A family of four stands smiling in a field of dried grasses with evergreen trees behind them, bathed in warm golden sunlight.
Allen-Kent Photography A Field Guide

How to prepare for your family portraits

Everything worth knowing before we meet, plus a good long list of things you can stop thinking about right now.

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Read this first

A two-minute read. No homework. No pressure. Just a peek inside how we work.

You just booked, so before anything else, relax. With a little planning, this is going to be a great time, and you'll walk away with photos of your people that actually feel like your people.

Consider this a quick look inside our brains: a list of things you genuinely don't need to worry about, and the small handful of things that, if you can, are worth a little thought before the day arrives.

Let it go

Things you don't
need to worry about

i.

Knowing how to pose

You don't. That's our job. We'll guide you the whole way: where to stand, what to do with your hands, who to put your arm around. Nobody in our portfolio is a model; they're all real families who felt exactly like you might right now.

ii.

Everyone smiling at once

The photos you'll love most are usually the in-between ones: someone laughing, a kid being a kid, the two of you actually looking at each other. We'll get the classic everyone-looking shot too. Just don't pour all your energy there.

iii.

A perfect day

Nobody has perfect skin, and no family is perfectly behaved on cue. We do gentle, natural touch-ups on what we deliver, so you'll just look like you on a good day. The rest, we roll with.

iv.

The little ones melting down

It happens at almost every session, and it's completely fine. We don't need cooperation the whole time, just a few real seconds here and there, and those come easier than you'd think. We're patient, and we're never in a rush.

A blonde toddler in a light blue sweater runs through grass with a white-hatted child following behind in an outdoor garden setting. Real families, no models
A family of four people jumping with arms raised in celebration in a wildflower field with trees in the background, captured in black and white photography.
“
We just let your family be your family. We happen to have cameras with us.
How a session actually feels
Instead, focus on

What to wear

A smiling couple embraces in a golden field, with the man in a white polo shirt and the woman in a light striped dress, surrounded by trees and clear sky. coordinate,
don't
match

Wardrobe is one of the few things that genuinely shapes how the photos feel. Nothing new or fancy needed, just pieces that:

  • Feel like your family, not a costume
  • Stay comfortable, everyone's going to move
  • Work for the weather we'll be in
  • You'd be happy to see on the wall for years

Coordinate, don't match. Matching outfits read a little stiff. Pull from the same family of colors (soft, earthy tones work well against the sand and the water up here) and let everyone be a little different within it. Layers and texture add a lot; skip big logos and tight, busy patterns.

Instead, focus on

Setting the
day up

A relaxed family makes for relaxed photos. A few things, if they're easy:

  • Build in a buffer so nobody arrives flustered or late
  • With young kids, work around naps and meals, since a fed, rested kid is a happy kid
  • Try not to come straight from something stressful, if you can help it
  • Hydrate, and bring water, especially on a warm day

And don't worry about getting all of this right. Whatever you show up with, we can work with.

A young boy in a dark shirt walks along a driftwood log while holding hands with a woman on a rocky beach during golden hour.
Instead, focus on

Who & what to bring

Bring whoever makes your family feel most like itself. There's no such thing as too many people in a family session. That's the whole point. A few favorites:

Grandparents The dog 🐾 A favorite toy or blanket Snacks & a little bribe Anything meaningful to you

That's it,
really.

Once we get going, it all makes sense, and it's almost always easier than families expect. Show up, be together, and let us handle the rest.

Can't wait to meet your family.