locations in any home are the kitchen, master bedroom, living room, child’s bedroom, playroom, dining table - the list goes on! I know this is a blog about indoor photos, but guess what?! We don’t have to stay inside - we can also take the session outside and you could choose the patio, garden area, your kids favorite tree swing, the family car… you get the idea. Just make sure there is ample natural light (windows) in these locations - a lot of photographers (myself included) use only our cameras and natural light so this is very important!
ACTIVITIES to plan for each spot
After you choose the locations where you want the photos to be taken, it’s time to think about what you can do in each spot. Does your 2-year-old love when you read him a certain book? You could plan to read this book on the big bed in the master bedroom, or even in the rocking chair in his room. Does your family love to make pancakes together every Saturday morning? Let’s make some pancakes! Do you love lazy afternoons out on your porch while your kids blow bubbles and swing on the tire swing? Let’s head outside! This is one of the reasons I enjoy these in-home family photo sessions so much - every family is different and I get to showcase what makes yours unique and special.
WHAT to wear for your INdoor family photoshoot
Though this isn’t a “what to wear” blog, I did want to briefly talk about outfit choice when it comes to choosing what your family will wear. Indoor family photoshoots tend to be casual (I’m talking no shoes and even pajamas if that’s your thing). Of course, you can dress up if you want (think fancy Christmastime photo shoot), but wearing jeans, a t-shirt and rocking the bare foot look makes for a very intimate, casual, no-stress look. Sticking to neutrals is always a great idea (with some color thrown in here and there) and creates a soft, calm, relaxing look.
For this session, the family went with neutral creams, blues and browns, and the mom adding a little color with her sweater. Dad decided to dress his shirt up a bit, but still stay casual with jeans and bare feet. I can never get enough of overalls on little kids and this little boy rocked his!
Most of the outfits from this session were from Old Navy - you can never go wrong shopping there and they have something for everyone in the family. Gap is another store that has options for everyone and is great for the laid-back look of at home family photo sessions.
Another thing I always recommend is having mom choose what she is wearing first and then choose everyone else’s outfits. Mama, I’m talking to you when I say you have to feel comfortable and beautiful in what you are wearing - so put yourself first! When you feel confident in what you are wearing it shows on camera, so does the opposite (feeling uncomfortable) so make sure to give yourself plenty of time to choose outfits and not be rushed at the last minute. When you book a session with me, I send you a session mood board and offer personalized style advice for your session. I am slowly adding items to my client closet as well (which you will have access to - this is included in your session fee).
I just love these precious brother photos - them reading and playing in their bedroom as well as snuggling and looking at the camera.
If you live in the greater Portland, Oregon area and want more information about indoor family photoshoots at home, contact me here - I would love to hear from you!