Getting Your Home Ready for A Winter Family Photo Experience

Winter is very wet here in the Fraser Valley and having a photo experience at home is such a great alternative to taking your pictures in the rain.

The home you live in may not strike you as being particularly photogenic, but think about how many of your childhood memories revolve around the house you grew up in. It’s the ideal backdrop.

Preserving the memory of your family’s home life together forever is a great idea. But wherever you have your family photographs taken, the backdrop can make or break each photo, so it’s worth having a think about the best backdrops in your home beforehand.

When I’m looking for backdrops in the great outdoors I’m looking for backgrounds that will enhance the photographs, but not distract from the people in it. Choosing backdrops at home is no different.

To prepare your home for your lifestyle photoshoot you can do as little or as much cleaning as you want! The beauty of lifestyle is that it’s documenting real life. Personally, I don’t like clutter/mess in photos and would want finished photos to show a clean, open space. But maybe that’s not your preference or lifestyle and that’s okay! De-cluttering a bit is always a good idea which can be as easy as grabbing a basket or two and shoving all of the clutter out of the frame. The main tip I have to offer is just to make sure the house is ready prior to my arrival to maximize the time you have for the photo session.

Here are some tips for getting your home ready for a family photo experience with me or you could also use them when you’re taking your own photographs at home.

1. Find the best rooms to photograph in

First of all, don’t worry about getting the whole house prepared – it’s unlikely we’ll use every room. Typically there are three spaces I’ll use – the living room, the master bedroom and (if there’s a baby in the family) the nursery or the Kitchen if the family wants to have some fun together. Focus your energy on preparing these two or three spaces.

What if you don’t want to use one or all of these spaces? Not to worry – let’s have a chat about the other spaces we could use and find two or three that you’d love to have photographs taken in. I don’t recommend having only one room where we photograph – it won’t give us enough variety in your photos, but we think of spaces where the family normally gets together or have fun together, these rooms would be the ideal room to capture memories in!

2. Preparing the bedroom

I love using the master bedroom for sessions – the bed provides a wonderful, big space for everyone to snuggle on. So that your lovely family is the main focus of the photographs I recommend using neutral bed linen – white works particularly well. Having said that, it’s also nice to have a little pop of colour – perhaps from cushions or a throw in a contrasting colour.

The other spots to check in bedrooms are bedside tables and the backs of doors. I’m also guilty of always having a not-so-tidy bedside table, and as much as that is life, it doesn’t make a pretty photograph. I recommend keeping the tables as clear as possible and perhaps choosing a few books, a candle, an alarm clock or flowers to keep out.