I first worked with this sweet family for their son’s newborn session, which you can view by clicking here. Susanna contacted us about booking a family session several months in advance of the fall season to ensure that she could get on the calendar for a weekend date. Our weekend dates fill FAST for September-early December, so if you’re contemplating booking a fall session, it’s not too early. October 2020 weekend dates for outdoor sessions are already 40% booked as of this post. If you can make a weeknight work with your schedule, you will have more options to choose from as far as dates to. Bonus to weeknight sessions: very few other people are around compared to weekends!
Susanna asked if she could come to the studio and look through the wardrobe for herself and her daughter. She wasn’t sure if she would borrow anything, and just wanted to look and discuss styling ideas. I LOVE when clients stop by to do this, and welcome it. If you’re booking a session, you are always welcome to schedule an appointment for a style consult! I want your session to be smooth and stress free, and this is just one of the many ways we make that happen for our clients.
When she came in, I showed her a few options for dresses that would complement her skin tone and also look great on her, and she fell in love with an embroidered goldenrod dress for herself. I pulled out some options for her daughter Lila, and she snapped a few photos to show her later. Involving your children in choosing their outfits for your family session gets them excited and makes them feel like the valued participant that they are. We talked about what the boys should wear that would coordinate well without being too matchy. We send a style guide to all our clients that is short and sweet, but very helpful for pulling everything together. We are always available by email if you want to send over some photos of your combinations for feedback and suggestions, and over 90% of our clients take advantage of my assistance. Lilah ended up choosing the cutest cream sweater dress paired with a faux fur vest, and Susanna completed her outfit with navy tights and an adorable goldenrod hairbow! The navy tights tied in perfectly with daddy’s sweater and little brother’s suspenders, and the hairbow coordinated perfectly with Susanna’s dress. You can see for yourself how it all looked by viewing their session images!
Susanna had loved working with our hair and makeup team for her newborn session and requested to add it on again. She isn’t much for makeup and rarely wears it, but loves the work that our team does. Our team is able to really enhance the beauty that is already there in a very natural way. For the moms that want a little more oomph and glam, they can do that too! They’ll work very closely with you to achieve the look that you want that best works for your unique features. I can’t recommend them enough (and neither can our clients!).
On the evening of their late November session, we had amazing and gorgeous weather, and the leaves were at the peak. In the South, it’s impossible to predict when the peak leaves will be as so many factors affect it (temperature, amount of rain, etc). I run my family sessions in a fun and playful way, and ask parents to be ready to participate in games, snuggles, and tickles. We always start out with the whole family so that children can become comfortable with me while feeling safe and secure with their parents. As they warm up to me, we’ll move towards photographing your children together without you and individually. The best thing parents can do is stand back and allow me to engage with their little ones. If you’re right behind me trying to encourage your child to smile, they will not look at me - because you’re the one they love the most. I’m no match for their favorite person in the world! Standing back and disappearing into the background allows me to play and interact with your child and get those beautiful images you’re hoping for. I work FAST with little ones because I never know when a toddler will decide they’re “all done” and refuse to participate any longer. I warned Susanna that I would be working quickly, and she responded “I trust you! This whole experience is so stress free and so much fun, so do your thing and we’ll do whatever you ask.” (PS: clients with that mentality have the best sessions) Come ready to have fun and go with the flow, and we’ll create tangible memories of your family to treasure for a lifetime.
Enjoy some of my favorites from this session below!
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.
