What to bring for a successful family session

What to Bring to Your Family Portrait Session|Colorado Family Photographer

A Family Photographer’s Guide to What You Really Need for Beautiful Family Photographs (I mean memories!)

If you’re getting ready for a family portrait session, you may be wondering what you should bring.

Sunscreen? Absolutely.

Lip gloss? Toss it in the bag.

A brush, water, comfortable shoes, a favorite snack for the kids? All good ideas.

But after photographing families for more than 20 years, I can tell you that the most important things you bring to your family photography session won’t fit inside a bag.

Bring your people. Bring a little patience. Bring your sense of humor. And come ready to enjoy your family exactly as they are right now.

Because that is where the photographs you’ll love most usually begin.

The Most Important Thing to Bring to Family Photos: The Right Mindset

I know there can be a lot of pressure surrounding family pictures.

You’ve coordinated everyone’s schedules. You’ve figured out what to wear. Maybe you’re visiting Telluride on vacation and somehow managed to get the entire family showered, dressed and out the door at the same time.

That alone deserves a medal.

So by the time you arrive at your family portrait session, I want you to know something:

Your job is done.

You don’t need to make your kids behave for me.

You don’t need to remind everyone to smile.

You don’t need to worry about whether your toddler is cooperating, your teenager is being a teenager, or your husband knows what to do with his hands.

That’s my job.

Your job is simply to be with your family.

Come Ready to Play

Some of my favorite family photographs happen in the moments between the photographs everyone thinks we’re supposed to take.

A little kid running toward Dad.

Siblings teasing each other.

Mom laughing because absolutely no one is doing what they were supposed to be doing.

A teenager leaning into Mom without even realizing it.

The way your youngest still reaches for your hand.

Those are the things I’m watching for.

During your family photography session, I’ll give you direction when you need it, but I also want to leave room for your family to simply be yourselves.

So play.

Laugh.

Pick up your kids.

Love on them.

Walk together.

Be silly.

Tell the inside joke.

And if things don't go perfectly, don't worry.

Connection will always photograph better than perfection.

Please Don't Worry About Making Your Kids “Behave”

This one is especially important to me.

Kids are allowed to be kids at my family portrait sessions.

They can move. They can explore. They can be shy for a few minutes. They can need a break. They can have big personalities.

In fact, I want their personalities.

Twenty years from now, you probably won't care whether everyone stood perfectly and smiled at the camera.

You’ll care about remembering them.

The missing teeth.

The belly laugh.

The way your daughter scrunched her nose.

How your son couldn't stand still.

How tiny your youngest looked when Dad scooped them up.

These little things feel ordinary while you're living them.

Someday, they won't.

Bring Patience With Each Other

Family photographs can sometimes come with expectations.

We want everyone happy. We want the kids cooperative. We want our spouse enthusiastic. We want everything to go exactly according to plan.

But families aren't perfect.

And I don't photograph perfect families.

I photograph real ones.

If someone needs a minute, we'll give them a minute.

If your child isn't interested in my brilliant idea, we'll try theirs.

If the wind blows your hair, we'll work with it.

If everyone starts laughing when we're supposed to be taking the “nice” picture, I'll probably keep photographing.

Give each other a little grace.

Those unexpected moments often become the photographs you didn't know you needed.

Bring the Things That Tell Your Family's Story

While you don't need a trunk full of props, I always encourage families to think about whether there's something meaningful they want included in their family portraits.

Maybe that's your dog.

Maybe it's Grandma's quilt.

Maybe your little one has a stuffed animal that goes absolutely everywhere.

Maybe your family loves hiking, skiing, fishing, paddleboarding or spending time in the mountains.

Maybe it's simply the location itself—a place you've returned to year after year that has become part of your family's story.

You don't need to bring something just for the sake of having a prop.

But if something feels like you, tell me about it.

Your family portraits should look and feel like your family—not like someone else's Pinterest board.

And Yes... Bring a Few Practical Things Too

There are a few things that can make your family portrait session more comfortable, especially when we're photographing outdoors in the Colorado mountains.

Consider bringing:

Sunscreen—and apply it before your session when possible
Water
Lip balm or lip gloss for quick touch-ups
A brush or comb
Comfortable shoes for walking between locations
Bug spray when appropriate
A small, non-messy snack for younger kids
A favorite comfort item for little ones
Layers if mountain temperatures may change
Any medication or personal necessities you may need
Treats and a leash if your dog is joining us

I recommend keeping your “session bag” relatively small. We may be walking and moving quite a bit, and you don't want to spend the evening carrying half your house through the mountains.

What Not to Bring to Your Family Portrait Session

You can leave one thing at home:

The expectation that everything needs to be perfect.

You don't need perfectly behaved children.

You don't need everyone looking at the camera in every photograph.

You don't need to worry about whether you're photogenic.

You don't need to know how to pose.

And you definitely don't need to spend the entire session asking your kids to smile.

I'll take care of the photography.

You take care of loving your people.

Your Family Portrait Session Is Part of the Memory

This is something I think we forget.

The photographs aren't the only thing that matters.

The experience of making them matters, too.

I want your kids to remember that night as the evening Mom and Dad played with them in the mountains.

I want your teenager to leave thinking, “Okay, that actually wasn't bad.”

I want you to laugh together.

I want you to slow down for an hour and really look at the people standing beside you.

Because life moves quickly.

Kids grow.

Families change.

And time has a way of turning the things that feel completely ordinary today into the things we'd give anything to experience one more time.

That's why I don't want your family photography session to feel like an obligation.

I want it to feel like time spent together.

Because beautiful family portraits aren't created by making everything perfect.

They're created when you forget about the camera for a little while and remember how much you love the people standing in front of it.

And those are the photographs that eventually become more than photographs.

They become your family's history.

[ Questions? Contact Me! ]

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What to bring to your session