Traveling with your family is one of the best things, but one small aspect of a family holiday can become bothersome at times, and we’re talking about taking pictures with the entire family. There’s usually one parent behind the camera the whole trip, missing from every group photo, and a selfie can often be tricky to make in order for everyone to fit in the frame.
While it comes with additional responsibilities, like planning the trip, booking the accommodation, and taking care of every kid’s particularities, a family holiday usually helps recharge your batteries. So, an alternative to the problem mentioned above is booking a professional photographer. Let’s see how that would benefit you and your family.
Why would you book a private photography session?
As mentioned before, handling the picture-taking by yourself can be challenging, so if you want to have a few pictures that look professional and are worth hanging on the walls, booking a professional photographer on platforms like Smiler.co is a good idea.
The best part of this service is that no matter where you go, you will be able to choose a local photographer who can work with you. For example, if your family trip will take place in Rome, all you need for the photo session booking is to select the place, date, and time at which you will visit the city, and you will see which photographers are available during that time. Then, you can verify their portfolios and pick the ones matching your style, and that’s it. Pricing depends on how many pictures you’d like and the length of the session, which you can choose beforehand.
What does a session with kids look like?
Once you book everything, you will discuss with the photographer a meet-up place. Usually, you will meet directly at the best spots so you can start the session, and Rome has plenty of these, from the Colosseum, the Trevi Fountain, or even the Spanish Steps. You may also receive recommendations on the best spots that are less crowded, so no one will get in the pictures, and the entire family will be able to pose without much of a hassle.
Of course, having family pictures with kids adds several considerations that the photographer will implement along with you. When you plan the session, think about the kids’ moments when they are energetic, so maybe avoid having a session too early in the morning or around their nap time. Discuss with the expert how to plan the session in cycles so kids can take a break when they’re tired or bored, but this depends on their age.
What if there are camera-shy members?
Smiler photographers are equipped with all the expertise and patience to work with children, especially when they can get a short session of 20 minutes to work for everyone, so it won’t take over your entire day. Luckily, short sessions are beneficial for camera-shy people as well. What they do best is allow kids to showcase their energy while taking candid pictures instead of posing them and asking them to stay still. Sometimes, the directions will include all members of the family to act naturally and talk to each other, or make a joke that will help everyone loosen up, so there’s no pressure.
If you, as parents, feel like you are unphotogenic, the photographer will know how to manage that too by chatting with everyone and going through some of the simplest directions for the pictures, and there’s a lot of flexibility when it comes to poses.
What does the photography package include?
You may choose a photoshoot of 20 minutes for a family of up to 4 members, but other packages can increase the photoshoot time to up to one hour. The maximum group size you can get is 12 people, so if you are traveling with grandparents as well or other family members, Smiler photographers can get everyone for a big family picture in a short time frame.
After the session, you can receive between 15 and 50 edited pictures according to the package, but if you want more, you only need to talk to the photographer. You will receive your pictures within a maximum of 48 hours from the photo session in a private online gallery.
However, during the photography session, as parents, you are responsible for taking care of the kids, going to the decided meetup point, or doing the sightseeing. If the weather is not suitable for a family photoshoot, you can reschedule or cancel the booking for free if you do it up to 24 hours before the shoot.
How can you prepare the kids for the photoshoot?
Finally, the most important task is to get the kids ready. Explain to them where you’re going and what you’re about to do, even if they’re too small to understand, as a way to engage them in the activity. Make sure they’ve had a good sleep and are well-fed before the shoot, so they’re not too fatigued to cooperate.
You can get a bottle of water for each and a small snack for the breaks in between the photoshoot, so they can revamp their energy levels. It would be ideal to encourage them to be themselves and not stand stiff in the pictures for more fun pictures, but this depends on how you want them to end up. The Smiler photographer will make sure to capture their attention and make the session fun for the kids, so it doesn’t all fall on your shoulders.
Conclusion
If you are going on another vacation with your family and want to be part of the group pictures for once, you finally get to be in the pictures by booking a professional photographer. No matter where you’re traveling, a Smiler photographer will be available to book a session, where you will receive professionally edited pictures in a relaxed atmosphere and a dreamy location of your choice. You won’t have to worry about the kids not behaving, as the photographer will be able to capture candid moments of you having fun and transform them into forever memories.
