Not sure what to get someone on your holiday shopping list? Give them photos! Photo gifts are my favorite to give. Past recipients of family photos have included:
My parents
My in-laws
My husband
Myself
Since that’s about 50% of the people I need to shop for, I like to research different ideas for what to do with the photos.
In the past, my favorite photo-based presents to gift have been:
Yearly hardbound photo book – I’ve used various sources to get these made – from Snapfish to Artifact Uprising.
During the booking process, I ask families what they plan to do with their photos and where they want to meet (urban vs. nature setting, North Austin vs. South Austin, etc.)
For their portrait session, this Austin family wanted updated pictures for their holiday card and asked for an urban background. So we headed down to South Congress to explore the shops and spots down there. (I feel like every time I go down that street, I see new murals or colorful details to include). We walked several blocks – starting at the “I love you so much” mural and ending our shoot at the Big Top Candy Shop.
The whole family was a delight to photograph. Their youngest entertained us with skipping down the street, being swung in the air and showing her clear delight at the giant lollipop she got at our last spot. Their oldest was so sweet and patient with her younger sister and was game to pose in front of foliage and murals alike. Credit goes to Mom for picking out well-styled coordinated outfits and being an extra set of eyes and hands for fixing hair gone astray. Thanks to Dad for goofing around behind me to get those natural smiles out of the girls.
1. How do you know Stephanie Friedman Photography?
I first met Stephanie when she set up a photo booth at a friend’s birthday party (pics here). The pictures were so fun! A few months later, Stephanie had a photo shoot that I participated in for a friend’s new business (pics here). She was so easy to work with that I asked her on the spot to set up a family photo session.
2. What was your favorite part of your photo session?
The ease and preplanning of it. Stephanie gave us a lot of information up front about the photo session, including different location choices, dates and times, and suggestions on what to wear. She followed up with us to make sure we were all set. Once we got there, pictures seemed easy because she had already scoped out the area and had some ideas in mind. While she suggested poses, she also improvised on what was working for our family. It was very low key and we had fun with it.
3. What advice would you give to other families planning a photo session?
I would say to not stress, but do the pre-planning so that when you show up for the session, you can just go with the flow. If you have kids, take the advice from Stephanie to make sure they are fed, cleaned-up, and well rested. And if nothing else, bribe them to smile pretty 🙂
