Gretchen is a wedding planner, so she definitely knows how to plan ahead for successful Modern Casual Family Photos. Its been a hoot to photograph her family and document the creativity and fun they have together. You don’t have to be a wedding planner to plan for images that reflect the energy and independent vibe of your own family:
PREP THE KIDS: Telling them who I am, what we are doing, and how long it will take all mean that they aren’t confused when they arrive. Having a fun family treat planned afterwards (ice cream? a bike ride?) is a great incentive as well!
LOTS OF PATTERNS: Everyone has a ton of personality in their clothes – patterns and bright, bold colors. Many people are afraid to mix so many patterns together, but this means that no one texture dominates (plaids AND dinosaurs AND faux fur? Yes!)
ADULTS FIRST: Having the parents in more mature blocks of color with coordinating highlights means that photos of just the two of them look great. Then make sure that kids outfits don’t clash with the adults and you are good to go.
SPACE FOR ADVENTURE: As much fun as it is to have a photo of everyone looking at the camera and happy, the photos that show off the personalities of each of the kids make for an excellent mix of images. Let introverts be quiet and contemplative, let extroverts jump around – giving time and space for everyone to interact means photos look more comfortable.
PLAY ALONG: when kids suggest a super serious pose on a park bench, you go with it. When they want a photo with just dad, why not? Variety and creativity means that even an hour long session doesn’t feel like work.
When your family is as energetic as they are independent, then my job as a photographer is just to try and keep up! Thanks for letting me run around with you this fall!
