Last month we took a little road trip from orange county to Arizona. On one of our stops we actually have a few connections so we decided to schedule a few family photo sessions. Karla and her beautiful family were one of them. Since we already had a few penciled in with deposits paid, we only had a morning available. Luckily Karla and her family were early risers anyway so we scheduled it close to sunrise.
What’s the best time to book your family session?
Normally we say that sunset is the best time simply because that is when the sun is at its lowest point in the sky. However, if you have limited time or are ok with waking up very early, sunrise is also another option. The sun is just as low, except on the opposite side which depending on the location may actually be preferable since 99% of the time we keep the sun behind our subject. That way you don’t have to squint and there’s more even lighting on your faces.
We walked around for quite a bit, finding different backgrounds, different combinations, etc. One thing that I love checking off is making sure that each parent gets a photo with each one of their children, as well as a photo with all of their children. Interestingly enough Karla’s cousin who connected me with them is Oscar who we photographed back in 2011. We did a mini session with them (which I will post after this), and the kids that we photographed (his sons), are now full grown young men. It’s quite astonishing how a little family session can be so impactful in capturing and freezing a moment in time. That’s why we always try to do every combination possible. Mini family sessions don’t really exist with us. We want you to have as much as possible while you have us
Photographer Tip:
If you’re a photographer and you’re just getting started, one tip I always recommend is after you photograph a family session; take the parents aside and do a little mini session with just them. They may feel timid, they may feel shy, but after a few seconds they start looking at each other like the first time they met. Like it’s an engagement session. And it feels nice to them to be able to do something without the kids for a few minutes
