How to Prepare for your in-home photo session
I’ll be the first to admit that, yes, some homes are easier to photograph than others. Of course, as a photographer, it’d be great if every house I walked into had lots of big windows to let in all the natural light, white or light-colored walls, and was decorated like the pages of a magazine. But I’m not here to shame you. Most of our homes don’t look like that (mine happens to have white walls, but that’s just a job hazard. Otherwise it’s your totally normal, mostly outdated, suburban home.) Before you feel discouraged and decide that an in-home session isn’t for you, keep reading, because there are a lot of things you can do to help prepare your home for photos and make it the perfect space for authentically capturing your family.
Okay. So, maybe my clients DO actually have magazine-worthy homes. But pay close attention and you’ll see that all of these spaces have a few things in common. The spaces are pared down to only the essentials, and I placed subjects in natural light, close to windows.
Tip 1: Declutter
Listen, I know you’re going to hate me for saying this. But it’s the best advice I can give you to make sure your home photographs well. Most of us normal humans have ‘stuff’ throughout our homes (apparently even Marie Kondo has admitted defeat after having children.) Maybe one corner of your living is filled with your kids’ brightly colored, plastic toys (despite the fact that before you had kids, you swore you'd only own wooden, aesthetically pleasing toys, like I did) or your kitchen counters (or vanities, or nightstands…) are covered with more things than you’d like out of convenience. That’s fine, that’s life. But for at least the day of your in-home photos, get rid of it all . I probably won’t shoot inside your closets or cabinets, so feel free to shove it all into them. I don’t want anything displayed throughout your home to take away from the focus of your session, which is you. So, as a general rule of thumb, only keep out the bare minimum- the items that add to the beauty of the space, rather than distract from it.
For example: In the nursery, put away the diaper pail. Hide the creams and lotions and wipes and snot suckers. In the bedrooms, chargers, remotes and anything else should be hidden away. In the kitchen keep those counters as clear as possible. When I arrive at your house for photos I’ll survey each space and move things as needed (yes, I make myself right at home) but anything you can do to help before I arrive will make your session go that much better (and more efficiently).
Alright, so don’t mind the un-edited iPhone photos of my daughter’s room (and living room, below) But the same rules apply. Notice how in the first picture the top of her dresser holds the things we use every night at bedtime. Although practical, those items aren’t adding to the overall aesthetic of the space. It took me three minutes (yes, I timed myself) to unplug everything, hide every item (baby toys included) in the closet, and pick out a few books and stuffed animals to replace them with. Although I only made minor changes, the impact on the final images is huge and will lead to much prettier photos, were we to do an in-home session.
tip 2: Let in the (natural) light
Before your session, I’ll ask you to pay attention to what rooms of your home get the most light, and at what times of day. When I ask you to do this, I’m talking about natural light only. On the day of your session, I’m going to turn off any lights you have on in your home. The reason for this is that the artificial lighting in your home is a different temperature (color) than natural light coming through your windows. Shooting in a room with competing temperatures of light makes editing really difficult and because natural light is more flattering than artificial light, that’s the light we’ll try to use. Even if your home isn’t filled with a ton of natural light, that’s okay, we can still make it work! You can help by opening all your curtains and blinds as wide as possible. If you have traditional blinds that cover the entire window, even when open, we’ll pull them all the way up. If it’s warm outside the day of your session, opening doors will also help to let in more light.
Notice how the lamps in the first picture give off a really warm light? It’s a different color from the light coming through the windows, which can make editing a challenge. That’s why we always want to find the natural light in your home! *Note, if I were staging this room for photos, I’d take the time to remove my daughter’s washi tape from the stem of the lamp and hide the lighter on the mantle. Do as I say, not as I do.
Tip 3: Be yourself
Unless you’re going for a specific look, I tend to be of the opinion that natural, laid-back photo sessions are always the way to go in your own home. Ditch the shoes (and socks!) and go barefoot. Opt for a casual, flowy but flattering dress or jeans and top, rather than a constricting outfit (actually, this is my advice for any session). If your in-home session is for your newborn, then we’ll focus on capturing those newborn moments (snuggling, feeding, just watching in amazement). If your in-home session isn’t focused on a newborn, let’s brainstorm and come up with a vision for your session. Do you always make breakfast together as a family on the weekends? Let’s document that. Do you have family game and pizza nights? I’m in. Love spending time outside in your backyard? Let’s do it. Want me to just capture you and your family, as you are, in your home? Me too. The more authentic the moments, the less you’ll care about your space and whether or not it’s perfectly styled.
Tip 4: Be Flexible
This is actually my number one tip for every session, in-home or otherwise, but it especially applies here.
Want to know why I love a house with white walls? White walls don’t reflect a color back onto you and your skin (this is the same reason I love when clients wear neutral colors for their session). That being said, 90% of the homes I shoot in have different colors of paint throughout their homes. Don’t worry, I’m not about to suggest you paint your entire house white for your session. I will ask you to keep this in mind when you receive your final gallery, though. If your nursery is painted pink, pink is going to reflect back onto your skin. If your nursery is blue, you guessed it, blue is going to reflect onto your skin. I can adjust my edits to help minimize the reflection, but just know that the colors and natural light in your home will impact the overall look of your gallery. If your home has less natural light, your gallery may have more of a moody feel to it. If your house is bright with a lot of light, yup, your images are going to be brighter and lighter. Both are beautiful, it’s just about managing your expectations.
Flexibility can also extend to when and where we shoot. Just like I may cancel an outdoor session due to weather, I may cancel an in-home session for the same reason. If it’s storming the day of your in-home session, I’m probably going to try to reschedule for a day with more natural light, even though we’ll be protected from the elements. That being said, sometimes we don’t have a choice but to shoot in less than ideal lighting conditions (hello, Winter in Ohio). In that case, we may have to adjust to shooting in specific locations throughout your home where the most light comes in (I once shot an entire newborn session in a stairwell for this reason). If you’re dead-set on shooting in a your bedroom or a nursery, but there isn’t a lot of light coming in, No problem. I can use my flash to help bring in light or turn on your artificial lights, you’ll just need to flexible in understanding that your gallery may look differently from the others you’ve seen from me where I used 100% natural light.
The moral of the story? You probably can’t do much to change your home (at least not in any major way between now and your photo session), that being said, with a little bit of staging, creativity, and flexibility, we can make it the perfect place to capture you and your family exactly as you are right now, regardless of what stage you’re in.
