Claire Harvey Photography

Family Portrait Guide

Welcome! I am so glad you are here.

Please take some time to read over this information and FAQ’s if you have any additional questions I am happy to answer!

WHAT TO EXPECT……

+ We will have fun. People usually leave the session saying “wow that was better than I thought it would be!”. The session does NOT have to be hard, if you relax and let me take control you will see how easily it can unfold.

+ I am a modern, lifestyle photographer which means I aim to get my clients at their natural best and not perfectly posed. I will pose you and then wait for it to naturally "de-compose", often that is when we get the best shot.

+ I take a lighthearted approach to the session and will often step back and just let our time together unfold. In order for you to get the most out of our time together, I ask that during the session, you leave the cares of the world behind and vow to love each other, giggle, and have fun!

+ We want to capture you being you! I will give you direction and suggest activities, poses, but our goal is to get a finished product that leaves you with memories of you and this time in your life forever. So, what helps achieve this?

Let me be in charge! I know what I need to do to get you the outcome you hired me for.

Be playful! Don’t be afraid to pick up your children and toss them in the air.

Be loving! Give your wife a sweet kiss on the check. Tell your husband how much you love him and appreciate him for being there for your family.

Have fun! Laugh. Giggle. Joke. Embrace. Kiss. Snuggle. Play.

Doing these things will allow me to capture the emotion and true beauty of your family. Leave the stiff “cheese” faces behind. Show your me who you really are, so that I have the opportunity to capture your love through my lens.

PREPARING…….

+ Prior to the our session I will be sending you a questionnaire. It is very helpful for me to have these short questions filled out so that I understand your goals for the session and I can make the best of it. It is very important to me that I know what you are looking for going into the session!

+ Communicate any goals for the session with me before or at the beginning of the session. Is there a certain look you are going for? Do you have something particular in your mind that you want to do – a photo that you love, a setup, a location, etc. Feel free to send me any sample photos in advance.

+ You can prepare you family by explain to them what you expectations are for them and that they are going to “play games” with Claire! Sometime younger kids need to be told I am not babysitting them!

+ It I always important to remember the calmer you are the calmer the family is…..and that makes for a better session together.

+ I have seen and heard it ALL. So come with an open mind and do not worry about judgement. I don’t care what your house looks like or how your kids act (remember I have 3 crazy kids, who are HORRIBLE at family photo sessions)

WHAT TO WEAR…….

+ Always take enough time for yourself to get ready and DO NOT stress too much about what everyone is wearing. It is not the ultimate decider of good portraits - the emotion and the feeling is.

+ When selecting your clothing think of the outcome you are hoping for and dress the part - What is the location? Is there a theme? Are you going for a certain look? Are you going for soft elegance where neutral tones will look best? Outdoors where jeans, and blues work well with nature's colors and textures? Dress for the situation and location - A fancy black dress and a dress shirt and tie wouldn’t be the most appropriate wardrobe for a forest or grassy setting. More formal wear would be more appropriate for an urban or “big city” feel. Also, if we are shooting a lifestyle session at home wear whatever it is that you would wear at home. No coordinating or matching necessary. Those sessions are meant to be as normal, true to life and every day as possible.

+ What is most important is that you are comfortable in what you wear. I am going to ask you & the kids to sit on the grass, benches, mud (just kidding….well maybe), cuddle up on the bed or sofa and I want you to look good but I don’t want you to worry about getting dirty or wrinkled because you might. This is particularly important for kids. We are aiming to capture the reality of life and the beautiful nature of the interactions in your family. THIS means that we will move around and the kids MIGHT get dirty and that they should be comfortable enough to be themselves. If your daughter does not like dresses and it is a battle to put it on and she is pouting…..then it would probably be a good idea to be an alternate outfit just in case.

+ Matching is out. Coordinating is in. Be creative! So how do you coordinate without matching? Start by choosing a color group or category. Examples color groups would be: pastels, deep colors, primary colors, earth tones, etc. Coordinating color is what really brings wardrobe together. I usually choose two to three main colors of wardrobe, and maybe one accent pop of color. Also, mixing stripes with plaids and tweeds is okay! Expression is important. We want to see your personality through your wardrobe. Layering ads depth and dimension and can really add to the photo – sweaters, cute belt, statement necklace, blazers, etc.

+ And then there are things to stay away from:

  • Steer clear of fluorescents. Fluorescent colors tend to color cast on faces, necks and hair. They’re harsh sometimes. I always recommend versions of primary colors. Yellow (mustard), red (maroon, brick), and blue (navy, royal).

  • No small checks....gingham and small checked men’s shirts sometimes make photos look fuzzy. While I have had successful shoots with both, it is ideal to stay away from these.

  • Stay away from green when taking photos in grassy/wooded areas, it can be too much green

  • Avoid loud patterns and graphics: I’m not anti-pattern. It is the giant logo across the chest or a cartoon character on their shorts that draws attention away from the beautiful little subject! I prefer clients not choose clothing that draws attention away from their face. I also feel that big logos or images on clothing takes away from the peaceful, beautiful moment I am hoping to capture and have you treasure for a life time!

THE SESSION….

+ A full family session is about 1 hour, it can some times go a bit longer depending on the location and circumstance, from full sessions you can expect to receive 100+ fully edited images.

+ Special sessions are 15 to 30 mins in length and are offered certain times during the year. These sessions are a bit more posed and you should expect to receive 30-50 fully edited images.

+ Please be respectful of my time, if you are running late please text me. In return, I will do the same. It is not often that I plan sessions so tightly together but for 15/30 min sessions I do have a strict plan that I adhere to so it is important to come on time and come prepared (with games faces on!)

+ Daddy, please cheerfully participate! I know that many dads dread the family photo session, but fathers, please understand how important capturing your family is. These images will be left as a legacy, when your children are grown, with families of their own someday. Family photos are treasured forever and they are so important. Once you see your happy wife and amazing photographs, you will be so glad that you gave this time to your family. The more engaged and open the dad is the easier it is on everyone. Give him a drink before if it helps! :)

BE CALM: If you are calm. The kids will be calm. Don't worry about how anyone is acting (this is esp for toddler and babies..... oh and husbands :)) your worry will put pressure on them. I can handle it and will tell you if I need anything. My approach is very calm and easy going and to let kids be themselves. After all, that is what we want to capture! Often times the less direction kids get the better. Yelling and demanding young children to look at the camera to smile will only stress your children out and will result in strained, unnatural photographs. Please step back, and allow me to naturally interact and talk with your children. This will result in natural, gorgeous smiles. Help me capture the true essence of your child’s personality by talking with and coaxing out those smiles naturally and easily. A parents stepping back and be especially important with teens, but that depends greatly on their personality and we should always discuss this beforehand.

BE HAPPY: Put all cares and worries aside and come light of heart and ready to have fun!! This is extremely important. The more you love your fellow subjects the more you will love the finished product. The camera captures relationships and feels emotion deeply, as do I.

L O V E ! L O V E ! L O V E !

I can't wait for our session! Feel free to ask me ANYTHING! Remember my goal is to make the photographs you are dreaming of!

AFTER THE SESSION….

+ Following our time together I download and back up your images, I cull them (which means I select the best from the ones we made together) and then I send them to my expert editing team. In about 2 weeks I return the fully edited images you in a password protected online gallery.

+ I will send you the online gallery along with an order form, you have the choice of meeting with me to review your images (zoom, in person, on phone) or simply filling out the order form and submitting it to me.

+ If you have any additional edits other than what I have done you are able to communicate them with me at this time. Significant editing requests may result in an additional charge.

+ If you are ordering the digital files they will be sent to you in downloadable form and you are responsible to housing them on your computer / backing them up