Tips to make family photos special. While I love shooting family portraits on one of California’s beautiful beaches, it can sometimes be fun to switch things up and visit a family’s home to capture some shots of them in their everyday environment. Shooting photos indoors comes with it’s own unique set of challenges and oftentimes families may wonder if their home is ready for a session like this. Today I’ve put together a few helpful tips for anyone considering an in-home shoot of their own to help their home shine in photos.
Stick To Neutrals
If you can, try to pick rooms with mostly neutral colors to shoot in, as they will provide the best backdrop for photos. Paint colors like bright red or yellow will likely reflect back and distort the other colors in your photos, while soft grey, white or beige will allow your family’s smiles to pop in photos. If you’re still a color lover, try incorporating color into your decor with accent pillows, art and other fun decor pieces. A neutral backdrop doesn’t mean you have to give up your personal design style!
Have A Seat
Piling kids up in one living room chair can be an easy way to corral little ones and show off your decor style at the same time. For bigger kids this can lead to some fun tickle fights but it also works great for newborn sessions. Drape a cute blanket over the back of the chair to add some color, pattern or texture and have the big siblings hold the new baby (with supervision of course) for some seriously adorable shots.
Let Your Style Shine
Before the photographer comes, think about your personal decor and how it will appear in photos. Are surfaces too cluttered with decor? Are there too many colors and patterns in one room and not enough cohesion? Paring down your decor and removing pieces that don’t quite fit can oftentimes actually allow your true style to come into focus. With this step it can often be helpful to find an interior designer whose style you love to help you decide where your home needs to be edited.
Let The Kids Show Off
Kids love to show off their rooms so ask them to give a tour. This is a great opportunity to snag a few adorable shots while you’re there. Having their childhood room preserved in photos will be priceless to them down the road, plus it will show off all of the work you as a parent have put into their decor. Tiny libraries, colorful mobiles and fun artwork will look great in photos and having the child show their room to you will allow their personality to shine through in photos as well.
Make Quick Swaps
When prepping your home for photos, consider making some swaps in the main rooms you’ll be shooting in. Switch your heavy curtains out for something more light and transparent. When shooting indoors, the more light you can bring into the room, the better your photos will look. Moving a mirror into your living room can also help make the space feel brighter, even if it’s just temporary for the photos.
Get The Door
Your home’s entryway is an often overlooked, but still great location for pictures for a few reasons. First, they are often well-decorated with beautiful wreaths, mirrors, and family photos or other art, which makes for a great backdrop that really shows off the home’s personality. Additionally, you can open the front door and let plenty of gorgeous light in. So when you’re prepping your rooms to shoot in, don’t forget about the front door!
So as you can see, with a few easy tips your home can be photo-ready in no time. Feel free to contact me if you’re interested in setting up an in-home shoot of your own. They can a great way to capture families in a more relaxed environment as well as getting high-quality photos of a home that may mean a lot to you.
