Family Photography FAQ page by Candace Chaney Photography
Frequently Asked Questions About Family Photography Answered!
by Candace Chaney Photography
Q: What time of day is best to schedule a session?
I mostly shoot on location and more often than not, family sessions take place outdoors (newborn sessions are another story- those are mostly indoors and I bring my own lighting). Because I work with natural light when I'm outside, first thing in the morning or the golden hour before sunset is best. Of course, this changes throughout the year which can make scheduling tricky! For simplicity's sake, I have now streamlined my booking system to have a morning and an evening slot open- 7:45 am and 4:30 pm. These exact times will act like placeholders for the more specific time that will work best for your family's schedule and the best light. After you book one of these times, I'll follow up with you on what exact time will be best and I'll be using a calendar like this one to work around the beautiful music of the spheres (aka sunrise and sunset). For example, in August, the sun sets at around 8:00, so a 7:00 photo session renders that soft and beautiful light. By the end of October, the sun is fully down by 6:30 so that would mean that a 5:30 shoot is best. Because of these incremental shifts, I'll be contacting you to nail down exactly what time works. And don't forget that first thing in the morning is great, too! I've had families meet me for sessions before school to get it knocked out so that it doesn't interfere with all the after school activity happening every day. I LOVE a morning!
Q: Where should we meet? What's the best location for a family session?
I've written about this before and if you click here you can see my top 5 locations for family photography in Shreveport and Bossier City, but the short answer is that I can meet you anywhere! My go-to spots are Betty Virginia Park, Red River Wildlife Refuge, Downtown Shreveport, and your very own front or backyard.
Q: What should we wear?
I've written about this too (click here!) but some basic rules of thumb: wear something authentic to who you are and what you and your family are comfortable in, coordinate without being too matchy matchy, and don't overthink it. Leave the graphic t shirts for another day and word to the wise- really stark bright whites can throw things off so I try to encourage people to steer clear of that as well. Off white and cream colors are great! Bright whites are tough.
Q: Is it worth it?
Maybe people don't actually ask me this, but I have a suspicion that tired parents everywhere sometimes ask themselves this. But the answer is a hearty YESSSSSSSSSSS!!!! Finding time in your family's busy schedule is hard but it is so worth the effort. You and your kids won't ever remember the soccer practice you had to miss, but you'll definitely feel it if you never made the time to get all of you in the frame for a family portrait. Before you know it, everything will have changed. The baby won't be a baby anymore, the second grader's front teeth will have grown in, your teenager will be taller than you (you'll have a teenager!), and the moment will have passed. You'll never ever regret having made time for family photography- you'll only regret NOT having done it.
For more information or for a pricing guide, send me an email at [email protected] - I would love to hear from you!
