Family Portrait Guide

Im thrilled that you have chosen Kristi Alyse Photography to capture this chapter of life for your family.

My approach to family photography

I view family portraits as an opportunity to capture your relationship so that you can have a reminder of what it was like during this time of life. This is the ‘why’ of my photography. To give you back something REAL in a photograph so that you have it captured. I believe real is better than perfect. So while I definitely want to get a few photos of everything looking at the camera and smiling, don’t expect a gallery full of those types of shots. The shots that I believe to be the most important are the ones where personalities are shining, where connection is obvious and joy is radiating.

I approach family shoots with play in mind - doing something fun so that the whole family will want to engage and participate in what we are doing, instead of standing still and fake smiling because mom and dad said so.

Tempering Expectations and keeping those little ones happy!

My hope for each family I photograph is that the photos we take will represent a good day spent enjoying your families company. You should have a great time at your shoot! Those kiddos will behave so much better for us if we are all genuinely having a good time instead of stressing and constantly telling them to sit, smile, look here, do this, stop that, ect. Kids will mimic your attitude. If you are grumpy and stressed, they WILL misbehave. So dont stress about making the kids listen or sit still. Instead of asking the kids to smile on demand, I try to get the kids engaged so they will enjoy what we are doing and WANT to participate.

This is important ESPECIALLY for families with young children. If you are simply enjoying their company, playing with them, running with them and giggling with them, they will stay in a good mood and we will get some darling photos of you interacting and loving each other.

I allow the kids to ‘run our shoot’. This means I pay attention to their cues and personalities and I let that guide what we are doing. Its a huge help to me if I have a little bit of info about the kids before hand. I would love if you would CLICK HERE and fill out this questionnaire before our shoot. It should just take you a minute, but it will make a world of difference at our shoot if I know what to expect and how to help handle the kids. And yes, I will absolutely help with the kids!

A few more tips!

I recommend bringing a non-messy treat to keep the kids motivated and happy! Smarties, fruit snacks and goldfish tend to be fairly clean snacks! The promise of a new toy or ice cream after our shoot has worked wonders before! And what about those older kids and teenagers? Food is the key to many teenage hearts, so promise a nice family dinner if they promise to smile pretty! And do your best to make sure kids are well rested and lets be sure to pick a time that doesn't interfere with naps or bedtime! Make sure the adults and older kids know to STAY LOOKING AT THE CAMERA! There are so many shots where I FINALLY get those cute babies to look my way, but mom, dad or sibling is making a funny face or turned away as they attempted to get the babies attention. 

What should we wear?

I am more than happy to help pick out outfits and give opinions on what works well together, what photographs well and what will look nice in our shoot location! Don’t hesitate to send me a photo of what you are thinking to wear!

Click here for a link to a pinterest board containing outfit inspiration!

-Consider NOT wearing your desired outfits to drive to our shoot. Kids spill and clothes get wrinkles if you had a long drive. Wear other clothes and plan on showing up to our session a few minutes early so that you can change into your clothes just before we start shooting to keep everyone looking their best!

-Neutral colors are a great option .You wont have to worry about anyone clashing with each other, someone standing out because of a bright color, or your colors looking odd against our location back drop. Neutrals are an easy choice!

-Coordinate your outfits but don't MATCH your outfits. Don’t wear the exact same thing. Its not as visually interesting as a nicely coordinated set of outfits!

-Avoid bright, neon colors. Also avoid bright reds or oranges. These colors can put a color cast on your skin and its very difficult to edit out and keep everything looking normal.

-Pick colors that compliment each other and keep your colors in the same color palette. If someone is in rich, saturated colors, everyone should be in rich, saturated colors. It will look odd to have someone in rich colors and someone else in pastels. Someone will end up standing out more than the other.

-Avoid big, busy patterns and prints. They will be distracting.

-Avoid words or Logos. Again, they distract from you and our eyes are drawn to the words instead of your beautiful faces.

-Match each other in style. If one of you is wearing casual, you should all be wearing casual. If one of you is wearing Sunday best, you should all be in Sunday best.

-Keep in mind the colors in the scenery of our shooting location and make sure you aren't wearing something that will blend right in or clash!

-Keep in mind the colors in your home! You will want to print and hang these photos on your walls, so don't wear colors that will clash with your home decor.

-Wearing a dress or skirt adds a nice feminine touch to your photos! But keep in mind our location and dress appropriately! We don't want you hiking up a mountain in your nicest dress!

-Wear shoes that will be appropriate for the terrain! Grab your snow boots for our winter sessions! 

Hair & Makeup

Who doesn't love having an excuse to get pampered? Having your hair and makeup professionally done for our shoot has so many benefits! First off, it helps you relax and helps you feel pampered! Second, if you use a good artist, they will use high quality products so you don't have to worry about your hair being out of place or your makeup wearing off. Lastly, you want these photos to be a representation of you and your family and last a lifetime, so you will want to put your best foot forward. Having your hair and makeup professionally done will make you look like the best version of yourself and will leave you feeling confident! 

Of course, the most important thing is that you show up as your authentic self. If you don’t wear make up, then this tip isn’t for you!

A Few More Tips!

-No gum or mints at our shoot! They make your jaw look funny if I snap a photo mid chew!

-Leave all your keys, chapsticks, phones, wallets in the car! They look funny in your pockets!

-Take hair ties off your wrists!

-Bring chapstick or lipstick to touch up those lips as we shoot!

-If you are going to bring chairs or props, be sure to let me know before hand so I can come prepared with lots of ideas on how to use them!

-In the winter time I recommend you bring handwarmers so your hands stay warm and dont turn red! And in the summer make sure you wear sunscreen and bring water!

-AND DONT BE NERVOUS! Photo shoots are FUN! I PROMISE!

BONUS ITEMS!

- 30% Off any orders from stationary company www.basicinvite.com using discount code: kristialyse   Perfect for ordering Christmas cards! And don't worry if you session isn't taking place near the holiday season, this code is good year round and you can place an order anytime! 

- 15% Off any bows or moccasins from Brittaby sewing! Her bows and Moccasins are the perfect accessories for your darling little ones! Shop HERE and use code KRISTIALYSEPHOTO to get your discount!

Did you know that I am also a spray tan and teeth whitening technician at Glo Mobile Tanning in Logan, Ut? Ask me for details on pricing and discounts for your photo session!