These sweet people, they’re very quickly stealing my heart. Meet the Jenkins Family! If you’re local, you may recognize Ricky as the lead pastor at my very own Southwest Church. Ricky, April, Camden and Grand recently welcome a new little one into the family…baby Andi. She’s the tiniest, most adorable little thing! Carolina and I had the honor of spending a few hours with them a couple of weeks ago to capture this new season in their lives…formal portraits and a pancake-making morning in the kitchen! We laughed, we cried, we bribed, we feasted on pancakes, eggs, bacon and sausage and the kiddos had a blast making a ruckus together. April was such a trooper for letting me plan and style the session…she trusted me and the images just speak for themselves.
Here are a few tips for all of you mamas to help make an in-home session as easy as possible.
- Â Plan outfits as far ahead of time as possible. April and I started chatting about what they should wear roughly 3 weeks in advance, earlier than that is even better. Stick to neutrals with a pop of color here or there and you’ll be set.
- Tidy the room (or rooms) you’ll be shooting in the most – leave the rest a mess. Ricky and April’s master suite was impeccable because we knew that we’d spend a good amount of time in there. The kitchen was also photoshoot worthy for pancake time. The did NOT have to have their entire house clean, although I was very impressed with how tidy the rest of the house was. Your photographer will show you grace. No one cares if the other bedrooms or laundry room is a mess. There are surely more important things to worry about, such as getting in that last feeding or snuggle before your session starts.
- Bring in a helping hand. April’s sweet mama was on hand to help with the kids (my baby girl as well!), play peek-a-boo behind the camera, bring in snacks when needed and more. She made such a difference in the overall tone of the day and I’m grateful for her! If you’re able, bring in grandma, an auntie, a close friend, a trusted babysitter, anyone who your kids love and who can lend a helping hand. I promise it will smooth things out for everyone.
OK friends, that’s all for now. Enjoy a few of my favorite images. Jenkins fam – thank you so much for letting me photograph you.
