Mandi was at a group gathering when one of her friends pulled out her phone to share images from a recent family session. Mandi looked at the photos, gasped, and asked who took them. It’s funny, because I am known more for my maternity and newborn work in these parts, but I absolutely LOVE photographing families and frequently do so!
That’s the story in a nutshell of how she came to contact me! I really love when friends of clients see their images and decide that they’d also like to work with me. It usually feels like I already know them when we work together.
Mandi and her husband live in the Peachtree City area and have two sweet little boys. I sent over the style guide and wardrobe inspiration board to her so she could look through it. We provide as much or as little assistance with styling your family as you need. Some of my clients could open their own fashion boutiques and need zero help from me, while others want the assurance of knowing what they’re choosing to wear will work well for their session. Whatever category you may fall into: know that I’m here to take care of you!
The evening of their “fall” session in October was a toasty 89 degrees. When we met at the mountain location, Mandi sheepishly said that she knew it was going to be hot but that since she was using the images for her Christmas cards she didn’t want to be in summery clothes. Fall and winter in the South can be so off the wall! I reassured her that it was fine, and we would roll with it! I checked on everyone multiple times during the session to make sure nobody was overheating and that they were drinking enough water. Aside from dad sweating a little bit through the back of his shirt, it was no big deal!
Family sessions are full of fun and play. I ask parents to leave expectations in their car, and to be willing to play games and follow my prompts for things I ask them to do. It’s so easy to become frustrated when you feel like your family session isn’t going well. I know how much planning and effort goes into it - I’m a mom of three kids myself, so I REALLY get it. When my clients trust me and go with the flow, they are always pleasantly surprised by the resulting gallery even if they felt like the entire session was chaos. If your children are a bit wild and running around, that’s perfectly ok! Usually that also means they’re full of joy, and we’re going to get images where that sheer happiness is clearly evident. I also like to remind parents during sessions that all I need is 1/1000th of a second to get those sweet and quiet moments. Sometimes it may not seem like those moments are happening, but they definitely are!
The mountain location is a favorite for families because kids have a lot of fun exploring, and the scenery is different than the norm. There are lots of areas to photograph in, and we keep moving constantly to keep the interest of your children. It’s about a mile hike from our meeting place to the top, and my little boy hiked it successfully by himself with no assistance from me when he was twenty months old. So, it’s definitely on the easier side for families and pregnant women, but there is definitely some physical effort involved.
I love images taken on the mountaintop - and we all enjoy watching the gorgeous sunset together. When’s the last time you climbed a mountain and watched the sun set? Come do it with me in the near future, and you’ll have some gorgeous photos to show for it! ;)
Enjoy a few of my favorite images from this family’s session!
If you're expecting a baby or already a parent and looking for a newborn, maternity, or family photographer, I would love to work with you to create images that you will love for a lifetime. Watch this video to hear about my philosophy and see how I work in the studio so you can determine if I'm the right fit for you. I can't wait to meet you!
Lily Sophia Photography specializes in newborn, baby, maternity, and family photography in Atlanta, Georgia and surrounding areas.
