HOW TO PREPARE FOR your

Holiday Traditions Session

I believe that choosing a photographer is a personal experience, so thank you for welcoming me into your family to capture this special time in your lives. This is my jam, my bread and butter, my absolute passion. These sessions mean A LOT to me. They're intimate, relaxed and designed to document your family’s real holiday traditions. Forget the generic, staged photos in front of a tree you didn’t even buy. These sessions are about embracing the chaos and warmth of the season—baking, decorating, cuddling up together—whatever makes your family’s holiday special. The photos will still have that timeless, artistic feel, while capturing the real, raw moments that make your holidays yours.

If you’re feeling nervous about being in front of the camera, I get it—honestly, that’s why I’m behind it. Just know that it isn’t about perfection or knowing exactly what to do. It’s about showing up as you are and letting the natural moments happen. The unscripted, imperfect bits? That’s where the magic is. If you feel awkward, lean into your loved ones, crack a joke, or just breathe. I’m here to guide you, but remember—authenticity is the goal, not perfection.

And hey, my job isn’t to make your life look perfect. I’m here to show you just how beautiful and real these holiday moments are—jokes, colourful family members, broken ornaments, and all.

While I aim to blend into the background during our session, there are a few small things to consider before we begin (see below). Together, we’ll create a space where your genuine interactions can unfold naturally.

What to Expect & How You Can Help

My style of photography emphasizes candid moments and your unique connections. The goal of these sessions is to capture the way your traditions unfold naturally. Here's how you can help bring that to life:

1. Come Back to One Another: In those moments where you’re not sure what to do next, just come back to one another. What exactly does that mean!? Ruffle your kiddo's hair, give your partner little kisses on their cheek or head, pick up the dog and let them in on the fun. The moments when you forget the camera is there are always the most genuine. Whether it’s a quiet touch or a playful nudge, these are the things that make your connection feel real in the photos.
2. Embrace Imperfection: Holidays are faaaaarrrr from perfect, so expect the same from your session. The bag of flour might fall on the ground, your hair might get messed up, or your kiddo might decide they'd rather put the ornaments back IN the box instead of on the tree. Don’t worry about it (I know, I know easier said than done). But, those moments of imperfection are where the real memories live. The way you laugh at something unexpected or brush flour off your face—it all adds to the story.
3. Movement Creates Story: Always be moving! Let your kids jump on the couch or have a little slow dance in the kitchen with your partner while the cookies are baking. The best moments happen when you’re in motion, forgetting about how you look and just enjoying each other’s company. If you’re feeling playful, go with it. If the mood is softer, a gentle sway or slowly rocking your little one can do wonders for making the session feel fluid and unforced.
4. It's About Interaction, NOT Posing: I’m not going to ask you to hold a stiff pose or contort yourselves into something unnatural. Instead, focus on interacting with your fam—talk, joke, whisper something that makes them smile. These little moments are what bring your photos to life. When you engage with each other, the camera becomes secondary.
5. Make Your Home Part of the Story: One of the best parts of the Holiday Traditions sessions is that we're in your home, where everyone feels the most comfortable. Don't be afraid to interact with your surroundings—show me where the kiddos like to hang out or let the dog jump on the couch and curl up for a nap. The more you embrace your space and traditions, the more we can capture what makes your holidays uniquely yours. All of these little moments and details will help tell the story of your holiday season.

I recommend neutral colours and earthy tones because they create a more timeless look. We want these images to feel like the holidays, so colours such as gold, silver, bronze, forest green, and maroon are always great options.

Materials that are textured, sheer, or billowy are worth bringing along too. Fabrics that flow show up so beautifully in photographs because they capture snapshots of movement. Avoid starchy, stiff-seeming garments that get crumpled in weird spots and need frequent adjusting.

When selecting the right footwear, think about what’s appropriate for the activity you’re going to be doing. Maybe it even makes most sense to ditch the shoes altogether!

If you feel like getting a little glammed up, there’s absolutely no reason not to get your hair and makeup done. Just remember to keep it as natural as possible. Excessive makeup or fancy and intricate hairdos can oftentimes look out of place. The focus should be on you, your family, and your connection.

If you're a visual person like me, you might need some examples. Send me messages if you're not sure which direction to go; I'm always happy to consult directly on wardrobe if you need!

Prepping the Kiddos & Fur Babies

Being a mama to two kiddos under four, the biggest suggestion I can offer is to prep your kiddo(s) beforehand. Let them know what the session will look like, talk to them about the camera and what it does, and help them choose what activity you’ll be doing (e.g. baking cookies, decorating the tree, cozying up in front of the fire, etc.). Getting them involved, and allowing them to be a part of the planning can go a long way! And if your kids want to include their favourite stuffed toy, let them! Authenticity is in the details.

If anything can be a game changer, it’s snacks. There are lots of variables in family shoots that are beyond our control. When photographing kids, I’ve learned that every plan is contingent on their mood. But snacks are an almost entirely failsafe mood booster for little ones (and lots of adults I know, too!). Having a stash of goodies on hand to bust out right when the kids need that slice of motivation buys us a lot of precious time and cooperation!

If your pets are joining us (because let’s be honest, they’re family too), we’ll want to make sure they’re happy and comfortable. So have some of their fav treats on hand, and maybe a toy to keep them entertained. Pets have this magical ability to inject joy, chaos, and unpredictability into a session, and those moments are pure gold. They’ll add that extra bit of fun we didn’t even know we needed.

As the session is taking place in your home, you'll also want to be sure to declutter any rooms we might be shooting in. Please don't go on a cleaning spree on my account, but simply tidy up items you wouldn't want in the photos (coffee cups, amazon boxes, dirty diapers... no judgement by the way - you should see my house).

Music can also be a GAME-CHANGER and can help get everyone out of their shell. If you don't already have one, I suggest creating a playlist that best represents your couple/family. You can even go full-out holiday-mode and play those festive tunes. Our shoot will go through an ebb-and-flow of emotions (calm, intimate, joyful), so your playlist should do the same.

Setting Up Your Space

As the session is taking place in your home, you'll also want to be sure to declutter any rooms we might be shooting in. Please don't go on a cleaning spree on my account, but simply tidy up items you wouldn't want in the photos (coffee cups, amazon boxes, dirty diapers... no judgement by the way - you should see my house).

Music can also be a GAME-CHANGER and can help get everyone out of their shell. If you don't already have one, I suggest creating a playlist that best represents your couple/family. You can go full-out holiday-mode and play those festive tunes or some favourites that play year-round. Our shoot will go through an ebb-and-flow of emotions (calm, intimate, joyful), so your playlist should do the same.

Kids Will Be Kids!

If you walk away after reading this and only remember one thing, let it be this: have zero expectations. Embrace what comes – the energy, the dirty clothes, the laughter, whatever unfolds. Every shoot is unique, and runs at its own pace.

Try to remember that kids are not usually fond of being told to pose or smile (which I wouldn't do anyways). It's best if we give them space and try to capture their natural selves. Please PLEASE don't worry if your little one is running around and being completely wild. Most of the images you see of young kids throughout my work were captured while they were busy playing and exploring. To get the family shots, I usually direct the adults to simply "be" with their kiddos, and we go from there.

This session is all about YOU and capturing your life and your holiday tradition exactly how it is on the day of your shoot. We’re not here to mimic the shiny perfect photos you sometimes see on your feed, we’re here to tell your unique story as it shows up on the day of the shoot – wrinkles, tears, joyous abandon, and all. Throw your checklist out the window and know that magic will naturally unfold. When it does, I’ll be there to capture it.

After the Session

Within 2 weeks of your session, you'll receive your 20 high-res photos. Let me know which photos you'd like on your holiday cards, and I'll get to work on them ASAP. You'll receive your cards 2 weeks later.