How to Prepare for your Photo Shoot

Having a family photos shoot always seems like an amazing idea, you'll get memories to treasure forever and capture what your little cuties look like when, they're well, little and cute but then you realise, you're not the photo shoot type. This is why you haven't had a shoot done since the kids were tiny babies and all your current photos are missing either you or your husband.

But wait don't fear you now have the RoxPix check list for all your photo shoot needs, no more stress for you my friend!

Here are my Do's and Don'ts for preparing for your photo shoot...

Don'ts:

1. Don't wear anything that can pull focus from the shoot and be distracting in the pictures like spots or bright stripes.

2. Don't leave things like kids haircuts to the last minute so you're running round like a stressed maniac the morning of the shoot.

3. Don't get too hung up having to dress super smart, if we're having your shoot outdoors in a woods or a pretty field somewhere then a nice top and smart jeans are totally fine, maybe leave the heels and shirts at home, venue appropriate dressing is the most important thing.

4. Don't get too stressed at the shoot about the kids running around and having fun, after all this is why you booked the shoot in the first place, to capture who your kids really are!

5. Don't freak out that we're not getting any pictures cause you'd be surprised by what's getting captured when you're not looking.

Do's:

1. Do make sure to pack an extra bag of back up clothes in case of shoes breakages or baby poop storms (this has happened so many times by the way), baby wipes in case of sticky hands and the aforementioned poop storm and your kids favourite toy to help them to feel comfortable if they're likely to be shy.

2. Do make sure you leave a little extra time to find the shoot location if you've not been there before so you're not super stressed and unable to find the place making you late and worried that you're sweaty and shiny for the shoot.

3. Do feel free to ask your photographer questions before and during the shoot, you don't want to have stuff playing on your mind and go away with unanswered questions,

4. Do feel free to tell your photographer if you have particular pose ideas you'd like to try, I always find it really fun when a family has a few ideas of photos they'd like, often capturing families trying to achieve these poses is where you get the best images from the day.

5. Do remember to actually enjoy your shoot, squeeze your kids, kiss them and laugh with them, do your little family jokes and get swept away in the moment cause that's what an outdoor family shoot is all about!

And there you have it, my little cheat sheet for getting the absolute best out of your photo shoot with the least amount of stress!

Below are some my absolute favourites from the last year or so, all of these images are as natural as they come, most of the time kids don't need a lot of help to look real, they just have a realness that is contagious, it's spreads to the parents too and before you know it you have the photos you've always wanted that capture your family at a time that can never be repeated and never forgotten.