To clock off as a parent

The biggest fear as a parent going in to a family photography session is that the kids are going to choose that exact hour to act up and tantrum the whole time. This then stresses you out, they start crying, then you cry, then I cry and everyone goes home sad.

But this is a Barley Monks Photography session, never gonna happen! In my family sessions parents get the afternoon off, let me take the reigns for the length of the session. Actually, I prefer it if you don’t tell the kids what to do. Barley Monks sessions are all about going with the flow (‘the flow’ being whatever keeps the kids happy and not beating each other with a stick they found). If you spend the whole time trying to make them perform, or force them to do things they’re not keen on then of course they’re going to act up.

I have a rough structure for my family photography sessions, but at the end of the day it’s all about reading the mood and adjusting to suit. The first priority will always be doing what keeps the kids happy. Because happy kids means happy parents, happy photographer and happy, natural, candid memories.

(Knock on wood) I am yet to photograph a session where I haven’t been able to get the kids on side and the main feedback I get from parents is ‘Wow! That was so much easier than I thought it was going to be.’

A new mate

Winning over the kids is always the trick to every session. I would say 90% of parents that call me have at least one child they say is ‘the shy one’. When I hear this I think to myself ‘challenge accepted!’.  Now not every ‘shy one’ is created equally, so each should be handled differently. There’s the ‘shy one’ that is actually the crazy one playing shy and you just need to play up a bit to get them on side. And then there’s the actual shy ones that need to build trust and realise that the scary strange man holding 2 cameras is actually really friendly and fun.

Every ‘shy child’ is different, so not everyone is up to the challenge of winning them over. Having 4 completely different kids of my own, I’ve learnt how to be prepared for pretty much anything.

An experienced parent

Remember that time your little cherub lost their &%*@ and your friend who had no kids thought they were some sort of child whisperer and just made the screaming 10 times worse?

Everyone thinks they are great with kids, but we know as parents when the tantrums start and the pressure’s on only the strong survive and only an experienced parent trained in the art of chaos knows how to tame the wildlings.

So when you’re standing there at your family photography session that you’ve just paid for, not to mention frantically getting everyone there on time and looking their best (because let’s face it – even getting your kids to put shoes on before going out is stressful enough, let alone getting ready for a photo session), to then have your 4yo that’s “never like this” lose it… you want to make sure you’re in the hands of a photographer that’s ready for anything.

An experienced photographer

Seriously, how many photographers are out there? But how many of them are actually up to scratch?

Making sure you have chosen an experienced photographer is so important. Having great photos in their web portfolio is one thing, but how do you know they’re not the only good photos they’ve ever taken?

A good way to make sure they are experienced and are going to deliver a whole session’s worth of quality photos is to ask your potential photographer to send you through a link to a recent session they have done. This way you can see if they are consistent in their level of quality, or if it’s going to be a struggle to find photos you actually like.

3 questions to ask yourself when looking for the perfect photographer for your family are…

• Is their style my style?

Do I like the energy, emotion, colour, framing? Everything I want in a photo, will this photographer be able to deliver?

• Can I relate?

Don’t just look at price. Yes it plays a part, but if you’re a loud and out there kind of family then choosing a photographer who has a more subdued and softer style may not be right for your family, and may actually make the session feel more awkward and unnatural on the day of the photo session.

So make sure you go through their whole site, read their ‘about me’ page and get a feel for who they are. Then ask yourself ‘Is their personality going to suit my family?’

• Are they consistent?

Like I mentioned before – Have them send you a whole session, or even 2 to make sure they’re the real deal and their portfolio isn’t just made up of lucky shots.

To walk away happy & stress free

As I mentioned earlier the number one comment I get at the end of my sessions is ‘Wow, that was so much easier than I thought it was going to be’. Especially the dads. I think they think it’s going to be an hour of me making them do embarrassing poses. So when it comes to the end they are always telling me ‘that was so easy and relaxed.’

I always like to make sure it’s just as fun and stress free for the parents, as I do for the kids. Because the last thing I want is the memories that you’ll be looking back on for the rest of your life to be a constant reminder of how stressful that day was. Family photos are supposed to trigger memories of the good times. And I can promise that a family session with Barley Monks Photography will always be a good time.