.PREPARING FOR YOUR IN-HOME PORTRAIT SESSION.

Posed studio portraits are lovely, but there is something so special about a professional, candid photograph of you & your loved ones sharing a laugh on your living room floor. This kind of imagery provides a look into you & your family’s past, the home you’ve grown in together, the things that truly shape your everyday lives.

In-home portrait sessions are growing more & more popular these days. Why? Because people are opting for those less posed and more documentary-style images with their loved ones. There’s nothing like the authenticity that you get from these kinds of lifestyle sessions.

But, it’s not all fun & games - photographing you & your loved ones inside of your home does offer a variety of challenge as well. Here are a few tips that I’ve found that will help to make the most our of our time spent together in your home.

.HOW TO PREPARE YOUR HOME.

Your entire house doesn’t have to be ‘spick and span’. Try to have at least [1] or [2] areas within your home that have great natural light! If you can make sure that these areas are nice & tidy prior to my arrival. But, if life happens and you can’t seem to clear some things up prior to your shoot - then I assure you that we can certainly ‘tidy as we go’ as needed. If you try to focus these couple of areas of the house to tidy up, be sure not try to make them so spick and span that your family doesn’t recognize it as home. The important thing is not to stress!

When I arrive to your home, I’ll ask for a quick tour of areas that you & your group will be comfortable with me using and asses the lighting and background in these areas. As we move throughout the space, sometimes the best images are created inside of the tiny little window seat that you might have overlooked. I’ll be sure to encourage you to also speak up in terms of what areas you think will feel the most natural for you & your family.

If you’re second guessing your house as the perfect backdrop to your portrait session, then think about setting up a favorite activity for your group to partake in, like baking some chocolate chip cookies, or playing in the sprinklers if it’s the perfect summer day. If not, plan for a little pillow fight in one of the bedrooms. Allow yourselves the joy of truly playing together without the pressure to document the fun yourself.

.PROPTS & AFFIRMATIONS.

The sooner we all begin to get to know one another & connect, the more you & your group will feel more relaxed in front of my camera AND the better your images will turn out. I’ll plan ahead for some warm-up time before I actually begin photographing. This is a nice time to make some coffee or tea for the adults or prepare a light snack for little ones for a mid-way shoot pit stop. No pressure here at all, but taking any downtime to take care of an actual task just makes sense.

When I feel like I’ve found the right time, you just might look up & find starting to photograph candids or you might find me kneeling next to your little one[s], asking them if I can see their room or if they can show me their favorite toy.

For groups with little ones, I may ask your child if they can give dad a big bear hug. Or ask you if it’s alright that they jump on their bed while you cheer them on. “How high? Higher? Higher?!” I’ll take the opportunity to snap your reactions and giggles, too! These are just a couple of examples of the types of sceneries I’ll try to create, with your help.

.WHAT TO WEAR.

Let your everyday wardrobe and activity of choice influence your outfits on the day of your photo session. If you’re planning on jumping on the bed at some point, you’ll want to opt for a more casual attire. I recommend dressing one person first [in something comfortable that makes you feel confident], then move on to the next person [coordinating but not matchy-matchy], and slowly work through your group outfits from there.

Do your best to steer away from large graphics or text that can be distracting, but don’t be afraid of prints and patterns.

.HAVE FUN.

These images will serve as lovely reminders to slow down and enjoy the smallest things in life, so let’s have a great time doing it.

Have a question about something that wasn't answered here? Don't hesitate to drop me a line at alana.adetola@gmail.com.