Pumpkin Spice Season is Here!
It might seem like the holiday season is pretty far away. However, with pumpkin spice lattes available, it should be a subtle reminder that they are right around the corner. Before you know it, it’ll be time to send out holiday cards featuring updated photos of you and your family. Every year I see December roll around with my inbox full of those last-minute bookings for family photos. Just remind yourself that when pumpkin spice lattes are available, it’s time to put your family session on the calendar.
As I was thinking about family mini sessions this year, I settled on 3 different locations for these shoots. Now you may have seen the options featuring charming outdoor locations (check them out here), but the third might be my favorite of all. With showcasing your family, why not capture them in the environment you all know best. Your home sweet home! Now for some, this thought might be a bit daunting. I’ve heard the reasoning being anything from the cleaning fairy not showing up to it not being Pinterest worthy. If your favorite family activity is curling up on the couch to watch a movie or a night of board games, then skim over these tips for the taking the best in-home family photos!
Tips for Taking the Best In-Home Family Photos for the Holidays!
Keep things simple by selecting just one or two rooms you’d like to be the setting for the shoot. Any more than that can be a bit cumbersome to try to fit into your hour session. Not to mention, this means fewer spaces for you to clean beforehand! Select rooms you and your family like to spend a lot of time in together. Keep in mind that lots of natural light always makes for better photos. However, don’t let that hold you back from selecting your rooms.
This is probably my favorite suggestion of all because I dream about it all the time for my own home. Hire a maid. I know you’ve been trained on how to clean your house just so, but I want you to spend more time enjoying your family rather than feeling the stress of making your home look spotless. Just imagine what you can do with all of that free time! Ok, I’ll calm down, but you get the idea, give yourself a much-needed break.
Once you’ve ironed out what rooms to feature during your shoot and they have been cleaned floor to ceiling, take a step back and evaluate how the spaces will look in the pictures. Clear out any clutter that might distract from the final images, even if that’s part of your normal life. This is where you can make your home look like those unrealistic Pinterest homes you’ve drooled over time and time again. Basically, you want your space to feel like a breath of fresh air when you walk in. By removing superfluous items it also means your smiles are not competing with objects in the background during your session. Less is truly more, so be sure to remove items that might be necessary for daily life but not very picturesque, like wiring and electrical cords, tissue boxes, trash cans, refrigerator magnets, remote controls and so on.
Time to Make Your Home Stand Out
Viewing your rooms clutter-free and clean gives you the chance to see the space with fresh eyes and embrace the opportunity to play stylist! Small changes in decor can make big differences. So switch out the pillows to feature pops of color, or arrange your bookshelf like it would appear in a magazine and don’t forget, fresh flowers are also the BEST addition to any home shoot! But if you might want to take this opportunity to get a little more help on styling your space or redecorating, it might be worth looking into online interior design services to help make your home and session look its best. Having a professional give some suggestions is such a game changer. Seems like it might even be something worth putting on your holiday wish list ;).
Now that your space is photo-ready, take some time to imagine what you want the images to capture. Thinking up activities like baking cookies across a kitchen island or reading books on the sofa are fun ways to freeze frame your family and what you love at this moment in time. And it will give your session a fun twist for your photographer to work with!
Most Important Detail of All
When your session is planned and your home is ready, the most important tip to remember is to be fully present during the shoot.
Don’t stress too much over the little details or your home, it’s truly perfect thanks to the people who fill it!
Stress can also show up on film as well, so when the time comes to step in front of the camera do you best to have fun and create the moments you want to capture forever!
<3
• Orlando Family Photographer // Film Family Photographer •
To God be the Glory!
