What Happens During a Family Photo Session: Timeline and What to Expect

Family photo sessions have a very special place in a photographer's heart. Mainly because no two sessions are ever the same or even close to one another. Each family has its own unique mood, relationship dynamics, movement,

humor. Now add a kid or a whole bunch of them, a newborn and a puppy, gusts of wind we need to wait out, and the amount of chaotic variables makes it impossible to predict how any session will actually go.

That said, it's always good to know what you can expect when booking a session. This is an investment, and it's smart to have at least an approximate understanding of what you're buying into and what the process looks like. I'm happy to tell you about mine, but bear in mind those chaotic variables you're planning to bring along. Whether we're shooting at Southern Village, Merritt's Pasture, or one of the beautiful spots around Chapel Hill and Carrboro, here's what the process looks like.

How Long Does a Family Photo Session Actually Take?

First and foremost: quick family sessions do not exist. Yes, there's a mini session genre (I'll cover that in a separate post), but a quality session that gives you a lasting, heirloom-type family portrait plus other sweet moments (the kind you'd be inclined to print and hang on a wall) never takes less than an hour. I recommend buffering your schedule for an additional 30 minutes, because variables happen.

Before the Session: The Prep Call

My process includes a pre-session phone call whenever possible, where I do my best to learn as much as I can about your family. We cover special needs, mood, aesthetics, wardrobe, and shooting location. Once the factual data is in place, we're off to shoot.

Go Time: What the Actual Session Looks Like

We meet and we talk. I usually start by picking a test model, someone who helps me set up the best angle and dial in my camera settings. I love using kids for this. It helps break the ice. I let kids hold my camera, and if they're willing, I let them make a few snaps of their own, which results in actual prints with their own watermark. Photos made by your kids remain their own intellectual property, not mine. It's a fun thing to do, and however bad the photo may have turned out, it's a fun experience.

The Warm-Up Period (Yes, This Is Normal)

It takes a few minutes for the family to warm up. Note: most people DO NOT LIKE being photographed. Myself included, I am the worst model of all. The irony is not dead on me.

It's not only not unusual, it's the most common thing. We tense up in the unforgiving eye of the lens barrel. We feel exposed, vulnerable, too thin, too fat, too old, too underdressed, too EVERYTHING and ANYTHING. And it takes a while to stop taking the shoot and yourself seriously.

Once a bit of a lighter mood arrives, things suddenly become smoother. Easier. All of a sudden, a shy toddler strikes a pose like a pro, or a reluctant spouse catches a second wind and sweeps you off your feet for a lovely romantic shot you didn't even plan. A teen who never smiles suddenly stops the eye roll and comes up with the most interesting ideas for group combinations. Even the dogs perform obedience miracles, but that's on rare occasions. It happens, though.

I do have helpful "safe" pose guidelines, and if nothing else works, there's always that. But in my 15+ years of experience, I've never had to resort to it in full.

After the Session: What to Expect

By the time we wrap up, you will:

1. Be tired. Posing is surprisingly taxing, and you will feel fatigue. If you have anyone with special needs with you, please plan for that.

2. Feel a bit high. I typically recommend planning a dinner or something for after the shoot, because you WILL feel somewhat celebratory. Book that table at the place you love. Just make it nearby the session location.

   
   

The Wait: Delivery Timeline

It takes time for photos to be delivered. You should expect at least 7 days if the shoot was straightforward. If there are 5+ people, then 2 weeks is a typical production time. At least.

Why So Long?

Post-production. No professional photographer sends clients photos straight out of camera. Not because they're bad. Because there are MANY. Many more than you think we made together. It takes time to go through them.

Then each of the photos gets edited. Not deeply, but ever so slightly to look the way your photographer thinks you want them to look. It won't be fully retouched, but the light, the mood, the colors, the textures: all of those things will be reviewed and edited before you see your "camera roll."

This is when you receive your gallery. From this gallery, you'll pick your absolute favorites, and this is where the final magic happens. We'll discuss the edits, the level of retouching, and any stylistic preferences you may have. This may also take a week or so to refine, and a lot depends on your schedule too. Then your gallery will be updated with the new, retouched photos, which you can then print and download.

I use a gallery service called ShootProof. I like the way the galleries look, and I also like that it connects my clients' galleries to the professional photo labs I happen to love. This way I'm confident that the printed products my clients receive are of the top quality.

The Bottom Line

Family sessions are unpredictable, sometimes chaotic, and almost always more fun than people expect. Plan for an hour and a half, bring your sense of humor, and trust the process. The awkwardness at the beginning is normal. The celebratory feeling at the end is normal too. And the wait for your photos? Also normal. And worth it.

The warm-up period in action. Give it 10 minutes and everyone forgets to be nervous.