Hi friends! In today’s post, I wanted to break down exactly how I shot our summer family photos (I try and shoot at least once per season). As I mentioned on Instagram, I purchased a new preset pack and have become slightly obsessed! It makes me want to photograph everything just to use them so I thought I’d share! I also have two other DIY photo session blog posts: see my “boudoir” maternity session and outdoor maternity session here & here (and the video). *As you can tell by those posts I’ve come a long way in my photography!  Not everyone can afford a photographer (or wants to) and not to mention I’d rather learn the skill of photography and take my photos for life! **Disclaimer! I’m aware I’m no professional, just sharing what helps a regular Mom like myself up her photo game;)

1. Lighting is EVERYTHING. Do not…I repeat DO NOT shoot in harsh light. Be patient and wait until dusk! Even if it’s 8pm like where we live. We shot these at 7:45pm and it was worth it! If you have a higher quality camera it will be able to pick up a lot of the light still in the sky without creating harsh shadows on your facial features (like this).
2. Purchase a preset to make them POP! I recently purchased this one (smal, rose & wild) and have been blown away! 10000% worth the investment. I used “Smal’ and layered it with ‘Earthbound’ to get a golden and warm effect. *This Facebook group is everything!
3. Get a remote clicker. So cheap and so necessary. Hide it in your pocket after clicking! You obviously need a tripod for this too! We have a tripod (this one) that turns the camera vertically if you like that look as well. You will need to be patient with this to get the hang of it.
4. Be patient. Shooting with kids is not the most pleasant of experiences, but try not to only get those fake smiling picture shots. Get creative! Allow your children to be natural and do what they would normally do. Move your entire body around (bring tennis shoes if necessary to change into) and follow their lead. Let them show you the magic in the day! On this particular day I felt that the pictures came out good because we had no expectations. We totally went with the flow. You never want to look back at pictures and have a bad memory because everyone was stressed. Trust me, I have plenty of those;)

**Misc. tip: Try not to shoot on your phone. Honestly, if a phone is all you’ve got then do it! Documenting some of your life is better than none at all, but if you plan on blowing up these pictures (like I did above our bed), it’s better to at least rent a camera and shoot in RAW to get the highest quality, but again it’s not necessary. Here’s a link to all my equipment. I shot these on a Canon 6D with this lens.