26 Aug Los Angeles Family Photographer: A Guide to Planning Your Family Photo Session

A Guide to Planning Your Family Photo Session

Family photos are about so much more than getting everyone to look at the camera and smile at the same time. They are about documenting what your family looks and feels like during this season of life.

The little hands your child still reaches up for you to hold. The way your kids make each other laugh. The hugs, personalities, connections, and even a little bit of chaos that make your family yours.

As a Los Angeles family photographer, my goal is to create beautiful family portraits while also giving you photographs that feel natural and genuine.

If you are thinking about scheduling family photos in Monrovia, Pasadena, or elsewhere in the San Gabriel Valley, this guide will help you know what to expect and how to plan a family photography session that feels like you.

When Should You Schedule Family Photos?

There really is no wrong time to update your family portraits.

Many families schedule photos once a year so they can document how much their children have grown. Other families plan sessions around meaningful seasons such as a new baby, a birthday, an anniversary, grandparents visiting, or simply realizing that it has been far too long since everyone was photographed together.

Fall is especially popular for family photography because families are preparing for holiday cards and gifts. If you would like fall portraits, I recommend reaching out early because October and November tend to fill quickly.

Spring is another beautiful time for outdoor family photos in Southern California. The weather is comfortable, the hills can be green, and flowers often bring extra color to your photographs.

But you do not need a special occasion.

Sometimes, right now is the occasion.

Choosing Between Studio and Outdoor Family Photos

One of the first decisions we can make together is where you would like your family photos taken.

I offer both studio family photography in Monrovia and outdoor family sessions throughout Los Angeles County, Orange County, San Bernardino County, and surrounding Southern California areas.

Studio Family Photography in Monrovia

A studio session is a great option if you love clean, modern, timeless portraits.

Studio photography also gives us more control over lighting and removes many of the variables that come with being outdoors. There is no need to worry about wind, changing weather, or finding the perfect light.

The focus stays completely on your family.

Studio portraits can be especially beautiful for families who want photographs to display throughout their home because the simple setting allows your expressions and connection to become the most important part of the image.

My Monrovia portrait studio is available for family sessions, maternity portraits, couples, and other milestone photography.

Outdoor Family Photography

If your family feels most comfortable moving around, exploring, and letting the kids have a little space to play, an outdoor family session may be the perfect fit.

Southern California gives us so many beautiful possibilities.

Depending on the look you want, we can consider greenery, gardens, open spaces, beautiful architecture, mountain views, or an urban setting.

When helping you select a location, I think about more than whether the location is pretty.

I consider the light, your family’s personality, your children’s ages, your wardrobe, and how you eventually want the photographs to look displayed in your home.

What Should Your Family Wear for Photos?

This is usually one of the first questions families ask me.

The most important advice I can give is this:

Coordinate instead of matching.

You do not need everyone wearing the exact same shirt and color. Instead, choose a small color palette and select clothing that works together.

Neutral and earthy colors photograph beautifully and tend to create a timeless look. Cream, beige, tan, brown, soft blue, muted green, rust, and other natural tones can work especially well.

Start with the person whose outfit is most important or most difficult to choose. From there, build everyone else’s clothing around that outfit.

For example, if mom chooses a cream dress with subtle warm tones, dad might wear tan pants with a muted shirt while the children wear complementary shades.

Texture can also add visual interest without making your photographs feel too busy.

Most importantly, choose clothing that allows everyone to move comfortably.

If your child cannot sit, run, cuddle, or play comfortably in an outfit, it will probably show in the photographs.

What If My Kids Do Not Cooperate?

Parents worry about this much more than they need to.

Your children do not have to behave perfectly for us to create beautiful family photographs.

In fact, I do not expect them to.

Kids are kids.

They may need time to warm up. They might want to explore. A toddler might decide that sitting still for a photograph is the least interesting thing they could possibly do that day.

That is completely normal.

Instead of expecting children to perform for the camera, I work with their personalities.

We may walk together, cuddle, play, talk, tickle, or give them something fun to do.

Some of my favorite family photographs happen between the traditional portraits when everyone relaxes and simply interacts with each other.

Of course, I will still make sure we create those classic photographs where everyone is together and looking toward the camera.

But the photographs that often become favorites are the ones where you can actually see the relationships within your family.

Do You Need to Know How to Pose?

Absolutely not.

That is my job.

One of the biggest benefits of hiring an experienced family photographer is having someone guide you through the session.

I will help with where to stand, what to do with your hands, how to position your body, and how to interact with each other so your photographs feel natural rather than stiff.

My approach combines guidance with genuine interaction.

There will be moments when I give you very specific direction and other moments when I encourage you to focus on each other instead of the camera.

The goal is to create photographs that are flattering and polished without losing the personality of your family.

Include Mom and Dad in the Photos

Parents are often the people taking the photographs, which means they can slowly disappear from their family’s visual history.

Your children deserve photographs with you too.

Even if you initially think the session is mainly about documenting the kids, I encourage parents to step into the photographs.

Years from now, your children will not be looking at these images wondering whether you had lost the weight you wanted to lose or whether your outfit was perfect.

They will see their mom.

Their dad.

Their family.

They will see what it felt like to be loved by you during this part of their childhood.

That is worth documenting.

Consider Including Grandparents

A family photography session can also be a wonderful opportunity to include grandparents.

If grandparents live nearby or are visiting Southern California, consider inviting them to participate in part of your session.

We can create photographs of the entire family as well as smaller combinations.

Grandparents with grandchildren.

Grandparents with their adult children.

Each individual family.

Siblings.

Parents together.

Children together.

These photographs often become some of the most meaningful images from a session because they document multiple generations of your family in one place.

Think About Where Your Family Photos Will Live

Before your session, think about what you ultimately want to do with your photographs.

Would you love a large family portrait above the fireplace?

Do you have a hallway that would be perfect for a collection of framed photographs?

Would you like photographs for your desk, grandparents, holiday cards, or a family album?

Knowing how you want to enjoy your photographs can help us make decisions during the session.

For example, if you know you want one large horizontal photograph above your sofa, I can intentionally create images with that space in mind.

Your family photographs deserve to exist somewhere other than your phone.

How Long Does a Family Photography Session Take?

The length of a family session can depend on the number of people involved, the ages of your children, the location, and what you would like to create.

I do not believe a successful family session should feel like a race.

Children sometimes need a few minutes to get comfortable. Families may need a moment to reset between different combinations. Giving everyone enough space to relax usually results in better photographs.

Before your session, we can talk about your family and what you hope to capture so we can plan accordingly.

How to Prepare the Kids for Family Photos

Try not to make the photography session feel like a big performance.

You can tell younger children that you are going somewhere together to take pictures, have fun, and spend time as a family.

Make sure children have eaten before the session and, whenever possible, avoid scheduling during their usual nap time.

For younger children, bringing a favorite small snack can be helpful.

I also recommend avoiding too many promises about behaving perfectly.

We do not need perfection.

We need your family to show up as themselves.

Family Photography in Monrovia and the San Gabriel Valley

One of the things I love about photographing families in this area is the variety available within a relatively short distance.

A family photography session can feel natural and outdoorsy, modern and architectural, simple and studio-focused, or somewhere in between.

I photograph families in Monrovia, Pasadena, Arcadia, Sierra Madre, San Marino, Glendora, and throughout the San Gabriel Valley, as well as other locations throughout Southern California.

If you are unsure where you would like to have your photographs taken, that is something I can help you decide.

You do not need to have everything figured out before reaching out.

Your Family Will Never Look Exactly Like This Again

Children grow incredibly quickly.

The toddler who wants to be held today will eventually be too big to pick up.

The missing teeth will grow back.

The tiny hands will get bigger.

Your children’s relationships with each other will change.

And someday, photographs of the ordinary way your family loved each other during this season may become some of the most valuable photographs you own.

That is why I believe family photography should capture more than what everyone looked like.

It should remind you what this season felt like.

Looking for a Monrovia Family Photographer?

If you are searching for a Monrovia family photographer and want photographs that feel natural, polished, and centered around your family’s connection, I would love to help you plan your session.

Family photography sessions are available in my Monrovia portrait studio, outdoors in Monrovia and the San Gabriel Valley, or at another Southern California location that feels meaningful to your family.

You do not have to know exactly where you want to take your photos or what everyone should wear before contacting me. We can figure those details out together.

Ready to update your family portraits?

Reach out to Natasha Glenn Photography to tell me a little about your family and the type of session you are imagining. From choosing your location to preparing for the day, I will help you create a family photography experience that feels easy, comfortable, and genuinely yours.

Comments

comments