I'm so excited to capture your family! Custom lifestyle photography is unique, it not only captures your family at this moment in time, but it captures who you all are. My goal is to create authentic photographs that capture the personality of each member of your family. I use natural light and natural poses, and the result is timeless artwork that you can hang in your home and pass down for generations. Here are a few tips to prepare for your session with me...

Location: Together we will decide on the best location for your photos. Newborn sessions will take place in your home. For family sessions, we can shoot in your home as long as there is adequate natural light, or an outdoor location. I have outdoor locations I can recommend, but I’m also happy to try somewhere new.

Time: If we're shooting at your home, I prefer late morning or early afternoon when the natural light is at its best. For outdoor sessions, I like to shoot in the morning during spring and summer, and evening during fall and winter to avoid the harsh midday light. My absolute favorite time is the hour before sunset — the light is beautiful — though in Amsterdam's summer months the late sunsets make that tricky, so we'd work around the time of year.

Length of Session: Good news…I’m super fast! I almost always have my shoots done in 45 minutes. I allow an hour for each session if needed, but we usually finish up before that. It’s plenty of time to get a diverse gallery.

What to Wear: Wardrobe should be comfortable and reflect who you are. If you don’t normally wear a dress, then don’t wear one to our session. I recommend coordinating, but not matching. Moms should plan their outfit first, and then the rest of the family’s outfits around hers. Please stay away from bright colors, as they have a tendency to reflect off of skin…so if your child is wearing a bright orange shirt, they may end up with an orange face in the photos. I would also stay away from graphics printed on clothing. For newborn sessions, I recommend a casual style and neutral colors, soft/pastels, or earth tones for family, and a simple plain onesie and swaddle blankets for baby. See this blog post for more tips on what to wear.

Props: I do not use props in my sessions, but if you have something in mind please let me know.

Your children: Please remember that kids aren’t always fond of being told to pose and smile. I find it works best if we let the kids relax and be themselves…I can sneak in and get great candid shots that way. If your child is crazy and running around, that’s fine too! I will never force a child to smile, and I think pensive portraits of kids are just as beautiful as smiling ones (sometimes more so). For family shots I will pose everyone, and direct you to just be with the children and we’ll go from there. To get the most out of the session, it’s best if the kids are well rested and fed. But don’t stress if a nap didn’t happen…I will still get great shots, I promise. You can prepare your children for the session by letting them know a friend will be taking some pictures, and you can even pull up my website to show them a picture of me so they are familiarized before they meet me in person.

Newborns: Let’s face it, newborns cry. It’s very likely your newborn will cry during our session…and that’s ok. I have been working with newborns for almost 16 years…between my own business and a photo company I’ve worked with, I have photographed over 7000 newborns. Yes, 7000! I have lots of tricks to get them to stop crying. In fact, I pride myself on my baby whisperer abilities. ;) I love to photograph babies in parents arms…so if they are happier being held then that’s where I will photograph them. If they need to eat, I don’t mind waiting. Please don’t stress about your baby crying or fussing…it’s totally normal and we will still get beautiful shots.

Posing: Kids usually respond well to movement, so there will be jumping, running, hugging, kissing, cuddling, and maybe even dancing. I will squish everyone together for some cuddling shots...those images really capture emotion. There's no need to worry about posing, I will direct everyone. 

Please arrive on time: Remember your session is outdoor session is scheduled according to light. Please plan for traffic or parking constraints. It’s best to plan on arriving 10 minutes early.

I can’t wait to photograph your family! Please let me know if you have any further questions!