What to bring and what to skip

Pack the bag the night before. A short list keeps the morning calm, and most of what goes wrong on a session can be fixed with something small you remembered to bring. Put it by the door with the outfits, so nothing depends on memory at 8am with a toddler on your hip. Give one adult the bag and one adult the kids, and nobody has to do both.

What to bring

• A lint roller, a hairbrush, hair ties and bobby pins.
• Baby wipes and a small towel.
• Mess-free snacks and water in clear bottles.
• A backup top for every child.
• A small favorite toy to keep a toddler looking at the camera.
• A robe or cover-up if you plan an outfit change.

A small fix-it kit

• Blotting papers and a little powder for shine in the heat.
• Safety pins, a stain wipe and a mini sewing kit.
• Sunscreen that does not leave a white cast.
• A phone charger and a bag for wet or dirty clothes.

Snacks that work: crackers, apple slices, cheese sticks. Snacks that do not: red drinks, chocolate, anything sticky or orange.

For photographers booking for clients

Tip: Send a prep sheet. Walk the location first if you can, and send clients a one-page prep sheet with the palette, arrival time and what to bring. Calm families photograph better.

• A reflector for window light indoors.
• Spare batteries and cards, and a second body if you have one.
• A small step stool for higher angles over groups.
• A shot list grouped by room, shared with the family.

Timing mistakes

• Booking over nap time or right before lunch.
• Arriving right at the start time with no buffer to settle in.
• More than one outfit change in a 2 hour session.
• Booking holiday card photos in late November and missing the print deadline.

Fifteen minutes to settle in is worth more than any pose. If you plan an outfit change, ask the location ahead of time where people can change, so the swap takes five minutes, not fifteen.

Weather mistakes

• Booking outdoor only in summer, when heat makes kids cranky and faces shiny.
• No rain plan in late spring, when storms build fast.
• Shooting in full midday sun, which gives squints and harsh shadows.
• Staying outside too long in the heat because the light is pretty.

Outfit mistakes

• Everyone in the same color, which flattens the photo.
• Big logos, neon or characters that pull the eye from faces.
• Brand new shoes that pinch by the second setup.
• Colors that disappear into the walls of the location.

Behavior mistakes

• Candy before the shoot, which means a crash and sticky hands.
• Over-directing kids instead of letting the photographer lead.
• Threats and bribes mid session; promise the reward for the end only.
• Ending on a tired note instead of stopping while it is fun.

Light and camera tips: indoors, a small reflector helps with window light. Outside in the evening, keep the sun behind your subjects so nobody squints. Turn off overhead lights that mix colors with daylight, and leave a warm lamp on in the frame for glow. Set a clear end time and stick to it.

Most of these mistakes are easy to avoid with a plan written down the week before. Print the checklist, tape it to the bag and you will remember almost all of it.

Delivery and file mistakes

• Never downloading the gallery before the link expires.
• Keeping the only copy on one phone.
• Printing at a cheap drugstore kiosk and wondering why colors look off.
• Applying heavy filters to edited images, which undoes the photographer's color work.
• Waiting until December to choose a holiday card photo from an October session.

Download the full gallery the day it arrives, back it up twice and order prints through the photographer's lab or a quality lab when color matters. Ask your photographer which print sizes their crop works for before ordering a big frame.

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