Warming up before the photo session

Let’s talk about the importance of warming up before a photo session. You may be wondering, what is this? It’s when the photographer interacts with the family before the session begins. Family photographers always recommend arriving a little bit early, maybe 15 minutes, to your session so they can get to know each other better. Children, especially those who have never met someone before, may find it difficult to interact with someone who they don’t know. A photographer wants your child to be comfortable with them so they can capture the true personality of your child.

Arrive early so the photographer can introduce themselves to your children and family and to get a feel for how the session will go. Warming up can start right away for some children, while for others it takes the entire warm up period to feel comfortable and come out of their shells. There’s no problem with that.

Once the photographer introduces herself/himself, she/he will try to get to know your children. During the conversation, they will ask questions about what they like and don’t like, sing songs, play games, etc. The purpose is to break the ice so that your children are more comfortable with the photographer by the time the photo shoot begins. Getting to your family photography session early is probably one of the most important tips most photographers can give you.

Afterward, your children will realize the photographer is not scary and they had a good time, so they should not need much warm-up time for the next session. However, it is usually recommended for the
first session!