Fall Family Sessions & How to Plan Ahead

Fall family sessions are here! As I sit here in the last week of July, it seems a little crazy to be emailing Santa and planning fall family dates. But organizing your calendar for fall is a must; especially if you are a busy soccer mom trying to fit it all in with three kids (me!) Below are a few tips for you if you are planning on taking family portraits this year!

Get Out Your Calendar

First of all, do what I do and get out that calendar. Call me crazy, but I still use a paper one, plus the calendar on my computer that connects to my iphone. The very first thing I do is pull up the school calendar. Write down all of the first days, last days, spring breaks and holidays. Next, I open up all of my kids sports and write those down (or what I think we may have … for example, soccer games are usually Saturday mornings.) I may not make every game and practice, but between my husband and I, we usually find a good plan. If we can’t make it work, we reach out to friends for car-pools.

Write it all Down

Sit down with your people (for me that’s my husband) and write everything down together. While you are looking at all of the dates pencil it in. Write down any church events, classes, and special events you may have already planned with family and friends. Write down your thanksgiving and Christmas plans also. Guess what? Not much is left.

Book Everything

Ready to plan your pictures? Just call your photographer! Its so much easier than going back and forth with emails. If there is a special session that is offered (like my Santa sessions) then those dates are locked in and there is a link to go ahead and book. But if you want to plan a fall family session that fits into your schedule, just call, and we will look at our calendars for the best dates. For me, its typically Thursday and Friday afternoons about 2 hours before sunset. Once you pay your booking fee, you will be on the calendar!

Plan Dates to Shop for Outfits

Next, plan a date to look for outfits, shoes, etc. If it’s on your calendar you won’t be worried about it, you will have a plan and know the date you are going to get that done. Be sure to reach out to your photographer too, we have a lot of ideas and helpful resources for you also!

Plan Dates for Hair and Nails

Don’t forget to pencil in hair and makeup a week or so before your session as well. For nails, stick to neutral colors and pastels.

Measure Your Walls

Be sure to measure your walls for any portraits that you are thinking about hanging in your home. A canvas over the fireplace, a gallery wall up the stairs, or portraits of your children in their bedrooms… be sure to tell your photographer what orientation you are thinking, and what size. We want to have all of this in mind while we are taking your pictures.

Start a Gift List

And last but not least, make a list for gifts. If you want to gift prints, frames, or fun things like ornaments or acrylics, be sure to make a list of who you need gifts for. Your photographer can help you with that at your ordering appointment as well.

Plan Backwards

And one more thing… plan backwards. If you know that you want to send Christmas cards out the week of Thanksgiving, then you know that you need to come in for your ordering appointment before that. Your photographer will need to edit your images and that can take a few weeks… so be sure to plan your session before that.

Contact Shannon

Not sure how this all works? Contact Shannon – from dates to hair and makeup, and what to wear…we will help plan your fall family session every step of the way ;).