Preparing for your Family Session

Welcome to family photography with Buena Lane. Our goal is to capture the unexpected moments, real giggles, and honest connections your family shares together. Please use this preparation guide as a tool to help you prepare for the best possible session outcome. We hope to foster an atmosphere of relaxation and sincerity throughout your shoot so your kids will leave the session feeling as though they had a typical day at home or in the park.

Thank you again for choosing Buena Lane, it brings me such joy to help commemorate these special moments with you and your family!

BEFORE THE SESSION

For some children, helps to get them excited about the session. For others, it’s best not to put them on high alert and just let it feel like a normal day at the park. Still others may need a little bribery in the form of a post-session ice cream or skittles in your pocket. You know your child best!

The one thing I like to avoid is over-stressing for the kids to be on their Best Behavior. It often unintentionally thwarts their energy and personality in the photographs.

Don’t worry too much about your home looking spotless or curated. Part of the charm of a home session is the aura of a moment frozen in time, a time capsule of your lives.

Open all the curtains to let in ample amounts of natural light.

Dress for the weather.

Pack a snack.

GETTING STARTED

I like to take a moment to meet and get to know the kids. I’ll ask them to show me their favorite toy, give me a tour of the house, or make little jokes to help them get comfortable. I never want them to feel as though there’s a stranger with a camera in their face.

To make use of our time together, I will be photographing pretty much from the time I arrive. Don’t be worried if your kids left their jacket in the car or you’re not quite finished dressing the baby at home. Your daily life, these real moments, create beautiful photographs of authenticity.  

THE SHOOT

These sessions are about an hour long. We’ll probably have a game of Red Light, Green Light, toss the kiddos up in the air, activities to keep the spirits up and the laughter radiating. The session goes best when the kids are just having fun and not so aware of the photo shoot aspect.

LOCATION

Keep the little nuances in mind when choosing your location.

Some of my favorite sessions are those that take place in the home. I find that kids feel more at ease within the home’s familiarity. These sessions take on a documentary style, capturing life exactly as it was on the day we photographed. It produces an album full of natural moments, transporting you back to what life was like in those days every time you look through them. 

Sessions in the home are not for those who hope to have everyone gathered together smiling in a straight line. They are to capture you chasing your kids down a hallway, steal a kiss from your partner while the kids play, or help a little one pull their socks back on for the third time.

Outside sessions are also an option. For these, the most important thing to consider is the weather. You’ll want to be sure to match your clothing with the season and location. If it’s summertime in San Francisco you’re going to want to bundle. After all, nothing says summer like Karl’s damp embrace. If you’re in the East Bay instead, by all means pull out your shorts and sandals!

Don’t forget to think about what these photographs are for. If you’re creating a holiday card your recipients will likely get it on a rainy December day. Why not get some rain boots on and puddle jump? If you want something a bit more traditional, just remember that you might be sweating through your bundled-up holiday looks in September or early November.

If the weather is just horrible on the day of your shoot we can find shelter for a unique session, or switch to your home, or reschedule.

COVID-19 NOTICE

Until further notice, all photography sessions will take place outside. I am happy to come to your front or backyard and will commit to wearing a mask and staying 6ft apart.

CONSCIOUS CLOTHING CHOICES

When planning your family's outfits for the session we like to suggest that you first consider your natural styles. If you hope to truly capture life as you were, as if your shoot was a time capsule into the past, your clothing should reflect that. Try letting your kids dress themselves, or choose a color palette that helps coordinate looks without getting too matchy matchy. At the end of the day, it’s up to you to decide how dressed up or down you want to get. However, you should be aware that there are a few things that don’t photograph well: logos, words and text, neon colors, and transition lenses should be avoided.

See also: Portrait Wardrobe Best Practices

What To Wear Ideas

HANGER MANAGEMENT

We all fall prey to hunger sometimes. Pack snacks and juice for the kids to keep their energy up and and smiles on. Snacks for the adults won’t hurt either! Most importantly, don’t schedule the shoot when it’s typically nap or mealtime. Disrupting a schedule never ends well for natural photos.

KEEP CALM AND CARRY ON

I always tell parents, just try to keep a pleasant expression on your face as much as you can. I’ll worry about getting those kiddos to smile. The more you can keep calm and happy expressions, the more likely we’re going to get a plethora of good shots. If you can have grandma or a close friend along to do something silly in the background it helps keep the mood light and happy.

POSITIVE REINFORCEMENT

I’ve found that a little bit of bribery goes a long way in these photo shoots. A quick sweet for standing still or a prize of some Pez for a big smile. I’m going to be giving the kids a lot of direction, and I find that if the parents are giving directions at the same time, to stand up straight, pull their shirt down, smile, etc. they might start to get stressed out and shut down.

TODDLERS ON THE MOVE 

Your little ones are going to be moving throughout the whole shoot. And that’s okay. I like to set the toddlers up with tasks to keep them concentrated on us. I’ll have them gather near me and run into dad’s arms or challenge them to race mom to the swings and back. The adults can stand in the center in a line of big smiles while the kids circle them with hollers of laughter. I’ve got it covered so you don’t have to worry about their attention.

FURRY FAMILY MEMBERS

I completely understand why you want your furry family members to be present during the session. Just think about your pup’s personality before you throw them into the mix and let me know ahead of time if you intend to bring them. And remember that you can always change your mind if they’re having a bad morning and you don’t think they’ll be happy to join in. They truly make for a cute photo, but sometimes they distract and frustrate clients.

AFTER THE SESSION

I will get to work culling your images down to the very best of the best (typically 35 images/ session), then editing those images and creating your gallery. Once your gallery is ready (2-3 weeks) , I’ll be in touch to schedule your 24-hour slideshow window. When you receive the slideshow link, I encourage you to make an event of it! Queue it up on your TV or large computer screen and gather the family or just your spouse and a glass of wine (sound up!). The first time you see your photos is always the best. Once you’ve selected and paid for your collection, your gallery will open for thirty days, pre-loaded with your print credit and set for you to download the number of files that corresponds with your collection. 

DOWNLOADING YOUR FILES

Once you’ve decided which image you’d like to use for your download credit (no need to choose if you go with collection C), I’d encourage you to download them immediately. Simply select the images and use the down arrow in the upper right corner of your gallery - click on that and the system will walk you through the download process. The images will download as a zip file, which you can double-click on to expand. I suggest you make a copy of the expanded files and save the copies in separate locations (for example, one on your hard drive and one to the cloud).

COPYRIGHTS

Once you have your digital files, you are free to print them when, where, and as often as you wish. This includes sharing them on social media. You cannot resell the photos, enter them in contests for prizes, or use them for a commercial/ business purpose. For example, if you’ve authored a book, you’d need additional permission to use one of the photos on the cover.  

PRINTING YOUR IMAGES

While everything that I offer in the store is printed in professional labs and guaranteed to be beautiful quality, I recognize that you may want to print images yourself. I recommend PhotoWorks SF, Richard Photo Lab, and Artifact Uprising for online prints. Be sure to de-select any color correction options, and upload the original files you downloaded, not copies. The files you receive from me should allow you to print up to 16 x 20”. 

SAMPLE PRODUCTS

Below are examples of some of the items available for purchase in the gallery store.

Fine Art Albums

Beautiful linen albums printed on Giclee matte paper with lovely soft textures that will last a lifetime. These acid-free fine art papers feature a true matte finish for a classic look. Choose from an array of luxe linen covers. We’ll even design it for you!

10 x 10 $675

12 x 12 $785

Questions?

Please email eileen@buenalane.com!