St. Louis Maternity Photo Session | Staying up late for summer sunsets
When I first started my St. Louis family photography business, I lacked confidence. I started it on a whim, like most momtogs do. I loved shooting my kids so I figured why not jump into a business. Quickly I started actually booking families and realized I had no idea what I was doing. Ha! I had a tendency to let them take the lead. My clients chose locations all over St. Louis and the shooting times without any direction from me. I also did not provide tips on clothing or session expectations. Bet you can guess how I would leave these sessions? Yep, sooo unhappy. I felt that I wasn’t producing the quality images I wanted to provide my families. I realized I need to make some changes to get where I wanted to be.
One of the very first changes I am made was shooting primarily at golden hour, aka sunset or sunrise. I knew I made some of my best work during this time and it’s when I loved to shoot. Upon inquiring, I began informing families that I would only shoot my outdoor family sessions at sunset or sunrise and showed them why. I was shocked how quickly my families fell in love with that yummy golden light too! I had people inquiring for sunset sessions and were now saying “I trust you. You choose our location and tell us when to be there.” I was shocked! Even those families that may have had issues the year before with late sessions decided to keep their babes up a bit later for that one night with me. The results I got were incredible!! Now, I’m happy to say I shoot 99.9% of my outdoor family sessions at golden hour and my heart is so happy!
Listen guys, I get it. I am mama of 3 little ones with really EARLY bedtimes! I know it is so hard to think of keeping you little ones awake till 8:30/9 during the summer for a session. Here are a couple tips I give my clients in their session prep guide:
- Keep the day of the session laid back, if possible. Don’t go visit your local water park or change their routine majorly the day of our session.
- If your baby naps, put them down for a later nap the day of our session. I have parents who drive around hoping for a little nap from an older kid or a second car nap on the way to the session.
Once your kiddos see the gorgeous park or field I’ve chosen for them to run freely in, their personality will come shining through. Trust me, most families leave so shocked that their kiddos made it through the entire session, especially so far past bedtime! If a family is really struggling with the idea of keeping their little ones up late, I usually suggest sunrise or even sunset in the fall as an option for their family session.
Take a look below how some beautiful light and a gorgeous St. Louis location can add so much to your family session.
These are beautiful!!