Choosing the Best Location for your Photo Session - Alpharetta Family Photographer

Choosing the best location for your family session can be a stress full. After all, we have a wide variety of options where we live! Should you choose a downtown/city feel? Maybe a farm or historic home? A lake?  Or how about a field or a forest?  I am here to help you make the best choice for your family!

The best location for your family photos is not a one-size-fits-all endeavor. The answer to where the ideal spot will change from year to year as your family grows and changes.   As you think about this year’s session location, here are a couple thoughts to keep in mind. 

First off the ages of your children can best dictate the location for your family session. If you have a child between the ages of 10 months and 2 years, they are probably either new to walking or constantly running away from you. Choosing a city session, or a session near a body of water might not be the best choice. To lower YOUR stress level…choose a field!   A field has a low chance of danger and a toddler running away in a field with beautiful light makes a stunning image!   

On the other hand, if you have older children, an open field might not be the best choice. Teenagers, especially boys, generally don't want to frolick in a field.  Once they are past the age of tickles and games of tag, having a more adventurous session will be a better fit. Consider a city session, a hiking-centric session, or even lake side.

One of my favorite locations, that I think works for any age group is home.  Everyone is comfortable, you know that it is safe for your little one and most importantly...home is where the heart is.  You make memories in this space daily, why not capture that magic.  

Next lets consider your family's personality and interests.  

You might be thinking…how does a family with multiple members have one personality? To determine the overall personality, think about what your family does together for fun. 

Family #1: enjoys & being outdoors. The kids are always barefoot and mom and dad are not phased when their child chews on a stick.

Family #2: has allergies and is nervous around tall grass... overall they tend to feel more relaxed doing indoor activities like baking and reading.

Putting the second family into a field will likely mean that instead of relaxing and having fun together...their family will be worrying about bugs and if they brought benedryl to the session.  An at-home family session or a urban session will eliminate their worries so that they can actually relax and enjoy their session!

Finally, consider the time of year you have booked your family photos.  This is when you really need to rely on the expertise of your photog.

In winter, it’s all about texture and light…There won’t be a lot of color from flowers.  Instead, photographers look for architectural interest, long golden grass, and the best light.  This is what the mom wanted for the session highlighted below.  She was looking for a neutral palette, long grass and glowing light at sunset.  Immediately I thought of Garrard Landing Park.  It has beautiful open spaces, a creek and a historic bridge and the most gorgeous light at sunset.  

In the Spring, I love locations that highlight the colors of the season like the beautiful gardens at Barrington Hall or the greenhouse at Prospect Farms.  Summer is all about sunshine, open fields, wildflowers, and sunflowers.  Of course in the Fall I love the gorgeous foliage that shows off in Atlanta.  

Thanks for sticking around and reading my thoughts on picking a session location for your family!  

PS If you are interested you can sign up for a session HERE!