5 Tips to Create
the Ultimate Family
Photo Experience
Tara Ruby’s success has been built not just on her award-winning images but also on the experience she offers her clients. She offers tips on creating an experience in her photo sessions that families want to return for:
Know your gear.
5.
full attentionto the people she’s photographing. “There are so many photographers I know who go out and buy the most expensive camera, and then they’re upset with the quality of the images that they’re getting,” she says. “Well, if you really don’t know your gear, then you’re not going to get the best out of it.”
Ruby chooses camera gear that’s intuitive to use and gets to know it well so that she can give her
Ruby has built up a network of creative vendors around the country who make custom props,
costumes and cakes for her. To pull off her creative vision for each shoot, she starts planning weeks in advance to ensure that she can put all of the elements she needs in place and accommodate the family’s schedule.
PLAN IN ADVANCE.
1.
Ruby showcases some of her most inventive images on her website and social media.
“They know that I like doing sets and themes and custom creations,” she says, “so when they come in, they’re expecting that.”
Set expectations.
3.
Ruby uses her skills as a photo editor and compositor to put makeup on babies and add
props that she would never bring on set with a child. Getting creative with kids means finding creative ways to produce the final image you envision while keeping young subjects comfortable.
Put safety first.
4.
“When they come into the studio, I’m like, ‘Hand me your baby, sit down on the couch, and don’t do
anything for three hours,’” says Ruby. “I’ve had moms fall asleep.” She makes the whole experience easy and fun by letting parents relax and giving kids a bath after messy cake smash sessions, so they can go home fresh and clean.
Give parents a break.
2.