Your kids are growing and changing each and every day. The year passes by so quickly and you know you want to remember them at this exact moment of life. Enter… Your favorite Portland Family Photographer. 😉 From those tiny fingers and toes, newborn fuzz, to the: crawling, standing, walking, full on belly laughs… I’m here to help you remember it all with beautiful, timeless family photographs that you will cherish for years and years to come. And I know that choosing the right family photographer for you is important, so I’ve compiled a list of THE 10 must-ask questions for your potential family photographer.

 I am participating in a blog circle this month and am sharing a link to another amazing photographer in Hawaii! Be sure to check out her link at the end of this blog post.

1. How would you describe your signature style as a family photographer?

Your family photographer will likely have a distinct style that appeals to your aesthetic. Whether it’s timeless simplicity (like me!), classic elegance, in-home documentary, adventurous, artistic flair, light & airy, dark & moody, etc. Understanding your photographer’s style will help you envision your family photos and ensure they are exactly what you are looking for. 

2. What types of photography do you specialize in?

Some portrait photographers offer a wide variety of session types. Prior to booking a portrait family photographer, make sure you find someone who photographs what you are looking for. You could even ask them which type of session is their favorite to get a feel for where their passion lies, as that will often lead to the most beautiful results. You want someone who is well versed at working with kids similar in age to yours and someone who is going to be excited to photograph your family. 

Personally, I love working with young and growing families. Maternity, Newborn, Baby and Family photography sessions are really the types of sessions that make my heart sing. This is why I specialize in these four areas of portrait photography. 

3. Will you help us figure out our outfits for our family photos?

Many photographers will offer styling assistance of some sort in the way of style guides, to planning tools, to offering a client wardrobe you can borrow from. Depending on your level of comfort styling your family, you will want to make sure you select a photographer who can best help you with this aspect of your photo session. Outfits can seriously make or break your photos, so make sure you have someone helping you figure out what the whole family will be wearing for your session. 

When you work with me, I offer very hands-on styling assistance. Prior to our session we will get on a pre-session planning call where we will discuss outfits for the entire family. I always put together some styling boards for these meetings and show you options from my client wardrobe that you can borrow from. 

4. Can I see examples of your family photography work?  

You should definitely look through your potential photographers portfolio to make sure that you like what you see in their images. Make sure you see some consistency in their work, so you can be sure that they will produce the same results for you at your family photography session. 

See some examples of my Portland Family Photography work here. 

5. Can you describe your approach to directing and posing/ photographing candid moments as a family photographer?

Your portrait photographer should be trained in how to pose people in a flattering way. We all want to look good on camera and there are definitely some small little adjustments that can be made to ensure that everyone looks their best. You want to make sure your photographer is knowledgeable about flattering angles and proper posing techniques. 

While you may love the candid look of portraits, let me tell you a little secret – SHHH. There is definitely some off-screen direction that happens to create those moments that look and feel candid. Whether you are looking for your more traditional portrait of everyone smiling and looking at the camera or you are looking for more candid feeling images – your photographer should be trained and well-versed in the style you are looking for. 

6. What will you do to help me feel comfortable in front of the camera during our family photo session?

I get it, you’re probably not used to being in front of the camera and you feel a little awkward anytime it happens. Me too. But, every professional photographer should have a clear plan for helping clients feel at ease in front of the camera. If they don’t have a good answer to this question, that’s a definite red flag. 

Over here we tell lots of jokes, play games, have tickle fests and we talk about poop. Haha Poop always brings out lots of laughs and giggles!

7. How do we decide on location for our family portraits?  

Most photographers have their go-to locations for portraits and you can typically choose from a list. Your photographer should know the locations in your area that photograph best at the best times of day (Golden Hour – Sunrise or Sunset). While location is not quite as important as how a photographer interacts with and poses your family, you want to make sure that you like the look of their locations as well as the general feel and emotion that you see in their images. 

I love photographing families in locations with tall golden grasses, gorgeous wildflower fields, or stunning river and mountain backdrops. I have a list of pre-approved locations you can choose from for your session, which I send to you after you reserve your date for your session. 

8. When do I need to reserve my date for my family portrait session? 

Every photographer will have a different answer to this question. For outdoor family portraits, I typically tell people to reach out at least 6 weeks prior to your desired session date to ensure availability. The sooner the better, especially in the fall, photographers typically book out really quickly so you want to make sure you get on their calendar ASAP. 

9. What is the timeline for Post-Processing and Delivery?

Again, this will be a different answer for every photographer. But it should not take longer than 4 weeks for you to see some edited images from your session. 

For me, it takes me about three weeks to hand-edit all of the images from our session. Once I’m done editing your images, we’ll schedule an online reveal and ordering appointment where you’ll view your proofing gallery, select your favorite images and decide on heirloom artwork: albums and fine art framed prints. Once your order is placed; the digital images you purchase are delivered within 24 hours and heirloom artwork takes about about 6-8 weeks for production. Once your artwork is ready, I’ll personally deliver it all to your door. 

10. Will you help us create artwork for our home with our images?

If you are looking for help with printing your images so you can enjoy them every day, make sure to ask your potential family photographer if they help with this aspect. Some photographers will just send you the digital images and leave you on your own to print everything. For some people, this means sadly they never end up printing their photographs. If you think you might need some extra help with this step, be sure to ask your photographer how they help with this. 

I work with the highest quality print labs in the industry to bring you the very best heirloom artwork so that you can always enjoy your images in your home. I will help you visualize what your prints will look like on your walls and I also help design beautiful albums from your session that help tell the story of your family’s memories. 

Mom’s dress is available to borrow from my client wardrobe.

Baby’s outfit can be found here.

Conclusion about choosing a family photographer

Choosing a family photographer can feel like a daunting task when there are so many wonderful photographers to choose from. But, with this list of questions to go off of, you are well on your way to selecting the perfect photographer for you and your family. 

If you are in the Portland Metro Area and you like the work you see in my Portland Family Photographer portfolio. I would love to chat with you more and see if we’d be a good fit to work together. 

Remember to check out this blog post by Allison Bell, an amazing photographer in Oahu who is talking all about what to wear for beach pictures.

Check out these other helpful blog posts:

• 5 Tips for Fall Family Portraits
• 5 Tips for a Fun-Filled Family Photo Session | Portland, Oregon
• Outdoor Portland Family Photos