What time should I schedule my family photo session?
What time is the best time to schedule my family’s photo session? And why does my photographer always want to schedule so late during summer? What are some tips for scheduling a session? All great questions! Find out more here.
What time should I schedule my family photo session? What’s the best time to take pictures? Or why do we have to do our session so late? Are all questions I get asked when families are looking to schedule their sessions (especially in summer). I’m here to answer all these questions and MORE!
The short answer to what time is the best time for photos is about an hour to an hour and a half before sunset. This is called golden hour, and it makes for beautiful, dreamy photos like the one directly above.
But that’s so LATE! Is a complaint parents with young children commonly have. And that’s true, at the height of summer sessions often don’t start until after 7 pm. With littles that can be super tricky, and here’s some suggestions.
Let’s plan your session for earlier in the evening! We can choose locations that are shaded and still capture beautiful images. Note, we don’t get the sunset/golden hour images - they will still be beautiful but they will have a different tone and feel.
Wait until later in summer or early fall to book your session. As the days shorten golden hour comes earlier as well!
Wing it! Plan the session anyway - I will help keep the kids engaged and active during the session. Feed the kiddos supper a little later than normal and give them an extra snack or treat before the session to help keep energy levels up.
The season, time of day, weather and location will impact the images you receive during your session. For example - the wooded image on this page was taken during the morning in late Spring (with rain threatening the whole time), the field picture with the little kids was taken mid summer at golden hour, and the picture below was taken in the afternoon during fall. All these sessions were amazing, and yours will be too! Each of these families had a different vision in mind for their session, I’d love to hear what yours is! :)
How to pick outfits for your family photos
How to choose the perfect outfit for your next session. Tips and tricks on elevating your photoshoot. Photography by Brooke is a photographer based out of Merrill WI, that services the Wausau, Mosinee, Weston, Antigo, and surrounding areas.
How do I pick outfits for our family photos? What colors go best together? Should we all match? Should we wear clothes with words or images? These are all very common questions I’m asked before every photo session.
Picking outfits for you and your family is one of the more stressful aspects of preparing for your photo session.
I’m here today to offer some guidance, and hopefully help remove some of the stress for you.
“Let’s talk color!”
I know you’re all just reading this to find out how to pair colors! That’s alright! And I have a super simple trick for you!
Head to (you can also just Google color palette ideas):
https://www.canva.com/colors/color-palettes/
This site offers tons of color palettes for you to view. You can search things like spring, autumn, rust, blue, etc to get inspo.
Once you’ve found a palette that you like (like the example below) you are ready to start shopping! These colors go together well and you can start basing your outfits off this color grouping.
Such a simple trick, but so effective!
“Layers, Layers, Layers”
Beyond colors, there’s a lot of other aspects to take into consideration! Being in Northern Wisconsin the temps can swing wildly from day to day. Should you plan for short sleeves or will you need a winter coat?
I suggest to families that have their sessions in the spring or fall months to plan on layers. Layers you can take off or put on as the session goes on. Photo sessions aren’t stand still events, you’ll be moving most of the time. So you might start out cold, but get toasty!
Cardigans or zip up sweaters are both great options! A blanket that’s big enough to wrap around you, fashion coats, or a shawl are good alternatives.
“Keep it simple”
Here’s a few general rules to follow when getting ready for your shoot.
Matching family outfits can be fun (Christmas jammies!) - in the right setting. In general though, simple is better.
Avoid graphic t shirts, especially those with really bright colors. Solid colors photograph better, and fit in everywhere.
Steer clear of shirts with a lot of words. They are difficult to read in photos and often get cut off while you’re moving around. Think simple.
Refrain from choosing bright colors (anything in the neon family) and busy patterns.
“Pro Tip!”
Don’t forget about your shoes. You can have a killer outfit, but the effect can be completely ruined with shoes that don’t match. Guys tend to be the bigger offenders on this one. Ladies, I recommend doing a double check of your hubby before you leave.
“Always here to help you!”
If you’re really struggling on your outfit, it is perfectly ok to reach out to your photographer before the session and ask for advice. The last thing we want is for you to be uncomfortable at your session.
A couple of things to keep in mind -
Your photographer is not responsible for you hating your outfit. They are also not responsible for clothing that is wrinkled, creased, or covered in pet hair. Photoshop is amazing, but it’s not magic - it also takes a lot of time to edit (and not everything is fixable).
As always, if you have a question or need help, reach out! Photography by Brooke wants you to love your photos for years to come and is always happy to help!
Outdoor Newborn Sessions
Outdoor newborn sessions are so much fun! Wisconsin is a great place to capture some beautiful images.
Here in Merrill Wisconsin we are truly blessed with some gorgeous weather - I’m often asked if I can do outdoor newborn sessions. The answer is YES! And here’s some things you should know -
1.) Outdoor newborn sessions can be done between April and October (as weather allows).
2.) Sessions will not be conducted outdoors when the weather is over 80 degrees as it is too hot for the baby, recovering mom and photographer.
3.) Sessions will not be conducted outdoors when the weather is less than 60 degrees, as baby’s comfort and safety is the top priority. Babies like to be warm and cozy, when they are uncomfortable sessions do not go well.
4.) Colors and props will be limited and typically selected by the photographer (with client input of course!).
5.) Summer session locations will be at the discretion of the photographer - usually these sessions need to be somewhere that has a lot of shade. This is both for lighting purposes and for the comfort of everyone at the shoot.
Want to schedule your own session?
Contact me here!
Fussy Babies
Getting your picture taken is hard work!
As a newborn photographer - I have a lot of practice working with fussy babies.
You’ve just had a baby, your newborn session is all booked. You have spent the last several months fantasizing about what your baby’s newborn pictures will look like. You may even have a Pinterest board half a mile long with amazing images that you admire. You cannot wait to bring your vision to life!
The day of your session finally arrives. It’s so exciting! You get to the studio and hand the photographer your gorgeous baby. And your baby starts crying….and keeps crying…and crying…and crying.
At this point you be starting to freak out a little, this isn’t what you envisioned at all. You followed your newborn session prep guide! How can your photographer possibly get anything usable when your baby is being fussy!?!
I’m here to tell you it’s ok! And completely normal! I have many tricks to help with a fussy baby (these are just a few):
Wrapping
Feeding
Pacifier
Baby shusher
Rocking
Most babies are going to cry at least once during their session. This is totally normal and expected. It’s shocking for baby to be in a new place, to be undressed, and to be moved around multiple times. Getting your picture taken is hard work, you’d probably be fussy too! Your baby will most likely want to eat during their session, and may also need one (or more) diaper changes.
Most babies will settle after a short time, but some babies take longer. And on very rare occasions, will be too unhappy to safely pose.
Not to worry! While it’s rare that we are unable to get baby happy and sleepy, it does happen. In those situations, we simply reschedule for another day.
A couple of things that can contribute to a baby being fussier than usual at their shoot are:
Cluster feeding
Reflux or Gas
Illness
If your baby is experiencing these, it’s helpful to let your photographer know so we can discuss together and decide if we should move the session.
Your baby is the boss of their session. Their comfort and safety are Photography by Brooke’s absolute top priority.
What should I bring to my newborn session?
Let’s keep it simple! I’ll give you a simple list of everything you need (or don’t need!) to bring to your newborn session. Photography by Brooke is a newborn, maternity and family photographer servicing the Wausau, Merrill, Mosinee and surrounding areas of North Central Wisconsin.
One of the first questions I’m always asked by parents is, “What should I bring to my newborn session?” At Photography by Brooke I understand how stressful packing up your brand new baby and bringing them to the studio can be. Being a new parent, even if this isn’t your first baby, is hard! Your body is recovering, you’re getting to know a brand new human, no one is sleeping, it’s a lot. And I get it. That’s why I want to make your session as low stress and easy on you as possible.
What you should bring to your newborn session:
Diapers (2-3 should do)
Wipes
Formula or pumped breast milk
Pacifier
One special item to incorporate into your session (optional)
That’s it! I will provide the rest for you! While it doesn’t seem like a long list of items, when you’re running late it’s easy to forget one, or all of them. My studio has you covered. I always keep some extra newborn diapers, wipes and pacifiers on hand for my clients.
Additional items I provide at my studio for your session:
Newborn outfits
Wraps
Props (beds, buckets, chairs, etc.)
Backdrops
Misc decor
Snack basket
Water
Toys for siblings to play with during the session
I want your session to go as smoothly and as stress free for my families as possible. If there’s something I can do to help you be more comfortable, just ask!
Photography by Brooke serving the Wausau, Merrill, Mosinee, and surrounding areas.