Birthdays. If you are a parent, you know the significance of that one single word. If your kids are anything like mine, they are in full birthday mode at least three months in advance–asking how many days they have left, remembering one more thing they left off their wish-list, changing their birthday theme at least weekly. And for some reason, this excitement can be contagious. It’s fun to watch our kids grow and document just how much they change from year to year, which is why planning a birthday photo session is such a great idea. I understand it can also be a stressor, so today I want to give you 5 simple tips to help make your planning stage a breeze.
Start your planning process early
Okay, I admit, this is a super obvious tip, but for some reason this is one that I struggle with personally. I seem to always be the parent scrambling at the last minute to plan my kids’ birthday festivities, making those frantic phone calls to see what is still available and can be done at the last hour. Learn from my mistakes. If you are planning a birthday photo session for your little one, be sure to start the search for your photographer several months in advance, and ideally try to have it scheduled at least 1-2 months ahead of time. If you are hoping to have a cake smash, this goes for making sure you have your cake designed and ordered well in advance, too, as availability can often be limited, especially on weekends.
Make sure your visions align
One advantage of starting your planning process early is getting a great feel for the type of photographer you want to hire. Each photographer has their own strengths and areas of expertise–by setting aside an hour or two to do some research, you will actually end up saving time in the long run by contacting fewer photographers. Take an afternoon to look through the social media profiles and websites of several photographers in your area–most will keep up-to-date portfolios of the style of work they take on and enjoy doing. Be sure to search for specific terms on google, such as ‘McKinney birthday photo session’ or ‘Anna TX cake smash session’ rather than broad search terms like ‘photographer near me.’ (You can also search relevant local hashtags on Instagram). This helps to weed out photographers who may not specialize in what you are looking for. From there, be sure to get in touch with those photographers who specialize in the same style and settings as what you are hoping for.
Talk to your kids ahead of time
If your kids are old enough, be sure to sit down with them ahead of time and talk about what to expect from the photo session. One thing I have found especially helpful is going through old family albums and showing them photos of parents and grandparents when they were younger. Kids tend to be fascinated by photos of their parents at their own ages, and it can open up great conversations about how much we change from year to year and why we try to document these changes with a photo session. Explain that it’s important to get both serious photos and fun, silly ones that help show what they’re like at this age. And of course, letting them know that they may have a fun surprise or treat waiting for them at the end of the session is always helpful, too :)
Consult your photographer for outfit choices
Even if you already have outfits in mind, it’s always helpful to let your photographer know what you have planned. Not only will this help them envision your session, but many photographers may choose to plan locations based on your outfits or have suggestions for what type of outfits will work best for your setting. Color, fabric and texture all come into play for the final images, and your photographer should be able to help give suggestions as needed. Also, be sure to choose outfits that are both photogenic and kid-friendly. No matter how cute it is, your child will not be cooperative if their outfit is uncomfortable or itchy.
Think about what you want to remember
Finally, be sure to go into your session with the big picture in mind. While we all want to walk away with beautiful, picture-perfect portraits of our children smiling and looking at the camera, these sessions can really be more than just that. Take time to think over the last year of your child’s life: What have been your favorite moments? What new skills have they developed? What little details are you going to miss so much when they get older? Make a list of these bigger-picture ideas and be sure to share them with your photographer ahead of time.
…and finally….
a big thank you to beautiful Maci and her mom for this gorgeous third birthday photo session. I am so happy to say that I have had the pleasure of getting to photograph Maci for each of her birthdays, and she has been just so wonderful to work with from year to year. One of the things I have loved most has been getting to see the way she has grown and changed. This year, one new thing that she was doing was this sweet little upturned smile and slight bite of her lip…SOO cute, and definitely something I wanted to capture for her mom to remember! I love the thought that her mother always puts into each of her sessions, incorporating both family heirlooms (the family rocking chair passed down) and hand-painted details (the number three). This session was such a dream to put together, and I always look forward to photographing this sweet girl from year to year. Thank you so much for another wonderful birthday session!
Christina Freeman is a baby and child photographer based in Anna, TX, serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. If you have loved everything you have seen so far, be sure to check out my details page for an idea of my general pricing, and be sure to get in touch to start the process today!
