Charlee + Kit Vintage Session

I met this cute family when Charlee had just turned one. (She's four in these pictures and I'm kind of in denial.) My husband and I both have all brothers, we have one son, and even our dog is a boy... so my years of watching Charlee were full of playing dress up and dolls and trying out cute hair-dos. This photo shoot was no different! When I saw some of the gorgeous antique dresses her grandma collects, I knew I had to get my camera on them!
This shoot was different than a lot of stylized shoots. The dresses aren't for sale anywhere. (Which is a shame, because even without daughters, I would be all over it!) I did their hair myself. (I know, guys. Risky, to say the least.) This beautiful pasture and horse are actually Charlee's, the lucky girl. So all this session required was a LOT of cooperation from Charlee's mom. And I'm so glad we decided to have Charlee's cute cousin Kit do some pictures with us too. Charlee's blond hair, with Kit's freckles are pretty much the cutest thing ever.
I kept telling their moms, this shoot is basically my Little House on the Prairie dreams coming true! (Did anyone else read those?? Because this is offically how I'm going to picture Laura and Mary from now on.)

And of course, at the end, they hopped in an ATV and ruined the whole vintage illusion. Which was the best part!

Bag of Necessities

As a Photographer, I have my camera bag stuffed full of necessities I might need for a session. I have cute things made by my talented sister in law to help kids look at the camera, several lenses, a little clicker to help our canine friends look at the camera, and of course treats for the end. But what do you, as the client, need to bring?
Obviously, what you may want in your session depends totally on the type of session, but there are some basics I hate to go without!

Chapstick

An obvious one- but no one wants to have dry, chapped lips in their photos! Try to bring something neutral so husbands and kids can use it when necessary too.

Water

A simple water bottle can save the day during a hot session. I like to leave a bottle in the car for before and after the session, or in between locations if it's a longer session. It seems simple, but you can tell in your photographs when you are uncomfortable, and staying hydrated is the easiest way to avoid that discomfort!

Kid's Favorite Toy (or song on your phone)

I love the challenge of finding that certain thing that gets a genuine smile out of your kids, but it helps when mom or dad pulls out that one special toy that always makes them smile. I have even done sessions where parents were holding up a kids favorite show on their phones right next to my head. Whatever gets the smile!

Make up

Especially for sessions like Bridals, it doesn't hurt to bring along makeup for touch ups. Usually a little lipstick or powder is enough to be able to touch up in between locations when necessary.

Bobby pins/Hairspray

It never fails- you spend all day getting yourself and your family dolled up to perfection, but the minute you get in the car, everyone's hair does whatever it wants and you all look like wild animals when you show up for your session! (As a photographer, I've never seen this. But as a mom, I've definitely done this.) Some back up bobby pins and hairspray usually do the trick to get everybody back on track.

Change of Clothes

Not that you should pack for a week's vacation for a simple photo shoot- but if your photographer offers more than one location for your type of session, that often also includes an outfit change. Lots of people like to do some casual shots, and then some fancier ones. It's like 2 for the price of 1! Plus, let's be honest, with little kids it's always wise to have a change of clothes.

Your Game Face

Now that I've worried you that you need to pack up your entire house for your session, I will say that in truth, all you need is your beautiful smiling face! Try to show up to your session happy, excited, and relaxed, and let your photographer create magic for you!

Seasons

A common question when booking a photo session is, "What season should I plan for?" Fall is obviously a really common time to get pictures taken, and so is Spring. In fact, my Fall and Spring tend to book up months in advance, while there are some weeks in the Summer and Winter that I don't have a single session booked!
While the more mild weather is obviously popular, I think every season has something beautiful to offer to a photoshoot!

Spring

Although Orchard sessions are definitely my most popular Spring sessions, there are also a lot of other gorgeous locations to shoot at throughout the Spring. Flowers are just starting to bloom, everything is greening up, and kids have cute Easter clothes that need to be remembered in photos before they get covered in Easter Egg dye.

Summer

Summer is one of the overlooked time for sessions (other than weddings)- who wants to get their picture taken while they are out sweating in the heat? But that early morning and late evening sun, mixed with wildflowers, green fields, and sunkissed skin seriously cannot be beat.

Fall

Easily my most popular season for sessions, Fall seems to be when everyone comes out of their Summer, heat-induced stupor and suddenly everyone is buying cute new outfits for the whole family and posing in forests of gorgeous trees. There are a lot of locations that come alive with beauty in the Fall, and it's also a perfect time to get some pictures done for Christmas cards.

Winter

Definitely the most underrated time to get pictures taken. It's not all white, freezing, and ice. I love a scene with snow covered pine trees and cups of hot cocoa, or a stylized sledding session with the whole family!