Family Session Prep Info

Important information for your family session

Please read for guidance on how to prepare and what to bring for your family session. If you have any questions at all you can definitely email me :)

For Date and Time confirmation please check the email I sent you that had this link in it! :)

Location: our studio is at 7139 rue Briand, Montreal QC, or I will provide you with a location to meet in the body of the email I sent this link in if we are to meet at a park.

What to do if I am early ?

Please wait until the time of your session beginning before ringing the bell. If we are planning to have your session outdoors, I will be coming down to meet with you and leading you on foot to the beautiful locations that are nearby. If we are meeting at the park, I will likely be there early myself, but please try to be on time, because starting early could mean we are too early for that pretty golden hour sunlight.

What to do if I am late?

Hey it happens! I am rarely on time (except for sessions haha), so no judgement here, text me at 514-462-1960 with an estimate on when you will arrive. Please note: because of lighting, I may not be able to extend your session time past it's allotted time, so we may have to make do with a shortened session, but please do not worry I can do a lot with little time.

What if I can’t make my session time at all?

Please let me know at least 48 hours beforehand, so that I can offer your time slot to someone else. If you cannot make it due to illness, we will definitely try to reschedule you, it will depend on my availability.

Information on the session itself:

The session is booked out for 60 minutes, but depending on the age of your child and the mood they are in, it may take more or less time. Trust that I will have gotten everything we needed for the session even if it feels super quick, I never end a session without getting the shots I need, unless the weather, lighting or your kiddo needs the session to end early. Keep in mind I am not a huge fan of “regular” portrait sessions; photos of everyone posing and smiling at the camera, while lovely, are not the priority of these sessions. This is about your relationship with your family, so the encouragement is to not look at the camera and instead just enjoy each other. I will still be guiding you on where and how to sit or stand for ideal lighting and flattering angles, but the rest of it will be all you and your loves. Bring things that you won’t mind being in the photos that you and your child love to do! Puzzles, favourite stuffies, books, whatever will make both of you enter into your own little world.

the vibe is so important…

First off, if your child is at the age where bedtimes really matter for their general mood, we can always push your session earlier if you are worried about little meltdowns. But if you feel your kiddo can handle one day where their bedtime is a bit later, then I definitely encourage waiting until about an hour or so before sunset for that gorgeous golden light. Do keep in mind, while often kiddos might seem like they will not cooperate, that it is my job to help set the tone, and often they end up having tons of fun with us, so I got you <3

Often when my mama clients arrive they are a ball of anxiety, and I completely understand! When you come to this session you may have worries about how your kid will act, whether you will look good in the photos, whether your kid will refuse to play along, and this is completely normal! But, it is my advice that we do what we can to challenge these thoughts. There is very little you can control about this session, especially if your child is pretty young. So trust that I will be able to capture the most flattering angles of you, and as for the rest, I have tips and tricks that can help you to get your little one on board with doing some playful time or sweet snuggles.

So deep breaths, we got this.

“Reina, I am so happy you are doing these sessions again! You have so many mammas that need an uplift right now and being in your warm presence to experience this amazing session will make such a difference. My kids are getting older by the minute. M is turning 10 on Tuesday and A is getting ready for high school next year! My most cherished photographs are from our last mamma session and they adorn our big wall we walk past dozens of times per day. ”

— Jennifer C.

What to wear

As usual, I have plenty of dresses for you to choose from if you have nothing you feel comfy wearing for this. I also have outfits for kiddos from 0 -10 years old (mostly for girls, but I do have outfits for boys up to 2 years old). If you would like to confirm my available outfits please reply to the prep email I sent this link in, and let me know your concerns.

If you would like to dress yourself, wear something comfortable, with movement and texture. Dresses are always nice, especially when they are loose and flattering, or jeans and a loose flowing top is a beautiful option. Wear something that will be easy to sit and have a possible tickle fight :)

Here are a few examples of clothing with movement and texture that I enjoy as well as the ideal colour palette (earthtones are the most timeless and richest colours in my opinion).

I feel like textures like lace, cotton, linen and even velvet have such beautiful play with light and shadow, and flowy loose fabrics give the vibe of relaxed and carefree vibe we are going for.

For dads and kiddos that you will be planning their outfits, just keep in mind to compliment, not match. So if one child is wearing a pattern, do not have that pattern repeated in another child or parent. Instead take a colour from that pattern and have it show up as a colour of a plain t-shirt or button up shirt for dad. Keep it casual-pretty. If shoes are a struggle, don’t worry because I often encourage bare feet for the photos, just because it is less to worry about and feels even more relaxed.

the most important thing is that you feel like yourself!

So if what I have shown above is not your style then please dress as you prefer, I only ask that you stay away from black, it is always in such a contrast to the natural colours of the environment we will be shooting in, so if you prefer darker colours, perhaps try a dark green or navy blue. Also small and delicate patterns are great, but nothing too distracting. And again, if you are not sure, bring options, I can help you choose what would work best as well :)

After the session

We will discuss in more detail at the session what to expect, but we will be meeting via zoom for the reveal of your photos, and you will be choosing your digital package at this time (your paid deposit will be taken off your balance). I find the reveal is an important and lovely part of the experience, so it is a great idea to meet me via zoom on your computer and have your partner with you to see your gorgeous images.

Please expect a turn around time of about 3 weeks.