As I pulled into the River Hills subdivision in Fort Worth, Texas for an in-home family session, I was feeling a little nervous. Yes, even after photographing hundreds of clients, I still feel butterflies in my stomach before each session. This one was a little different though, because this client herself is a local photographer. Us photographers have a different way of seeing light and color, and all the technicality that comes with photography. So while its a huge honor to shoot a photographer’s family, the pressure was on!

An outdoor start to an in-home family session

I was greeted by a beautiful dusty blue door as I walked upon the grand front porch area. It was flanked by floor to ceiling windows, albeit on the shady side of the house. I saw how consistently lighted the porch was and knew I had to utilize it for a full family shot. Even though I specialize in in-home photography, I love to get a front porch photo if the light is right. The consistent, soft light is one that I’m super comfortable working with, and I knew it would be perfect for that “smile at the camera shot” that I start every session with. (I love getting that shot first before things get a little wild with the kids!)

Preparing ahead of time for the session

Once we got the perfect shots on the front patio, we moved inside to the east side of the house – a large galley kitchen with an eat-in breakfast area. The light was streaming through the windows in both areas, creating unique and beautiful dappled and direct light rays. This is one of my favorite types of light as it creates a ton of variety in my galleries, illuminating my clients in a way that has become a signature look of my work. I work with my clients ahead of time to decide the best rooms to shoot their photos. We make the decision based on the light in each room versus what the room is. Doing this ensures that what my clients receive will be consistent with my portfolio of work. It also helps you out so you don’t have to tidy up every single room in your house!

After a quick dance party with mom and her youngest daughter, we moved into the primary bedroom. There was a wall of windows facing the south which brought a huge amount of light into this deep navy blue room. Now, I’m not a photographer that is going to line your family up against the headboard and tell you to “smile and say cheese!” I will almost always gravitate towards the windows instead of the bed. But in this case, the south-facing windows provided enough light to create a beautiful contrast of the family against the dark walls.

Capturing the details

For in-home family sessions, preparing my clients for their session is something I put a lot of effort into. And preparing myself for their session is just as important! My clients fill out a questionnaire that goes over general information, but also includes some more telling questions. I thrive on details – however, details that are important to my clients might not be immediately evident to someone else. The tween that is getting older and so close to the age where she’s too cool for pictures…the activity that the older brother gladly does with his young sister regularly…a special lovey. That’s where the questionnaire comes in and the precious moments take place!

Lastly, on this beautiful day, we experienced the dream of every parent…for their children to beg to go play outside! There was no way I wasn’t going to let these children enjoy the beautiful sunshine, so out we went. Even though we are photographing an in-home family session, it doesn’t mean we can’t go outside! This part of the session was so natural and freeing for the children who had been such excellent listeners all morning. Swinging with the wind in their hair and climbing to the top of the play set was the release and reward that they all needed. It was the perfect end to a perfect session.

Want to learn more about an in-home family session with me? I’d love to chat! Fill out the contact form on my website here.