What to expect…

Thank you for choosing Lindsay Chan Photography for your family’s photo session. You may be wondering what to expect and how to prepare for your session so I’ve got a few tips and tricks for you!

The number one priority for Lindsay during your session, is that YOU and your whole family are happy and having fun. If the idea of family photos or getting everyone to cooperate feels stressful for you, remember that kids feed off of our feelings and stress whether we realize it or not. Try to relax, have fun and have a good attitude about the process! Lindsay promises to make things fun and work on connecting with your kiddos so that everyone is engaged and happy!

Small Children

Small kiddos are so fun to photograph! Lindsay is a mom of two littles, ages 4 & 7 and also photographs hundreds of families with young kids each year. She also used to work at a therapeutic day school for kids with autism and worked as the Director of Children’s Ministries at a large church before running her own business full time. You’re in good hands. Littles are typically energetic and full of giggles if they are in a good mood. But like anyone they can get cranky if they’re hungry or tired. Happy kiddos is more important than perfect light. Lindsay loves shooting at sunset, but that’s not the only option for your session. A great idea is to plan your session time after your child’s nap so they’re fresh and ready. Bring snacks in case your child gets hungry or treats (that won’t stain fingers and tongues) to help them sit still during posed family shots. If your child has a favorite toy or something that makes them giggle, share that with me so I can incorporate behind the scenes to make the session fun for your child. Keep it light! Try not to scold children during the shoot. This typically leads to tears and/or strained smiles and stress for everyone.

Older Children

If your child brings a device like a phone or tablet to the session it’s a good idea to leave it in the car as it can be distracting if it’s in their pocket. Let them be involved in choosing their outfit so they are comfortable. Older kids can sometimes have a hard time “loosening up” for their shoot so it helps if they feel good in what they’re wearing. While we will do posed shots, I also like to capture the family dynamic so feel free to tickle, joke and be silly with your older kids! Try to make them laugh!

The Nitty Gritty

Kids of all ages can get boogies in their noses, have dirty faces or crazy hair! Try to check your children thoroughly to make sure their faces and noses are clear of anything you might not want showing up in your family pics. All photographs are professionally edited but you’ll make my job a lot easier if their faces are clean and ready to go! Bringing some wipes and a hairbrush is a great idea for last minute touch ups. Sometimes you’ll even need to pull them out during the session and that is totally fine! Check your child during your shoot to make sure they’re still boogie free. Other small details to consider… temporary tattoos, stamps from school or markers on their fingers from play time or even old nail polish can be distracting and difficult to edit. Please consider this ahead of time when preparing.

Adults

Preparing your family for a photo session can be stressful on both parents. Try to use the drive to your session as a time to lighten the mood. Listen to your favorite songs, play a game along the way or crack some jokes. If you’re not all happy in the pictures it shows!

What to wear?

Choose several complimenting colors

…and stick to them. Pick some of your hues that coordinate well together and stick to them. What are your family’s favorite colors? Don’t choose one color for the whole family - multiple colors will add dimension to your images. You will all look the most cohesive on camera when the color palette and wardrobe pieces coordinate, but don’t actually “match.” In fact, I recommend that you avoid thinking about “matching” and instead think about what “fits” together. This will create more visual interest and allow each of your personalities to shine through. I encourage you to think about planning each outfit with “dominant colors”and “accent colors” in mind. A dominant color is the color that you see the most in an outfit, while an accent has a smaller piece of visual real estate.

Pick one pattern and go from there

Avoid dressing the whole family in patterns. A good idea is to choose one item, a dress for example, with a pattern containing the colors you love. Then choose colors from the item that you love for the other family members to wear.

Be comfortable

Make sure that everyone’s clothing fits properly and is weather appropriate. If you’re hot or cold during your session it’s less likely that you’ll appear happy and relaxed in your photos. This is especially true for children. If you feel good in your clothes it shows! If your session is scheduled during the early spring or late fall when temperatures in Chicagoland can get chillier, consider bringing heaving winter coats to warm up with between shots. Prepare your children for the possibility of wearing layers and taking coats off quickly- then warming up again between shots or while walking to a new spot.

Lindsay & Ashley both love helping to style clients for all types of sessions. Please feel free to reach out via email with photos, ideas or questions when planning your outfits!

Do’s and Don’ts of Planning your Outfits

Do: Wear layers!! Layers add dimension and depth to your images. If it’s hot outside layer with accessories - cute belts, necklaces, bracelets, etc. If it’s cool weather cardigans, vests, scarves, boots and hats are all great examples. Avoid graphics on clothing - accessorize instead!

Do: Purchase clothes that fit your body. It can be tempting to buy kids clothing a size bigger so they’ll have room to grow, but for photo sessions it’s not the best idea. Avoid looking sloppy by wearing well fitting garments.

Do: Start with one outfit and build the rest of the family clothing from there. It can be overwhelming trying to choose all the outfits at once so start small and build from there. Everything doesn’t have to be new, shop your closet!

Don’t: Wear neon colors. They don’t photograph well and cast colors onto the skin of those who are wearing them. No one wants a bright yellow face!

Don’t: Match! Matching is out, coordinating is in. Remember, it doesn’t have to match, it just has to GO. Outfits should complement each other, not match each other.

Don’t: Choose colors that match the scenery. If you’re doing a lot of outdoor photos for example, avoid wearing a lot of green as you’ll blend in too much with the background. Of course pops of green here and there are fine!

Don’t: Wear solid black or solid white clothing. These colors don’t show dimension when photographed and make for dull, boring images.

Day of the session

Lindsay highly suggests not making a ton of other plans on the day of your photo session. Having a crazy, active day could make your kiddos extra tired or cranky. If your child(ren) still naps, plan for a good (and sometimes even later in the day nap) especially for sunset sessions. If you’re planning a sunset shoot that is slightly after dinner time or during your normal dinner time, try planning an early dinner so that everyone has happy, full bellies before the session starts! Does your child have something that they’re super motivated by? Consider a special reward and talk about it a lot leading into your session date and earlier in the day the same day so that they’re excited to cooperate come photo session time.

Weather, bugs & nature

Alongside communication with Ashley, Lindsay will determine if the weather is bad enough to reschedule. Lindsay will stay in touch via email the week leading into your scheduled session once the forecast solidifies. We typically wait until the morning of the session if possible (especially during busier times of the year like fall) to call a session for weather. The weather in Chicagoland can fluctuate so frequently, even just hours before. Other reasons to reschedule other than rain/storms can be high winds or extreme cold/hot temperatures. Please keep in mind that during certain times of year, certain weather conditions are to be expected! For example, October and November in Illinois is rarely 70 degrees and sunny- please see the outfit preparation section again to plan for cooler temperatures in the fall. If we end up with a cloudy day, Lindsay may suggest bumping your session time earlier if you have a sunset session scheduled to allow for more light!

Depending on the time of year that you have your session scheduled, we may encounter extra buggy friends at some locations. Please consider bringing bug spray for the family and do a thorough check for ticks following your session or when arriving home. If you’re concerned about bugs/nature, Lindsay suggests choosing a location with more manicured lawns, gardens and pathways!

What to bring

For young children: A stroller can be helpful for full portrait sessions when walking large forest preserves for different spots around your location. Extra baby wipes, snacks, comb/brush, hair accessories, and water bottles or sippy cups are all great things to add to your list

Lindsay will always bring a neutral blanket and occasionally a bucket, stool, ladder or chair for kiddos depending on their ages. Less is more! Lindsay’s style is not super prop heavy!

Mini Session planning & details

Mini Sessions are a bit different than full portrait sessions! Lindsay works to fit an abbreviated version of her typical workflow into a shorter, 15-20 minute session. Mini Sessions are often booked back to back on the same date and same location as 8-9 other families also booked as well either before or after your session. Instead of moving around to various parts of the location, we will stay in one spot and work through various groupings of children individually, sibling groupings, the whole family, etc. If your child takes a while to warm up to new situations, Mini Sessions might not be the best fit for your family at this time. Please consider booking a full portrait session instead. Lindsay will also book Mini Sessions ahead of other full sessions already scheduled, in this case you will not be able to choose your own location! Mini Sessions are high energy, short and sweet, and booked back to back- please arrive 5-10 minutes ahead of your scheduled session time to keep things running smoothly.

Most importantly remember this is a fun, special day, so try to relax!

Lindsay is truly excited to spend time with you and your family, capturing fun, genuine connection and beautiful portraits that you’ll cherish for years to come! Try to come with a good attitude, excited to have fun and relax! Let us take care of the rest!