Tips for Family Portraits with Kids: Rochester NY Family Pictures

Do you dread booking your family pictures? Is it overwhelming, and your kids will never behave? We get it. We’ve been there, both as parents and as photographers. It can be hard and frustrating.

But it doesn’t have to be.

Here are six tips for family pictures that might help your portrait session be less stress inducing:

Outfits for Family Pictures:

Your child has never worn a bow tie? Today is not the day to give that look a try. Uncomfortable kids, can be unhappy kids in family pictures. Everyone should feel comfortable in their clothes. So if your child only wears leggings and tutus, let them be themselves.

Food and Sleep:

Make sure your kids are full and rested before your session. Don’t plan your session for right before or during nap times. If you your kids need a full night’s sleep to function, don’t let your kids stay up late the night before.

Also make sure they’re not hangry. Bring snacks (or bribes) as needed. This also goes for adults… you know who you are.

Plan for Enough Time With your Family Photographer:

If your children take a while to warm up to a new face, don’t book a 15 minute mini session with a stranger. Your kids aren’t going to magically turn on real smiles for someone they don’t know that quickly.

Relax:

Don’t ask them to smile in a frustrated tone, unless you want forced, cheesy smiles. Let your photographer do their job and follow their lead. Let go and relax. It’s a family portrait session, not brain surgery.

Do Something Fun:

Pick a location, or an activity that your children love. Have a few minutes of group photos, then let them play! Let them be kids and let us capture that real relationship you have with them.

Find the Right Family Session for You:

Find the right path for you - whether it’s quick and easy or more in depth.

We built a membership to help you with ALL of the tips above. We know what works, and have created our family sessions options based on them.

Find out more about how this could make sense for your family here.

Or, if you’re ready to talk more about it, we’re ready too.

Winter Portraits in Rochester, NY: Rochester NY Family Photographers

So what do you do for your family pictures in Rochester when it’s winter in a pandemic? We recently wrote about this in a recent post: 5 Safe Outdoor Winter Family Portrait Ideas

You go outside and play in the snow! Using a telephoto lens allows us to get great images while easily keeping our distance. This awesome family decided to take us up on the idea, and we were so excited to work with them.

With a football and 2 dogs floating around, this session was extremely relaxed. Some sledding, some cuddling, some masks… it was a great excuse to get out of the house, even if it’s your own back yard.

Your turn! Whats your fun outdoor, pandemic family portrait idea?

Holiday Family Picture Mini Sessions: Winter Family Portraits

The last time we saw our family portrait member families in 2020 was… well, cold.

We made it as fun as possible, and we were able to give back to our community at the same time. We photographed holiday family portraits in a real setting, rather than a horse drawn carriage or with perfectly posed props. We prefer a more candid portrait approach. Thankfully, it had snowed just the night before giving us a fresh coating of pretty snow and the perfect setting for some safe winter family portraits.

And along with the family mini sessions, we created tons of ornaments to share with the seniors at The Friendly Home. Even though we weren’t able to hand them out in person, I hope the recipients felt a little bit of love from us to them. Thank you to all of the families who contributed ornaments!

We’re ridiculously grateful for our families, and are looking forward to another great year of Candid Member Mini Sessions. We’d love to see you there!

Pittsford NY Family Portraits: Tinker Park Family Pictures

I grew up playing in Kate’s backyard. We were “neighbors,'“ even though we lived a solid 3/4 of a mile away from each other. We were friends through high school, where we were co-editors of the yearbook together.

So imagine how amazing it felt when she moved back to the Rochester area, and asked if I would photograph her beautiful family at play in their new home, and nearby at Tinker Park.

She was worried her littles wouldn’t cooperate, but they were so adorable and amazing. It’s a common fear, and a reason why so many parents hesitate to have family portraits taken. But it’s one that we are always prepared for. We play games, we let them play and we get to know what helps make them tick.

Our job is more than just pushing the button - it’s making kids laugh, and being silly with them so they’ll trust us enough to let us take their picture.

In the end, the pictures say it all, don’t they? Thank you Kate, it was amazing to reconnect with you, and an honor to be part of your world for an afternoon.

~ Erin

Rochester NY Family Portraits: Extended Family Pictures

How many people update their extended family photo regularly? Were your now grown children, babies then? Has it been years?

One of the things that make us happy is when families like these come back to us again and again to update their family portrait. We get to update their growth and their changes as they move through life together.

And after years together, we begin to know exactly how to make them react at the right moment for a great photograph.

So when was the last group portrait your family took?

Pittsford NY Family Portraits at Mendon Ponds Park

Oh I miss these colorful fall family portrait session days and this little family. Don’t get me wrong though, I’m totally ok if Fall waits it’s turn right now. I’m just reminiscing over happy smiles and family fun.

We laughed a lot as we wandered around Mendon Ponds Park. We visited the fairy houses, we played a game of checkers, and had a blast in the woods together.

That’s what it’s really all about, playing and being together while occasionally taking a great family picture - right?

Father's Day Photo Gift Ideas: Rochester NY Photographer

Honestly, over the years, I’ve often heavily relied on school to help my son create a memorable Father’s Day gift idea. Other than that, Lucas and I also pick out something of the Star Wars variety to go along with it.

But sometimes, I do get a little bit clever. I mean, I have all of these amazing moments captured, so why wouldn’t I make something great with them?

And why wouldn’t I share those ideas with you?

Here’s a few photo gift ideas that we can help you create in time for Father’s Day.

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Simply sweet photo collages

We can make these in almost any size, using custom designs or your own ideas. Frame it, make a canvas.

(I found this one on pinterest, so it’s not my own - but I love the idea!)

Put your favorite phrase and images on it!

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Photo Books or Accordian Books

Large or small! Use your favorites of Daddy with his little people through the years, or use ones we’ve taken!

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Metal Prints

Or how about, a photo collage ON a metal print?! Boom. Done.
Metal prints are a unique, modern way to show off a favorite photo!

Most Dads won’t say it out loud, but they want to be captured, in their element, with their kids too.

Do something they love and capture that moment.

If you want to wait for us, we’ll be here when you’re ready.

But most importantly, print your pictures.

Don’t let it die on your phone or with a beautiful comment attached to it on social media.

Please, print your pictures.

Apple Picking Family Pictures: Victor NY Family Photographer

It’s one of the quintessential fall family activities. Go to the apple farm, chase your children around the field and while you’re at it, pick some of New York’s finest apples straight from the trees. Honestly, it’s a little bit chaotic for us to photograph each of our member families that day (because the farm is huge!) but it’s the best kind of chaos ever.

Hayrides, petting zoos, and laughing kids spoiling their dinner with apple cider and donuts. It’s childhood at it’s finest. And it’s such a privilege to give these memories to them. When our families look at the book we’ve created for them at the end of the year, these particular pages always give them (and us) a few chuckles.

If you still don’t know what our portrait membership is all about - there’s an easy way to learn more. JOIN US at our next event on October 27th, at Chase Farms. Come in costume, get a pumpkin and chat with us about it!

Spring Family Pictures in Rochester NY

Does it feel like just yesterday it was spring? I mean…those flowering trees, right?

I miss those trees at Highland Park so much right now. That and the cooler spring days, now that summer is full on here with all of it’s humidity in tow. But that’s ok, because I have this adorable family’s portrait session in Rochester to remind me of spring and all it’s amazingness.

Playing guitar in the magnolias, running down the paths, flying in Daddy’s arms - all beautiful moments in the beautiful backdrop that Rochester NY has to offer.

Summer has some pretty gorgeous things to offer too, so if you’re looking to update your walls with family pictures - we’re here for you. Enjoy this glimpse into a gorgeous family portrait session at Highland Park!

Candid Family Picture Mini Sessions in Fairport NY: Picnic at the Playground

Going to the playground with Lucas is one of my favorite things to do. It’s an everyday moment and a simple joy. But how often in these moments are we as parents thinking of everything else going on in our lives? Or maybe we’re so busy chasing one child around with our phone camera, that we didn’t see the other climbed the rock wall on his own for the first time? How often do you notice their giant candid smiles as they run or slide down the slide?

These moments, they’re what’s real. I cannot tell you how amazing it feels to capture these moments for our portrait members every single month. The family pictures they receive don’t have you chasing your kids with your camera. They show you on the slide with them.

Someday friends, these candid family pictures will be more priceless than you can imagine today. This single thought is what keeps us motivated to capture your family pictures in Rochester NY.

I look at the pictures below and I actually feel every smile. And I smile back. I hope you do as well.

~ Erin

Candid Mini Session Family Pictures: Swim Time in Fairport NY

So yes, technically spring is here. Technically we should have been soaking in the sunshine and warmth.

Technically.

I’m so glad we planned a swimming event for our portrait members in March, because technically - it snowed that day. So rather than complain about the snow, we hopped into the pool and captured our families splashing around.

The best part of this event, was that some of our families were at our last swimming event two years ago, when their littles - were super little. We’ve captured their growth for years. Even my own little has grown. In two years, he’s changed from a nervous toddler who wouldn’t go past his ankles in the water, to finding the deepest spot where he can still touch the ground on his tip toes.

I may not have been soaking in the sunshine, but I was soaking in the memories while my fingers got wrinkly.

We’ve grown together as a group, always welcoming new members with arms open. The kids are all becoming friends and forming bonds. Towards the end, they were playing water basketball as one big group. It’s becoming the thing we hoped it would be - a community.

If you’re still wondering why we keep talking about this membership - stop wondering, and start asking. We want to capture your family throughout the year! We promise, you won’t regret it.

~ Erin

Pittsford Dairy Farms Family Pictures

It’s the dead of winter, the time of year when it starts to get harder to see the grey skies every single day. Personally, winter isn’t my thing. I prefer spring time and summer to this bundling up.

But then I photograph an awesome family like this and I think “ok, yes, maybe winter can be bright and happy.”

I mean, they were the perfect amount of giggles and hugs and fun with a hot chocolate break in the middle. A little goofy fun mixed with a whole lot of love. They made photographing a winter family portrait session look easy.

And when the snow fell lightly at the right moment, adding just a touch of season to the images - perfection all around.

See for yourself!

~Erin