No matter how large or small your family is, a little planning can make your vacation portrait session rock! First consider your goals:
- a large canvas for your fireplace mantle
- candid photos of family fun for a scrapbook
- a coffee table book to chronicle your own special St. John
- a variety of pictures for framing – at the office, at home, for wallets
- holiday greeting cards and gifts
By planning in advance, your photographer can help by recommending locations, activities and poses for your shoot that meet your goals. Bring items of personal interest as props along to your shoot. Have the teens bring their iPods, and don’t forget the party hats for birthday celebrations. Want to squeeze in a business photo during your vacation shoot? That’s not a problem – just bring along the extra clothing for your upper body - as no one will ever see your casual clothing below your waist!
For family shoots, it is always a good idea to wear solid colors and coordinated clothing. White tops with white, khaki or blue jeans work especially well in our bright sun. Be careful when wearing bright colors that can clash or stand out from the rest of the group, and especially be careful about wearing bright red. Many of our clients like to bring a couple of changes of clothing, to maximize the variety of finished photos to choose from.
Hygiene is something we don’t like to talk about, but it’s important to your final images. Brush your teeth before your shoot. If you sweat a lot, bring a change of shirt – you’ll be much more comfortable that you did. Don’t overstress any body issues you might have. Just tell your photographer that you hate your broad nose, or your fat arms – professional photographers know how to compensate to minimize these things in the final photos.
Most importantly, bring a good attitude and plan to have fun. A good photographer can make even the grumpiest in the crowd smile once in a while and give them photos that prove they can take a good picture now and then. With a positive attitude at the start, that’s a guarantee!
