Erica Kait Creative

Stump Family Portraits

Camas, WA

Family Session - June 2017

Lately, I have been asked to do more and more family portrait sessions, and I have been having so much fun navigating the ins and out of posing families rather than just two people. The Stump family contacted me about doing a portrait session with their 6-month-old in their home earlier this summer. This beautiful family was so much fun to work with and their home provided a GORGEOUS space to shoot in. Pinterest is filled with beautiful in-home portrait sessions and there are a few things that go into making these sessions translate well on camera. For anyone interested in booking their own home session, here are a few tips to follow which can help ensure your shoot is a success!

Tips for Your Own Home Session:

1. Lots of natural light

Many photographers, myself included, will first try to work with all the natural light available before resorting to a flash. Natural window light especially is very helpful for making sure your photos are bright and the scene is well lit. Try to maximize the natural light in your home for your session. Whether it's throwing open the drapes or just scheduling your shoot for a time when the light is nicely shining in, every bit helps!

2. Keep it Simple

Simple color palettes and patterns tend to photograph better. That doesn't necessarily mean that everything needs to perfectly match or you should only wear solid colors, but keeping clothing free or words or distracting patterns helps to make you and your family the center of the photos rather than the writing on your shirt.

3. Reduce Background Distractions

This tip goes right along with tip number 2 - do your best to reduce any background or periphery elements that could be a distracting from your scene. You might not be able to help the placement of an outlet, but moving a chair or a dog bed out of the way could go a long way in adding some simplicity to your photos.

4. Let your Style Shine Through

Last but not least, let your personality come through, we are in your home after all! The Stump family did a great job of telling me about their style when I got to their home. They had a clean open space ready to shoot in and let me know how much they liked neutral color palettes and black and white photos. They even showed me a photo or two online that they admired. If you have any tips or inspiration like this don't be afraid to let your photographer know! While I can never promise (or want to) exactly replicate a photo, it's always helpful to know if the client has little pieces of inspiration to share for the shoot.

That's all for now, but be sure to contact me if you have any questions or are interested in booking your own session!