I just completed a very full season of family sessions and have some advice for my clients.  When you hire a professional let your photographer do her job and keep these tips in mind:

• As tempting as it is, be courteous and do not snap photos with other cameras while working with your photographer. This is a huge distraction, especially for kids and pretty offensive to your professional who just set up the perfect pose in the right lighting.
• When the photographer is working with other subjects, especially kids, please step to the side out of the line of sight and be quiet. Let the photographer give the direction so the subject is looking into the lens and not at you on the sidelines.  Direction from a parent can sound like orders being barked, whereas direction from the photographer can sound like a fun challenge!
• Keep in mind that kids 5 and under are at their best in the morning hours. Try to book your session early in the day if you anticipate a melt-down from someone being too tired or hungry.  Even in you have a great napper, it never fails that they won’t nap the day of your session.
• Make sure everyone is well fed prior to the photo session. This will allow for longer attention spans and eliminate the need for snacks during the session.  Snacks not only take up precious time, they also result in full or messy mouths.

With these tips in mind, and the skills of your professional, you should see fantastic results for your portrait keepsakes!