From Photographer to Subject: How to Prepare for a Family Photo Session (Updated for 2026)
Have you ever wondered what a photographer would actually do if it were their turn to be in front of the camera?
After almost 20 years of photographing people, I’ve picked up a lot of little things that can make a photo session feel easier. I’ve also definitely borrowed some of my favorite client tricks for myself along the way.
If I were getting ready for a maternity, family, mini, or headshot session, here’s what I’d actually do to feel comfortable, confident, and like myself in front of the camera.
And if you’re preparing for a newborn session? Please ignore basically all of this. If you manage to get dressed and make it out the door with a newborn, you’re doing amazing.
Wear Colors I Know Look Good on Me
If I were getting ready for a photo session, I would not suddenly decide I needed to figure out whether I’m a Soft Autumn or a Bright Winter before stepping in front of the camera.
I’d start with the colors I already know make me feel good. Maybe there’s a sweater that makes my eyes look brighter, a shade I always get compliments in, or a neutral that somehow makes my skin look especially good. That’s where I’d begin.
If I were curious about color analysis, I might use it as a fun tool for figuring out which shades complement my complexion, hair, and eyes. But I’d treat it as inspiration, not another thing I needed to accomplish before my photo session.
The goal would be simple: choose colors that make me look in the mirror and think, Yep. I like myself in this.
2. Choose an Outfit I Already Know I Love
Before buying anything new, I’d head straight to my closet and look for something I already know I feel good in.
I love starting with one piece I’m really into, maybe a favorite sweater, jacket, or dress, and searching for that exact item or something similar on Pinterest. It’s an easy way to find outfit ideas without feeling like you need to reinvent your entire wardrobe.
However, if you’re like Elaine Benes and hate everything in your closet, by all means, shop. Just make sure anything new gets a real test run before your session.
An outfit can feel very different after you’ve worn it for an hour than it did for five minutes in a fitting room. Sit in it. Walk around. Pick up your kid. Bend over. Make sure you aren’t constantly pulling at a waistband, fixing a neckline, or fighting with something itchy.
For kids especially, I’d choose clothes they can run, sit, cuddle, and play in without constantly messing with them. If your child tends to lift, twist, tug at, or play with dresses, skirts, bows, hats, or loose layers, I’d choose something they’re more likely to forget about once it’s on.
And I’d have everyone’s outfits completely ready the day before.
Shoes. Socks. Accessories. Everything.
Something tiny always seems to go missing at the exact moment you need to leave. With a short photo session or mini session, being late can mean losing actual shooting time.
3. Keep My Skincare Familiar
Cameras pick up a lot of detail, so naturally I’d want my skin to feel its best before being photographed.
But the biggest thing I’d do? Nothing dramatic.
The week before a photo session is not the time to experiment with a new peel, facial, retinoid, mask, or skincare treatment.
If I regularly get facials or dermaplaning and already know my skin responds well to them, I might schedule one with enough buffer before the session. But I would not suddenly introduce something new because Pinterest told me I needed to “glow.”
The same goes for the night before.
I might use a hydrating mask I already know my skin loves or stick with my normal skincare routine. If I use a retinoid regularly, I’d continue as usual, but I wouldn’t start one specifically for photos.
The goal is calm, comfortable skin, not a frantic last-minute skincare overhaul.
4. Do My Hair and Makeup Like Myself
If I were doing my own hair and makeup for a photo session, I’d want to feel polished while still looking like myself.
That means I’m not suddenly trying a completely different makeup style, dramatically changing my hair, or testing a pile of new products the morning of my session.
A Few Products I Personally Love
The morning of the shoot, I’d use something really moisturizing like La Roche-Posay Lipikar AP+M Triple Repair Body Moisturizer on my face and body for a healthy, hydrated look.
I’d also reach for COSRX Advanced Snail Hydrogel Eye Patches to help me look a little more awake and refreshed.
And because I’d want my makeup to actually stay put, I’d use On 'Til Dawn Mattifying Waterproof Setting Spray. The hold on this stuff is incredible.
And yes, I promise this still isn’t an ad. These are just things I actually use and love.
You absolutely do not need these exact products. The bigger takeaway is to use products you already know make your skin and makeup look good and feel comfortable.
How I’d Do My Hair
Thanks to my own hairstylist’s recommendation, I’ve been obsessed with the Revlon One-Step Blow Dryer Brush.
It takes a little practice, but once you get the hang of it, it gives me that smooth, voluminous, fresh-blowout look without actually going to the salon.
If I were getting ready for a session, I’d probably use it either the morning of or the night before.
And definitely use a heat protectant. My current favorite is K18 HeatBounce Leave-In Conditioner Heat Protectant. I love that it also works like a lightweight leave-in conditioner, so my hair feels softer and smoother instead of just coated in product. Sephora says it can be used before blow-drying and again on dry hair before hot tools.
Again, these aren’t requirements. They’re just the products I’d personally use if I were the one preparing to be photographed.
How I’d Do My Own Makeup
Whether I’m doing my own hair and makeup or hiring a professional, I’d make sure the final look still feels like me.
If I’m doing my own makeup, I’d practice my routine ahead of time and actually wear it somewhere.
Go to dinner. Run errands. Exist under lighting that is not your bathroom mirror.
That lets you see how everything wears over a few hours and whether you still feel comfortable in it.
Would I Book a Professional?
I totally understand the appeal of having your hair or makeup done professionally on photo day. For maternity photos, headshots, or even a family session where you just want to feel extra polished, it can be a really lovely addition.
But scheduling can get tricky, especially with outdoor photo sessions in Seattle.
Sometimes we have to adjust timing because of rain or heavy clouds, and occasionally we need to postpone altogether. If you book a hair or makeup artist, I’d make sure they have a reasonably flexible rescheduling policy.
If possible, booking the first appointment of the day can also take some pressure off.
And if I were hiring a makeup artist, I’d choose someone whose portfolio already includes the style I want.
If I love natural makeup, I’m not hiring someone whose entire portfolio is full glam and hoping we somehow meet in the middle. I’d specifically ask for a look that feels like me, just polished.
About a week beforehand, I might also book an appointment with my regular hairstylist for a trim or my usual treatment. Nothing drastic.
A gentle reminder that photo week is not the time for a Claire haircut.
5. Prepare Early Enough That I’m Not Arriving Frazzled
This one matters more than almost anything else. You can have the perfect outfit, gorgeous hair, and flawless makeup—but if everyone arrives stressed, rushed, hungry, and yelling about a missing shoe, that energy comes with you.
I’d give myself more time than I think I need.
I’d leave time for:
Getting everyone dressed
Snacks that won’t stain clothes or teeth
Bathroom trips
Traffic
Parking
Walking from the car to the session location
One last outfit and hair check before we start
For any session, I’d want to be completely ready before my scheduled start time. For mini sessions especially, arriving late can mean losing a significant chunk of shooting time.
6. Once the Camera Is Up, I’d Stop Fixing Things
If I were the one being photographed, I’d make a conscious effort to stop adjusting my hair, clothing, or my kid’s outfit once the photographer was actively shooting. I know how easy it is to notice a flyaway, a crooked collar, or a bow that shifted and instinctively reach over to fix it. But I also know from experience that those little adjustments can happen right in the middle of an amazing expression or interaction.
If the photographer’s camera was down, I’d absolutely make any fixes I wanted. But while they were shooting, I’d trust them to keep an eye on the details and tell me if something really needed attention. A stray hair or slightly shifted shirt can often be retouched later. A hand in the middle of fixing it cannot.
7. Remind Myself I Don’t Need to Be “Good at Photos”
If I were the one being photographed, I’d remind myself that I do not need to know how to pose, what to do with my hands, or how to magically make everyone in my family smile on command.
I also wouldn’t expect everyone to behave perfectly, because that is not realistic and it’s not what makes a photo good anyway.
I’d try to trust the photographer to guide me when guidance is needed, and otherwise focus on the people I came with. I’d look at them, talk to them, cuddle my kids, laugh when something goes sideways, and let the weird little moments happen instead of trying to correct them.
Those are usually the moments that end up feeling the most like your actual family, and they’re much easier to capture when nobody is working too hard to “take a good picture.”
8. Prioritize Rest, But Don’t Panic If Life Happens
Never underestimate the power of a good night’s sleep.
If I had a session coming up, I’d try to keep the night before relatively calm. Maybe a bath, a cozy movie, or whatever helps me actually wind down.
I’d also drink plenty of water the day before and the morning of my session. Hydrated skin generally looks and feels better, and I’m much less likely to arrive feeling like a raisin with anxiety.
But I also wouldn’t spiral if I slept badly, woke up with a breakout, or my kid decided naps were suddenly beneath them. Real life still happens on photo day.
The goal isn’t to arrive as the most optimized version of yourself.
It’s to arrive as yourself, reasonably prepared, and let your photographer take it from there.
Final Thoughts: How to Feel Confident in Family Photos
If I were preparing for a family photo session, I’d focus less on transforming myself and more on removing the little sources of stress that make photo day feel harder than it needs to.
I’d wear something I already know I love, stick with skincare and beauty products I trust, do my hair and makeup in a way that still feels like me, and get everything ready early enough that I’m not rushing out the door.
Once I arrived, I’d try to stop worrying about whether I was doing any of it “right.” You absolutely do not need to do every single thing in this post. Take what helps and skip what doesn’t. The goal wouldn’t be to arrive as the most optimized version of myself. It would be to arrive as myself, reasonably prepared, and let the photographer take it from there.
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