Fall Family Photo Session Checklist
This list is for a family booking a photographer this fall, often for a holiday card. It covers the weeks before, the bag you bring, the hour itself and the gallery afterwards. It assumes young kids, since they are the part of the plan most likely to change on the day.
Book the session for the hour before sunset if you can. The light is softer and warmer, and nobody squints. Look up the sunset time for the session date, not the day you book, because it moves earlier week by week until December.
Write down a short list of must-have shots before the day, such as each grandparent with the grandkids or the siblings alone. Show it to the photographer at the start. Small children run out of patience before the photographer runs out of ideas, and the shot you forgot is usually the one you wanted most.
- Decide what the photos are for: holiday cards, prints for the wall, or both — Cards need a few wide shots with room for text. Wall prints need a handful you love.
- Book the photographer early
- Ask what the fee includes — How many edited photos, how long until delivery, how long the online gallery stays up, and whether you can print them yourself.
- Agree a rain date or a covered backup location
- Pick a time near sunset, and around the kids' naps and meals
- Choose a location with some open shade and space for kids to move
- Write the must-have shot list
- Choose a color palette of two or three shades for everyone's outfits — Coordinated colors look better than identical outfits.
- Avoid big logos, slogans and very fine stripes — Fine stripes can shimmer oddly on camera.
- Plan a warm layer that still fits the palette — Nobody smiles when they are cold.
- Book haircuts a week or two before, not the day before
- If a pet is coming, check with the photographer and bring someone to handle it
- Wash, iron or steam the outfits the day before and lay them out
- Pack the photo-day bag
- Snacks that won't stain, water and wipes — Skip anything red or chocolate until after the session.
- A spare outfit for the youngest, a hairbrush and a lint roller
- A small treat to bribe the kids for the last few shots
- Arrive 15 minutes early so the kids can settle before the camera comes out
- Give the photographer your shot list at the start
- Put phones away and let the kids play between posed shots — The candid ones often end up on the wall.
- Pick your favorites from the gallery before any selection deadline
- Download the full-size files and back them up — Online galleries often expire.
- Order holiday cards and prints with time to spare before your mailing date