Five ways to make mothers look their best during a family session

I wanted to share with you something that I think is so very important.

Let’s face it. Being a mother is hard and often under appreciated. When a session is booked with me 99.9% of the time it’s the mom who booked the shoot. She is usually the one who does most of the arranging for the family.

So when she gets in front of my lens I want her to feel like a goddess. I make a huge effort to reaffirm the mama of the family that she looks amazing and I spend just as much effort making sure the actually looks amazing.

I am excited to share five posing and guiding tips that will be sure to leave your mothers looking and feeling amazing!

Photograph her from above. After I arrange the family in a pose, I guide them to lean into each other. Then, I either stand on something (a stool would work great) or I hold the camera above my head and shoot from a slightly elevated angle. Or if they are sitting on the ground, I stand up and shoot from above.This flatters mother’s features and also provides an intimate and unique perspective.
Remind her not to look at you but instead to look at her children or spouse. I know this may seem obvious, but most people are hardwired to look right at the camera. A mother is going to look and feel her best when she is looking at her loved ones rather than right in the camera. I encourage her to interact and snuggle with her children. She is always pleasantly surprised with how much she loves her photos and I think it is because they aren’t traditional photos of her staring right at the camera, but rather looking at and interacting with her loved ones.
Ask her to look down and slightly to the side. I love to make sure to grab at least one photo of my mother’s alone. Remember, she may be the main photographer in the family and chances are there aren’t many photos of her alone. Her children need photos of her. I ask her to look down and slightly to the side. She immediately relaxes and I am able to capture her gorgeous face.
Incorporate movement. I love to ask mom to hold one of her children and spin them around. Movement relaxes her body and usually makes her hair move in beautiful way. Moms love seeing themselves playing and moving with their kiddos.
When photographing the family as a group, make sure mom’s shoulders aren’t square to the camera. A slight angle really flatters the female frame.