Hi, I'm Raquel. Nice to meet you!
Thank you for checking out my blog! I love sharing all my photography expertise and inspiration with you to make planning your photoshoot seamless for you.
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WEDDING + LIFESTYLE PHOTOGRAPHER
I'm passionate about capturing each season of life
Engagements, weddings, motherhood, families, seniors, & branding photography
5 Unique Ideas for Your Family Photoshoot
Family Photos Are So Fun
Family photoshoots are some of my favorite because they are so candid and can be anything you want. You simply can’t plan how it will go which is the beautiful thing about them. We get to embrace the moment, be imaginative, and have fun loving where we’re at in this stage in life.
During your shoot I will guide your family through some fun interactive activities to help you be yourselves as I document all the little and in-between moments. I love to tell the parents to let the kids lead the session and to get down to their level. I have a bunch of little games in my back pocket for family sessions like the color game, chasing each other/tag, or even just having everyone hold hands and make a train with the youngest in the front makes for some precious moments captured. All the candid moments that come out of family sessions and getting the kids comfortable being themselves makes these sessions some of my favorite.
How to Prepare for Your Family Photoshoot
I know for parents planning your family session can sometimes feel overwhelming to get everyone ready to go in one place — especially with multiple schedules. I want you to take the pressure off yourself and not worry about how the session will go once we start. Sometimes me just capturing you all at home together can make for one of the best sessions.
My best advice is to embrace the moment, the messiness, and be able willing to laugh at all the craziness and just have fun together. My other advice is to bring along and hide maybe their favorite toy, fruit snacks, or possibly let them know you’ll get ice cream afterwards to bribe your kids into getting to the photoshoot if our scheduled session time catches them on a bad day. That can happen too and that’s totally normal. I will guide our session from start to finish and do my best to keep everyone engaged with some of my favorite prompts and my hope is that you all have fun just being together and being yourselves.
Choosing Outfits for your Family Session
Figuring out what to wear can be kind of stressful, I get it! Outfits really can make or break your photos. Don’t be afraid to send your photographer (hi, me) a whole fashion show to find the perfect outfits. I also have outfit inspiration boards for almost every season if you need extra help. Neutrals are always a safe color option for outfits as they photograph beautifully no matter what. Patterns aren’t always bad as long as they aren’t too distracting. Overall, wear what you feel best in. If you don’t feel confident, that is a big no, no. So let’s swap out for something you do feel confident in!
Fun & Unique Ideas for your Family Photoshoot
1. Go for a Nature Walk
Doing an activity like going for a walk can make for a really fun and interactive family photoshoot! There are endless parks around that make for a beautiful backdrop on a nice summer or fall evening. I have many go-to parks around the Sioux Falls area for family sessions like The Outdoor Campus, Arrowhead Park, McKennan Park, Lake Alvin, Good Earth State Park, and more. Tall grass and rolling hills at a park also makes for extra spots for us to explore with your little ones, play tag, get the imagination going, and do anything we or they want to hangout as a family.
2. Hangout in the Backyard / At Home
There’s no place like home. We can plan to do an activity like bake cookies, pizzas, have a picnic, snuggle up on the couch, or just hanging out in the backyard have become some of my favorite activities for at-home photoshoots capturing your family all together.
3. A Family Game / Activity Session
There are endless games and ideas we could do like reading a book, playing with bubbles, yard games, ride horses, or go for a cruise in your pickup truck. I love to have props for family sessions as it adds another element and makes it so fun for the kids and engages them right away.
4. Cozy at Home
Sometimes just snuggling each other and exploring rooms in the house together is such a fun way to spend a family photoshoot and really shows the closeness and bond you each have with each other with how you hug, touch, and embrace each other.
5. Go to a Studio
It can be nice to sometimes not worry about cleaning up toys or make sure your home is tidy so renting a studio space for an hour could be the way to go! There are multiple great studio options around Sioux Falls like Mode Studio, White Space Studio, West Sioux Studio, RHYS Studio, and more that all include plenty of props, couches, and even a bed to create a relaxed and cozy environment for a family session.
Other Ideas and Location Inspiration:
- Walk around downtown
- Go to a movie theater
- Go to the beach or a lake
- Walk around a garden
- Pick wildflowers when they are in season
- Go swimming in your backyard or local pool
- Spend the morning together, getting ready together
- Go for a family bike ride
- Get coffee together at a local shop
- Finger paint a blank white sheet
- Go for an ice cream run
- Have a tea party
- Celebrate a birthday
- Start a new tradition
Ready to book your family photoshoot?
- Book a family session by submitting a date request form and I’ll get in touch with you soon! Book here
Do you have any other ideas for your family session? Let me know in the comments or send me a message for any ideas you want to try for your session. I can’t wait to capture the bond and love of your beautiful family!
Family Photos Are So Fun
Family photoshoots are some of my favorite because they are so candid and can be anything you want. You simply can’t plan how it will go which is the beautiful thing about them. We get to embrace the moment, be imaginative, and have fun loving where we’re at in this stage in life.
During your shoot I will guide your family through some fun interactive activities to help you be yourselves as I document all the little and in-between moments. I love to tell the parents to let the kids lead the session and to get down to their level. I have a bunch of little games in my back pocket for family sessions like the color game, chasing each other/tag, or even just having everyone hold hands and make a train with the youngest in the front makes for some precious moments captured. All the candid moments that come out of family sessions and getting the kids comfortable being themselves makes these sessions some of my favorite.
How to Prepare for Your Family Photoshoot
I know for parents planning your family session can sometimes feel overwhelming to get everyone ready to go in one place — especially with multiple schedules. I want you to take the pressure off yourself and not worry about how the session will go once we start. Sometimes me just capturing you all at home together can make for one of the best sessions.
My best advice is to embrace the moment, the messiness, and be able willing to laugh at all the craziness and just have fun together. My other advice is to bring along and hide maybe their favorite toy, fruit snacks, or possibly let them know you’ll get ice cream afterwards to bribe your kids into getting to the photoshoot if our scheduled session time catches them on a bad day. That can happen too and that’s totally normal. I will guide our session from start to finish and do my best to keep everyone engaged with some of my favorite prompts and my hope is that you all have fun just being together and being yourselves.
Choosing Outfits for your Family Session
Figuring out what to wear can be kind of stressful, I get it! Outfits really can make or break your photos. Don’t be afraid to send your photographer (hi, me) a whole fashion show to find the perfect outfits. I also have outfit inspiration boards for almost every season if you need extra help. Neutrals are always a safe color option for outfits as they photograph beautifully no matter what. Patterns aren’t always bad as long as they aren’t too distracting. Overall, wear what you feel best in. If you don’t feel confident, that is a big no, no. So let’s swap out for something you do feel confident in!
Fun & Unique Ideas for your Family Photoshoot
1. Go for a Nature Walk
Doing an activity like going for a walk can make for a really fun and interactive family photoshoot! There are endless parks around that make for a beautiful backdrop on a nice summer or fall evening. I have many go-to parks around the Sioux Falls area for family sessions like The Outdoor Campus, Arrowhead Park, McKennan Park, Lake Alvin, Good Earth State Park, and more. Tall grass and rolling hills at a park also makes for extra spots for us to explore with your little ones, play tag, get the imagination going, and do anything we or they want to hangout as a family.
2. Hangout in the Backyard / At Home
There’s no place like home. We can plan to do an activity like bake cookies, pizzas, have a picnic, snuggle up on the couch, or just hanging out in the backyard have become some of my favorite activities for at-home photoshoots capturing your family all together.
3. A Family Game / Activity Session
There are endless games and ideas we could do like reading a book, playing with bubbles, yard games, ride horses, or go for a cruise in your pickup truck. I love to have props for family sessions as it adds another element and makes it so fun for the kids and engages them right away.
4. Cozy at Home
Sometimes just snuggling each other and exploring rooms in the house together is such a fun way to spend a family photoshoot and really shows the closeness and bond you each have with each other with how you hug, touch, and embrace each other.
5. Go to a Studio
It can be nice to sometimes not worry about cleaning up toys or make sure your home is tidy so renting a studio space for an hour could be the way to go! There are multiple great studio options around Sioux Falls like Mode Studio, White Space Studio, West Sioux Studio, RHYS Studio, and more that all include plenty of props, couches, and even a bed to create a relaxed and cozy environment for a family session.
Other Ideas and Location Inspiration:
- Walk around downtown
- Go to a movie theater
- Go to the beach or a lake
- Walk around a garden
- Pick wildflowers when they are in season
- Go swimming in your backyard or local pool
- Spend the morning together, getting ready together
- Go for a family bike ride
- Get coffee together at a local shop
- Finger paint a blank white sheet
- Go for an ice cream run
- Have a tea party
- Celebrate a birthday
- Start a new tradition
Ready to book your family photoshoot?
- Book a family session by submitting a date request form and I’ll get in touch with you soon! Book here
Do you have any other ideas for your family session? Let me know in the comments or send me a message for any ideas you want to try for your session. I can’t wait to capture the bond and love of your beautiful family!
Shania & Pierre / Sioux Falls / 2022
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