I remember my oldest child’s first birthday photo session so well. We had made all the plans with our photographer, arranging the location and time we’d meet, paying our deposit and signing a contract. Everything seemed simple enough.
But then, I started shopping. And shopping. And shopping. I bought a whole collection of options and returning 90% of them, trying to figure out what on earth we should wear that would coordinate without looking overly “matchy”. Once I finally reached a decision, I figured that the stressful part was over. But then of course, the morning of our session, Colin woke up an hour and a half earlier than he usually did, and the whole day turned into a stress-splosion of fretting over him getting well-timed naps so that he would be rested enough to cooperate for his session. In the midst of the chaos of the day, I didn’t have any time to relax and get myself ready as I was fretting over him and my husband and worrying that he would be crabby or noncompliant.
In the end, I headed home with a crying child, an extremely grumpy husband and a slew of memories from the day that don’t bring me joy, despite the fact that the images were better than I expected (...low bar after the stressful day).
But now that I am working regularly with moms in the same shoes that I once wore, my number one goal is to look at the process not only through my own lens as a professional photographer, but through YOURS. Because as not just a photographer but a mom of three, I get it. I get that 80+% of your kids wardrobe consists of play clothes that aren’t meant for portraits. I understand that when you look in your own closet, you’re faced with a handful of options that you wear all the time and love but don’t scream “perfect for photos” and the thought of finding time to shop, not just for you but your kids, seems like a burden between caring for your kids, running your household, working (whether inside or outside your home) and EVERYTHING ELSE on your plate.
I know that as a mom, you want to look and feel beautiful if your photos. You want everyone to cooperate, have fun and be able to leave without having to wipe away tears or diffuse yet another sibling bickerfest. You want to leave the everyday stress at home, snuggle with your babies and feel seen, appreciated and loved by your partner. I get it. You want these photos to display on your walls, your coffee table, your desk at work or your phone background so that you will remember the beauty, the magic and the love of this stage, even if the day-to-day is such a blur that it’s hard to even remember what you ate for breakfast this morning. I know you because I AM you.
And so today I’m sharing three great tips for a stress-free family photo session, for your family and for YOU, mama.
First, I want to talk about the clothes. Wardrobe is important. You want everyone to look and feel their best without feeling cheesy and matchy. My first tip is to offload this stress onto your photographer! Taking your photos is only a small part of the equation when it comes to working with Rachel Friedman Photography, and I’m so proud to offer my clients two easy alternatives to blindly shopping for hours on end. The first and most popular is the Rachel Friedman Photography studio wardrobe which includes dozens of gorgeous dresses for moms, shirts for dads and outfits for your kids size 3m - 6t (and growing). Rather than surfing online for hours, set up a quick 15-30 minute wardrobe consultation with me. At this brief meeting at my Plano photography studio, we’ll look through options I have available in your sizes and you can try on anything you’d like! For those that prefer shopping, we can utilize my exclusive and extremely helpful online styling tool, Style and Select, to help you narrow the overwhelming options out there and visualize how your selections look together.
Step two for a stress-free session: carve out time for YOU before the session. Whether it means that your partner takes the kids, you hire a sitter or you ask grandma to tag in, taking the time to have your hair and makeup done will not only have you looking your best, more important, it will have you feeling relaxed and ready to enjoy the company of your little ones. I’m happy to connect you with several fabulous local hair and make up artists who can come to your home or serve you at their salon so that you can look and feel your best.
The next step is the hardest for both moms and dads. Repeat after me: leave your expectations of perfection at home. Yes, your toddler may be overtired. Your kids might be silly or clingy or feisty. All of this happens. All. The. Time. I don’t think I’ve ever photographed a “perfect” toddler. Kids are always going to be kids, no matter what you bribe them with. Together, we will play games, snuggle, tickle, goof around and overall just love on each other with ample time for breaks for kids to have their moments. Nothing brings out kids worst behavior more than when their parents are super stressed about that behavior. I strongly believe in ignoring the clock and following kids’ leads for that very reason. Your kid wants to roll around in the grass? Ok. They want to play chase in circles around you? Adorable. They have a case of the giggles? Who doesn’t? Let me channel their energy, help you cheer them up in a playful way, and manage the flow of the session. No yelling. No threats. No stress, I promise.
Rachel is an experienced photographer specializing in maternity, newborns, babies, children and families both in her Plano studio and throughout the Dallas Fort Worth area, both outdoors and in her clients homes. All of her sessions include access to an extensive studio wardrobe for moms, dads and babies, custom session planning and a personalized reveal and ordering appointment after your session to pick the perfect way to enjoy your finalized artwork from your session.
Areas she serves include but are not limited to Addison, Allen, Carrollton, Colleyville, Coppell, Dallas, Denton, Euless, Fairview, Farmers Branch, Flower Mound, Frisco, Garland, Grapevine, Hurst, Irving, Keller, Lewisville, McKinney, Plano, Richardson, Rockwall, Southlake and beyond.