5 things you can do to prepare for your pop-up portrait session!

Twice a year, in the Spring and Autumn time, I visit local preschools and toddler groups in South Wales for portrait sessions. The pop up portrait sessions are a chance for parents to get some lovely portraits without having a full family shoot. They are also a great way to showcase my work and often lead to family sessions being booked to include siblings and parents too!

Each season brings wonderful backdrops and I love seeing the same children twice a year and see how much they’ve grown! You can see some images from my previous portrait sessions at Cowbridge Baby & Toddler Group in the Autumn and Colwinston Baby & Toddler Group in the Autumn, Llanblethian Baby & Toddler Group in the Spring, and Colwinston Baby & Toddler Group in the Spring on my blog.

Here’s a useful guide on how to prepare for your slot!

1. Timing is everything.

Everyone is given a 10 minute time slot, so it’s important to be ready when it’s your turn. The sessions are pretty informal and relaxed and I’ll try and get as many images as I can in the time allotted but will need to stop when your 10 minutes is up. Often children can take a while to warm up or are simply not in the right mood. I promise to try my very best but sometimes it’s easier to book a full family photo shoot so that they have plenty of time to relax and you don’t have the time pressure. Find out more about my full family shoots on my pricing page and family portfolio.

 

2. Clean those little faces.

If you have baby wipes or tissues, please try and make sure faces, especially little noses are clean. Photoshop can only do so much. 🙂

 

3. Clothing is important.

Have a think about what you’d like your child to wear for the session. Try and avoid large logo’s and pictures on clothing. Also avoid very bright blocks of colour but patterns (checks, wide stripes, flowers or spots) are all fine. If in doubt stick to neutral colours, cream, pale blues, pinks, lemon yellows all look good. You can’t go wrong with navy or denim either but steer clear of large blocks of black or white. Think about what might be appropriate for the season – in the Autumn, mustard yellows, deep reds and burnt oranges can look nice. In Spring, opt for lighter colours.

 

4. Don’t worry

I’m pretty relaxed when it comes to photographing little ones and they don’t respond well to stress. I’ll try a few different poses with them and see what works but please don’t feel under any pressure for them to perform. I’ve worked with children for years now and don’t expect them to sit still and smile sweetly at me (although it does happen occasionally!). Please don’t feel stressed or pressured – with little ones we have to go with the flow.

 

5. Bring along something that will make your child smile.

You know your child best, so if there’s something that’s guaranteed to make them giggle, then bring it along. If it means you have to stand behind me and sing ‘Baa baa black sheep’ or do ‘the floss’, then feel free. The aim of the session is get some nice natural relaxed portraits, so making your child laugh is the easiest way. Don’t worry though, I always work with an assistant and my trusty toucan puppet Dave is always on hand to put on a show if he’s needed.

 

So that’s it! I’ll be popping into Llanblethian Baby & Toddler Group and Colwinston Baby & Toddler Group in the Spring and Autumn. If you’d like to book a 10 minute slot at any of the sessions, please drop me a line.

Always keep your eyes peeled on my Facebook page for information about new portrait sessions. To be the first to hear about all new events, sign up to my mailing list  – pop your email into the box at the bottom of my homepage. My mailing list always get exclusive updates on new dates and events before I publish them online.

Looking forward to seeing you soon!

Gem x