My family and I went on vacation to Charleston, South Carolina and one of the things I was most excited about was a photoshoot I scheduled with Victorious Photography. I knew that the best time for our session would be early (six in the morning to be exact), but I knew that the backdrop of the harbor and historic area would be worth it. As I later reflected on our preparation and the session, I came across some takeaways I would like to share with you.
1. Start getting ready earlier than you anticipate
Since our session was early (yes, I did bribe my husband and kids with snacks and a breakfast after the session), I went to bed with thoughts of waking up at a certain time. Completely accidentally, I woke up a complete hour before my alarm was schedule to get me out of my slumber. I dawdle in the mornings, so actually having an extra hour was beneficial.
I made sure I took time to relax, have the kids outfits ready and start getting ready myself. Even with the extra time, stress was still present since my hair didn’t cooperate the way I wanted, but not rushing was very valuable for our preparation time.
We were all ready to leave on time, but I know rushing around would not have given us an enjoyable morning! Make sure to build in some extra time for yourself so if something comes up, you have time to address it.
2. Your start time might not be your photographers
When we met up with our photographer, I was ready to start getting photos taken especially since the morning sky was brilliant. Victoria quickly zeroed in on the kids so that they would feel comfortable with her and waited five to ten minutes before she even started snapping. This time allowed our kids to get to know her, Brandon and I to settle down a little and get her gear in order. The sky was just as brilliant when she started and we were all more relaxed.
3. Don’t stress about smiles, your photographer will get them
My daughter and I are early birds so the timing of the session didn’t bother us, but for my son who is much more like his daddy, it was rough. He didn’t want to cooperate to smile. I wanted to step in and try to get him to smile, but I decided to allow Victoria to do her job and she did just that!
As a photographer, getting a child to smile is something I work toward and sometimes when a parent steps in, it makes it tougher for me to get a genuine smile. Don’t worry, if I need assistance for any reason, I’ll let you know.
Charleston was wonderful and I’m already making plans for another adventure there (sans kids maybe!) As a photographer and photographer’s client simultaneously, it gave me a unique perspective on a photoshoot that I hope will be beneficial as you prepare for your next session!
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