How do you pick the right photographer?

   Hello again dear reader! Earlier this week I was stewing on what to write about for today's blog entry when I had a situation pop up. After communicating with a potential wedding client for a few days via email we set up a phone call. I wont get into the details but during the call it became clear that although she loved our work and wanted to hire us, I could tell we just weren’t going to be a good fit. She needed more of a type A personality to give her the experience she was going to enjoy most. And that’s absolutely fine! I gave her a few referrals for photographers who might be better suited for her needs and after a few friendly words we parted ways. 

   After so many years in this business Sarah and I have a clear understanding of what makes a good photographer client relationship and it goes far beyond photographs! 

Picking the right photographer is SO important. You might love their work and they are right in the ballpark of what you were hoping to spend, but if you don’t vibe then your artistic journey together will be filled with negative feelings. Such as nervousness, awkwardness or even possible resentment down the line. Luckily when we first started we had an industry icon by the name of Zach Gray (website link below) give us an amazing piece of advice. “Don’t be afraid to tell a potential client you're not the right fit for them.” 

Do they offer what you're looking for?

When you're trying to decide if a photographer is the right person or team to capture such an important event in your life you should consider (After truly loving their work) what they offer. 

For example, If you see a package that has a boudoir session and you would rather have a large hardback wedding album, ask them if you can swap. Or if you ask if they are willing to make editing alterations if you request them in the future  and they refuse, that says something. It’s not a bad thing and the photographer probably has their reasons. However if they are unwilling to bend or compromise, that may say something about how the entire process will go with them. They are probably a strong willed person who knows what they want and they will do things their way. That's a great thing for some people. But maybe not for you. You might be the type of person who is looking for a more flexible photographer.  

Do they jive with your vibe?

   Most everything I mentioned above can be assessed by email before even meeting. If you feel like moving on with a consultation by phone, webcam or even better, in person that's great! During your consultation you have an opportunity. A consultation isn’t just about hearing their vision for your day. Of course that's extremely important, it's also about getting to know each other. Most of us humans have a sixth sense for someone's vibe, the way you click and communicate back and forth. Do they really understand you? Maybe you don’t get them? This is your opportunity to see if you feel like you could be friends with this person. Sarah and I love when our clients become our friends and we are thankful to be able to say that happens a lot. Your wedding will go so smoothly on the artistic side of things if you and your photographer can laugh together and handle problems when they come up with a clear understanding of each other. When you feel like friends!

Wedding planning can be stressful and sometimes people just want to get it done and get everything on the books. But take it from me, take your time. You and your photographer will be spending a lot of time together. Make sure you pick someone who you could imagine hanging out with!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read today’s post. I hope this article helped you on your wedding planning journey.

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Don't need an engagement session?

If you're reading this it’s likely that you are recently engaged. Congratulations! You're probably in the beginning stages of wedding planning and getting quotes from local photographers. The packages you see when glancing at their pricing sheets often include an engagement session. There are many reasons you might not want to have one but the most common reasons Sarah and I hear from potential clients are as follows.

“We are trying to save money where we can and we think we can do without the engagement.”

“We had engagement photos done already and don’t need another session.”

“We live far away and it is hard to schedule time to make it out for an engagement session.”

   Now these reasons are all valid of course, and sometimes yes when a client insists that we remove an engagement session from their package we will work something out. However I always explain to them what I am about to tell you. An engagement session is much more than just a photo session.

Your engagement session is an opportunity.

You might have had a consultation with your photographer and think you are comfortable enough with them. Or maybe you have only communicated through email. Either way you don’t yet know how they work as an artist. Your engagement session is a time to see them at work, and when you know how they work you begin to learn how to work with them. Most people don’t realize that a portrait photographer doesn’t create a great session alone. Not by far. An amazing session is a collaboration between the photographer and the subject. During the engagement session “even though you might not realize it when it’s happening” you are learning a workflow. By the end of the session you will be picking up your photographer's cues, and hopefully finding that your having a great time! You will also most likely be free of any nervousness you might have had about having your photos done. You will feel more free and less tense. This free and relaxed attitude towards photos will carry over into your wedding day. I will but a link to my Article about how to loosen up for an engagement session below.

Your engagement session is a rehearsal.

Your engagement session is a rehearsal for your wedding day couples photos. You learn poses and the way that your photographer communicates. Again you also know your photographer after the engagement session and they are no longer a stranger to you. What if on your wedding day “this is unfortunately common” You haven’t met your photographer. This stranger shows up on the morning of your busy wedding day and starts pointing a camera at you and your friends and family. I have been this stranger on many occasions over the years and although I am professional and it no longer bothers me too much, I can still pick up on others being uncomfortable. Discomfort is a form of stress and as I always say. Stress kills art. Having a good vibe with your photographer is crucial to a great wedding day and great photographs.

Your engagement session helps make your wedding day. It goes without saying that although it may not seem like a big deal now, your engagement session is a big component to your wedding day. It isn’t something you want to skip out on if you can avoid it and it’s more than worth the cost. If you’re trying to cut back on wedding costs consider other options before forgoing this important piece of your wedding day puzzle.

We look forward to engagement sessions very much! Getting to know our clients personally is an amazing opportunity. They are the heart of our business and we are honored that they chose us and put their trust in us to record this special time in their lives. The engagement session is our first opportunity to earn that trust and form a friendship. It is just as important to us as photographers as it is for you!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I hope this article helped you on your wedding planning journey.

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

4 Pros and cons to doing a first look

Hello again! Today I’m excited to talk about a subject that many couples spend months stewing over before finally making up their minds. It seems like it should be simple, but the more it works its way into your head the more it becomes an enormous overblown thing that it really doesn’t need to be. Hopefully this article will help to condense this big knot of mental Christmas lights into a few simple things to consider. After reading this I hope you will be more than a step closer to your decision to have a first look, or to opt for the more traditional route!

So, it's been years now since the idea of the first look hit the wedding scene. It has officially proved itself to be more than a fad and for good reason. It’s romantic, modern and intimate to name a few reasons. Oh, and also the pictures from a first look are precious and beautiful if done right. As photographers, Sarah and I love first looks for a few main reasons.

The Pros.

Goodbye to Nervousness.

First, on a wedding day it can feel like there is a lot of pressure on the bride and groom to keep things running smoothly. Think about this. In a stressful situation who is the one person who makes you feel like you can do anything? I hope you answered your partner! I mean, that’s why you're getting married right? My number one reason I love first looks is that when the bride and groom come together early on a wedding day you can actually feel their tension melt away. Not only the nervousness about seeing each other that was hanging over their heads. But the subconscious feeling of doing this alone vanishes.

Photos done early.

When researching for this article I saw tons of writers saying that couples photos might not be as special to you on the wedding day if you aren’t actually married yet. Well… Fine, that’s fair. However, We aren’t necessarily talking about couples photos. Yes we can do some of those after the first look and we almost always do, but a huge chunk of our couples photos will be done around sunset. Long after the ceremony when the light is right! Now we are talking mainly about family photos and bridal party photos. These photos take a lot of time and when we do them all after the ceremony we often find ourselves trying to squeeze everything in as fast as possible. This is not only stressful for everyone “Stress is the enemy of good wedding vibes” but it cuts into precious couples photos time!

Privacy

If you are anything like me you appreciate your privacy. At my ceremony I felt very on the spot and I was uncomfortable at first. That may sound crazy to you but I bet a ton readers know exactly what I’m talking about. I am glad I had my first look with Sarah because I was able to soak it in in privacy and not during an anxious moment in my life with everyone watching. Social anxiety. Yes, I have it too!

Less wedding day pressure

After your first look you tackle those family, and bridal party shots and then you find that your wedding day schedule is suddenly less full, less rushed and more relaxed. That is a key ingredient to a special, fun and romantic wedding day that you remember fondly. Unfortunately over the past 10+ years we have been wedding photographers, we've seen our share of brides and grooms not enjoying their wedding day. Sweating, sour faced, snippy or even arguing… Of course we can’t stand seeing this on someone's special day. When this happens we do everything we possibly can to help. Especially Sarah. She is a master when it comes to wedding planning and positive vibes. There is one commonality between every one of these weddings. The bride and groom had planned too much into a day to not have a first look. Please don’t take that the wrong way. That does not mean that a first look is something you need to do to have an amazing wedding day. Not at all, what it means is if your not doing a first look make sure you're not planning too much after the ceremony. You will most likely find that you didn’t have time to actually enjoy your wedding and the time with the people you love the most on this special day.

Cocktail hour

Speaking of enjoying time with your loved ones. Soon after the ceremony they will all head to your cocktail hour to mingle, laugh, drink and celebrate together. Tradition dictates that the bride and groom aren’t there. But why not? We love when brides and grooms are present for cocktail hour. They have so much fun. Shake off the remaining wedding day jitters and we get to capture some candid photos of them with the guests. The ceremony is still so fresh in everyone’s minds and they are so ready to hug, squeeze and congratulate you!

There is so much more to say but I could literally be here all day and I told you I would make this simple and condensed! Some people prefer the traditional route. I have huge respect for this. Tradition is deep, meaningful and extremely charming. Especially at a formal event like a wedding day. Here are the cons. The reasons you might not want to have a first look.

The cons

Loss of tradition.

Maybe you are a traditionalist, or maybe you highly respect your Mother or Grandmother's opinion and want to take their advice. When you have a first look you are breaking a cultural tradition of not seeing each other before the ceremony. I won’t harp on that for too long because I know that you knew that before clicking on this blog!

Ceremony photos less expressive

There is a theory amongst photographers that if you do a first look, the emotions might be less present at the ceremony. This is both true and not untrue. I’ll elaborate. If you opt not to do a first look, you might find yourself very emotional at the ceremony in the way of joyful tears and a deeply romantic vibe. If you go for the first look you will likely have a different experience. With most of the tension gone you will find yourself more relaxed and likely be more outwardly happy and excited. You will have less tears in the audience and more smiles and joyful laughs and an excited energy from your partner. It will be just as emotional but it will be a different flavor of energy, which leads to a different experience. Whichever you prefer is the correct choice for you!

You’re having an early Mass

A common thought is that you're having an early Mass and so you will have a jump start on your wedding day events. Awesome, In these scenarios we agree. A first look doesn’t yield much in the way of wedding schedule efficiency. It does still offer the relief of ceremony pressure. However, I’m betting that if you are having a Mass you are a person who respects tradition and are willing to deal with that to uphold in what you believe in. That is awesome and I love and respect that, but what are you doing reading this! You already know what you want. Stop second guessing yourself and go confidently into your dream wedding!

In closing

All things considered, it’s up to you to choose. I know that probably not what you want to hear but what I offer is advice.

If you are not having a first look, please consider not overcrowding your wedding plans. Leave time in the schedule between each event to get something to drink, a snack, or just take a breather. Leave time to have fun and not be stressed!

If you are having a first look, make sure that you leave some time to have couples photos done later in that golden hour light! Have a great time but please remember, you’re getting photos done later. Don’t party too hard, you have to keep that hair and makeup on point!

Thank you so much for taking the time to read. I hope this article helped you on your wedding planning journey.

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

The magic of Fall colors

Good morning kind reader! The first day of Fall occurred over the weekend, and I woke this morning with the cool Fall air filling my bedroom. My favorite season is finally here!

I had multiple photo sessions over the weekend. My final session late Sunday night truly stuck out. Aside from the family being fantastic to work with, the colors they chose were absolutely perfect! They were muted earth tones that gave off such a warm and comfortable Fall vibe and also gave a sense of adventure and imagination to their happy and energetic children! In Ohio we are blessed with a gorgeous Fall and so much opportunity to capture beautiful timeless images.

However, getting the most out of these Fall photo sessions is not as easy as getting out in nature with a good photographer. A key element, (I can’t stress how important this is) is understanding how to dress! This applies for any type of Fall session, not just family photo sessions but engagement, baby, senior or anything else.

Choosing your colors

You probably understand already because your mother taught you when you were young that your clothes need to match. They don’t have to be the same color, they need to go together! The fall foliage is a set of specific colors that will stand out in your photos. You want to think about coordinating your colors to the foliage. Below I am attaching a Fall color pallet for you to us as a reference when picking your outfits.

Seasonal Color Pallette

Coordinate, don’t match!

Oftentimes people make the mistake of thinking that matching is the way to go. They understand they want Earth tones and the colors look great but they make the mistake of putting both parents in Green sweaters with Khaki pants. It’s really the variety that stands out and is pleasing to the eye.

Outdoor comfort

It’s common that people come to their session with shirts tucked in, shoes shined and just an overall more formal look. There is a time and place for this, but we prefer a more natural look. We want it to look more like we caught you on a hike in the forest or at a family picnic in the mountains rather than a traditional photo session. We prefer a pair of hiking boots over dress shoes. If you have children in your session make sure to dress them in something that is not only warm and Fall colored, but also something they can run around in. Something you don’t mind getting dirty. We like to play a lot at these sessions and take a lot of photos on the ground!

I am including a link to our free style guide below which helps to coordinate your outfits to the season. It is great for family sessions but the advice is relevant to any type of Fall vibe session.

Family Session Style Guide

Choosing the right store!

We live in an age that makes it easy to shop for the specific looks we want to achieve. Take advantage of the internet as it can be your best friend. Pinterest has tons of great articles with lists of stores online. Below is a link to an awesome amazon storefront by Jess Phillips from jessphillipsphotography.com. She has some great links to purchase beautiful Fall clothing!

If you live in our area I highly recommend women check a store called Rose and Remington in Lebanon, Ohio. This shop has a plethora of beautiful dresses with a great color palette and tons of accessories and jewelry to go along with your look.

In closing

It may be stressful when you first start to plan your outfits, but once you start using your color pallet and you find a good store you will start having fun! and in the end you will end up with stunning photos and a new sense of fashion that will serve you for years to come. Happy Fall!

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

The art of having fun.

   If you're reading this I’m going to guess that you, your partner or both of you are at least a little camera shy. If so I have good news! You’re not alone. In my experience most people are uncomfortable in front of the camera. Myself included. Ironic, I know… For the majority of my life I hated my smile. I would see photos of myself smiling and think my face looked fat or my smile caused my eyes to squint. My solution to this was to attempt the stoic “Sexy guy” face. I was happier with that back then but now realize I just looked angry in every photo for 2 decades. It wasn’t until recently that I started to apply the tips I give my client’s (the same tips I’m about to give you) to myself.

HOW MOST COUPLES FEEL!

  Most couples arrive at their engagement session nervous. They usually haven’t met their photographer and if they have it was at a consultation. Sometimes they haven’t ever had professional photos done and have no idea what to expect. They feel awkward and they are sometimes worried that the photographer will be frustrated or upset with their inexperience while posing them. These worries are completely false and totally normal.

WHATS HOLDING YOU BACK?

  The human mind often focuses on the worst case scenario. When I was a young musician I was technically very good, and everything should have sounded amazing… except, I sounded like a robot. It wasn’t until someone said something so simple, so obvious and wise that I was able to get past that stage.

“Let the weight off your shoulders, just relax and know there is no pressure.”

  Being the subject of a photograph is no different. Get out of your head and just have fun. With modern photography styles like ours, we don’t want a perfectly posed photograph that looks stiff and rigid. We want to photograph you enjoying yourself and enjoying your partner. We are trying to capture your love! Here are a few tips to help you ease into this state of mind.

DON’T BE EMBARRASSED.

  Maybe you're not a publicly affectionate couple, and that's fine but you're not in public here. It’s just you and the photographer. And just like your Doctor, they don’t judge you! It’s your photographer's profession and you're not doing anything they haven’t seen hundreds of times. To see a couple who has mastered the art of chill in front of the camera check out the gallery below!

Zach & Karen

Engagement session at Ault Park in Cincinnati, Ohio. A dark moody fun and playful session. Having fun is how we get natural unposed candid photos.

TALKING, TEASING & TICKLING.

  Talking, teasing and even tickling are fantastic ways to break you out of that stiff nervous zone. If your photographer poses you that doesn’t mean you have to be a statue. You are free to talk and enjoy each other. Joking back and forth is great or saying something loving. If your partner is nervous, whisper something funny into their ear. And if they are extra nervous give them a tickle. The laugh will be a great release of tension and makes for a really cute photo!

DANCING.

  Dancing is also a great way to loosen up. Any type of dancing you like is perfectly fine. Bringing a Bluetooth speaker is an option or just dancing in silence. Can’t dance? Even better. Do it anyway!

PLAN FOR SOMEWHERE SECLUDED!

  If you or your partner is camera shy you should consider planning your session somewhere private and away from crowds. The feeling of being gawked at doesn’t help when you're being romantic. Give yourself a place where you can feel secluded and for goodness sake do not invite your friends or family! Believe it or not, people do this thinking it’s going to help. IT DOESN’T.

  Your engagement session is more than just a photo session. It is an opportunity to rehearse for your wedding day photos. You get to know your photographer, develop a working groove and flow and learn to chill out on camera. If you're nervous, that's absolutely fine and normal. Just know that your fears are all in your head. I assure you. Before you know it the session will be over and you will be surprised at how much fun you had! Afterword, go out to dinner with your fiancé and you can both have a laugh about how nervous you were!

  Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

  If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Why you should always do your photos at sunset!

Family photo session in Springboro, Ohio

So you’re excited to have family photos done. You have gone through all the steps. You picked the right photographer and you are ready to book. You ask for their availability and they send you a list of dates and times. But all of the available times are so late! It conflicts with dinner time, your kids are supposed to be getting ready for bed at this time. It’s just so inconvenient. As photographers we understand. It’s not ideal for us either, but it’s essential for the results we achieve. Here is why your photographer is so insistent on doing your session close to sunset.

What is golden hour?

Golden hour is the last hour of daylight before sunset. It is the time of day when the sun dips low and the light becomes soft and gives off a warm hue. It offers a ton of advantages for photos and gives off those amazing lens flares and golden bursts of light you see so often in photographers’ portfolios. Often people say they want an earlier time of day because the light flares aren’t important to them. What they don’t realize is that there are many other reasons for shooting at this time.

If your ideal time is 1pm and you manage to talk your photographer into this time of day, don’t be surprised when you get photos back and see yourself looking more wrinkly than usual. Or notice everyone is squinting and you can’t see anyone’s eyes. The harsh light of the sun causes shadows under the eyes making them look sunken or sick. The bright highlights can blow out parts of the photo making them nothing more than white blobs. The color of light the sun produces is also different. You probably never noticed before but the light earlier in the day is more blue and this can make skin look off in photographs.

These issues are no big deal when taking a snapshot but when you have professional photos done you expect professional results. We have been talked into earlier shoots many times. We explain the reasons for a late shoot and give out the proper warnings but still some clients insist.

I suggest for just one night you make an exception to your routine. Make it fun. Use it as an excuse to let the kids stay up late. Take the family out to dinner or ice cream afterwords! Your family photos are important and will last forever. It’s worth it to go the extra mile. Take your photographer’s professional advice. That is why you hired them right? Trust the expert and you won’t be disappointed with the results!

Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram at the link below to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Venue recommendation

THE MARMALADE LILY. PHOTO BY EVERY ATOM PHOTOGRAPHY

This is by far the most important article written as of yet. What could be more important on your wedding day than having the right venue? Think about it. The catering could be incredible, the DJ is fantastic and the photographer is everything you dreamed they would be. But None of that matters really if your guests and most importantly you and your spouse have to spend your special day somewhere you hate! A bad environment can easily sour the entire experience. This is a series of articles I have been wanting to write for a long time, and well… here it goes!

The Marmalade Lily in Loveland, OH is the first venue I want to recommend on my list. In fact when thinking about what I wanted to say in this post I realized I just had to jump over to their google business page and leave a glowing review. Over the past few years Sarah and I have enjoyed photographing many weddings here. Seeing how happy the couples and guests were and how beautiful the grounds are kept always makes for a great day at work for us and an amazing wedding day for the Bride and Groom.

The Marmalade Lily sits on 9 acres of beautiful grounds and flower gardens. The owner Laura, Like my own beautiful wife Sarah has a deep passion for gardening and flowers in particular. Season to season the grounds grow and change, Setting a wonderful vibe that really tells the story of your wedding day in its time and place. Along with Laura their clients get the pleasure of working with their awesome staff who come off more like a family than a group of co-workers. They have great wedding coordinators and multiple floral designers! Being a flower farm they offer floral arrangements included with their wedding packages which is so convenient.

Flower bouquet by The Marmalade lily. Photo Every Atom Photography.

Why do we love The Marmalade Lily?

Over the past 10 plus years Sarah I have shot hundreds of weddings at dozens of venues. We remember and look forward to going back to the ones with a personal touch and a positive vibe. They inspire us as artists because negativity stifles creativity and these people are always positive. When a bad customer service experience impacts the bride and groom, well… It can be hard for them to shake that off and get on with a happy day. Much less fun, playful and romantic photos. The Marmalade Lily has always offered us everything we could ask for and more importantly given the bride and grooms we have worked with a more than positive experience and a beautiful place to celebrate the beginning of an amazing journey together.

The Marmalade Lily is a place with a great outdoorsy energy, tons of scenes to pick from for photos. The staff are helpful and not high tense and all of this is fueled by a true passion for beautiful flowers and love. What more could you ask for? If you want to visit the grounds and see this beautiful venue for yourself you can schedule a visit or stop by when they host one of their pick your flower days! You can check them out on Instagram at @themarmaladelily or on their website by clicking the button below.

Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

If you enjoyed this read, please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson

Is a half session enough?

Is a half session enough time to capture the vision you have for your photo session?

Lets start this conversation as always, by asking yourself a few questions. First, what is it that you want. After everything that goes into a photo session. That is, picking a photographer, planning, searching for inspiration, picking the location, looking at outfits, getting the kids ready, doing the shoot and lastly, waiting to get the photos back. What is it that you want to see? Is it a beautiful Christmas card? or an announcement photo for a new baby on the way? If it is, than a half session is probably the right way to go! A half session is perfect for anything short and to the point. In fact I would also say that a half session is perfect for a family who gets photos done regularly. You might not feel that it’s necessary to get 60-100 photos done if you get them done every few months.

What does a half session look like?

A half session is fast paced. The photographer will probably be trying to fit as many different poses and expressions as possible into a short amount of time. This time crunch has it’s ups and downs for families with young ones. On the upside, for those of us who have small impatient children, this approach is awesome. It gets the job done quickly before the kids are over the experience and start protesting. Then on the downside, if your infant is crying or your four year old simply won’t cooperate there isn’t much time to turn that situation around. Note: Always do nap time and a snack before any shoot. Follow the photographers instructions closely and most importantly, have fun! If the kids aren’t cooperating, ordering them isn’t usually the solution. Sarah and I have always found that playing, telling jokes or having a tickle fight works much better! You might not get many photos looking at the camera, but you will get a ton of natural, candid laughs and smiles! I know for me that is much preferred.

If you are picking your own location for the session try to pick a location that has very nearby spots. Walking from spot to spot soaks up your time quickly!

Make sure you love what your wearing. A half session doesn’t allow time for outfit changes like a full session does. Pick something your sure about and feel comfortable in. Your half session might not be the best time to try a new look.

When to choose the full session?

If you want variety to choose from like different backdrops, looking at the camera along with candid photos and laughs, Mom with the kids and Dad with the kids, individuals of the kids and maybe even an outfit change, you definitely want to be looking into the full session. The full session will give you time to get the shots you want and also time to handle unexpected issues or a bigger location. You will also get time to warm up to your photographer. The first 15ish minutes of a photo session are always a little tense for everyone. It’s a loosening up period for the group. Including the photographer. Most of the magic happens once some of the tension fades and a rhythm develops. That’s a huge benefit to a full session.

Whatever session length you choose just remember to have fun with it! We get our photos done to make a record of family. Family to us means love and love comes out of joy.

Sarah and I are open for bookings in the Southern Ohio and Northern Kentucky area as well as traveling sessions. If you’re interested in possibly booking a session just hop over to the contact page and shoot us an email!

If you liked this read please leave a like and consider subscribing for more photo session advice. Follow us on Instagram to keep up with our most recent photo session samples and reels.

Thanks for reading!

- Jordan Epperson