Cleveland Family Photos

… This is a question we get asked on a daily basis.

And while my answer will depend on the number of and ages of the kids, I always tell clients that it will be clear when the session time is up.  Most child or family photo sessions last between 45-80 minutes.  That’s our standard time quote.  But… newborn sessions take longer (at least 2 hours!), and cold weather may wear out the kids sooner.  If I need more, I’ll suggest a break, or try to trick the kids into cooperating a bit longer; but if I am happy with what we’ve got, the kids can call the shots.

Take a look at this recent outdoor photo session, and see if YOU can tell when it was time to call it quits!

Two weeks after your photo session, you’ll come into our studio to view your proofs. Here, we’ll present your images to you in a great video slideshow! It’s a great way for you to replay the fun of the photo shoot– See the shots you knew we got, and be surprised by those you had no idea were coming… You’ll love to see you and your family on the big screen– Don’t worry, we have kleenex handy for when the tears start flowing :-) We sell a lot of these videos as holiday gifts, especially for grandparents– what could be better for those out of town loved ones than to pop in a DVD, sit back, and smile at the faces they love the most…

This is one of the questions we get asked the most when families call to schedule their photo sessions… The hard part is, there’s no right answer!  There are so many ways to go about dressing your kids (and yourselves) for your family photos– a lot of it depends on your style and preference.  One thing to keep in mind is what you want to do with the finished product… Do you plan on hanging a 20×24 canvas family portrait in a room that is primarily decorated with pastels?  If so, then you may want to avoid bolds that would clash.

There’s the “matching” approach… a classic and safe bet for good looking photos.  Tell everyone to wear jeans and a black shirt, or khakis and white shirts.  You know that your photos will look great!

If the matching-game isn’t your style, then there are options for you too!  Dress everyone different, but coordinated… since you don’t want your kids to clash with one another, I often suggest choosing colors that would come out of the same box of crayons.  Stick with a color-scheme.  Pastels, earth tones, bolds… Or, set a color and let the individuals express themselves… Wear shades of blue, white or black.

A great resource for family photo clothing that coordinates but isn’t blatelty “matching,” check out Hanna Andersson!  This Swedish company has clothes and accessories for the kids and family that look GREAT in photos!  So many times when I’m impressed with how a family is dressed, or a cute hat a kid’s wearing for Christmas photos… sure enough… they’re from Hanna Andersson.

Here is an example of a recent photo shoot where the three kids were perfectly coordinated with clothes from this line.

It’s always a good idea to look at what other people have worn for their photos to get an idea of what you like and don’t like… Look through the pages of this blog, or the galleries inside the main website for more ideas!

Can’t wait to see what you put together…

I love second children…  Yeah, I said it!  Parents are so much more relaxed after they’ve been through the gauntlet once before.  Plus, the babies are forced to share attention with their older sibs, and makes them learn at an early age to go with the flow.

One of the best things about photographing newborn babies (preferably 2 weeks or younger) is that they are super sleepy, and you can put them just about anywhere!  They don’t move very much, don’t roll, and that makes for some great pix!  What I’ve noticed throughout my time working with new parents is that the babies feed off of their energy.  A relaxed Mom is more likely to have a relaxed baby.

Take Baby H.  His parents were super laid back during his outdoor newborn photo session at their home– and that allowed us to get some awesome shots!  They learned that a little nature won’t hurt him… but maybe his big brother will!   Here are some of my favorite shots from their session…

The whole family was around for this photo shoot– even Max!

For the fourth year, I got the treat of spending an afternoon taking outdoor family photos with Mr. R and Miss E (and their parents, of course)! These kids are definitely some of my favorite people around! They are so cute, and so sweet– and always excited to play and take pictures! Taking advantage of the extraordinary beauty of the autumn leaves, we explored areas of Chagrin were every turn provided a new picturesque backdrop! You just need to watch out for Mr. Water Snake, right guys?!?

So much fun playing in the leaves!

Miss E treated me to an original song she composed for me. I think it should be #1!!!