Moore Count Families: Pinehurst, Southern Pines, and Whispering Pines families-boy do I have portrait session tips for you!



My new portrait photography studio located in Pinehurst, NC has been SO much fun for me! One of the most popular offerings in my photography and headshot studio is Heirloom Portraits. These are quick and classic portraits of your child, from the shoulder up and edited in a timeless style. These are treasures for both your walls and make fantastic and meaningful gifts for grandparents.



I have compiled 3 tips to make your child's portraits a huge, stress-free, tear-free experience!


Show up in your Pajamas:


Yes, you may need to read that again. Portraits are THAT easy at my studio. No more laboring over what to wear or spending extra money on an outfit your child will only wear once. With studio portraits I have got you covered with a complimentary array of clothing options for your children. Ease the extra stress of getting ready at the house (and panicking that they may get that messy snack in the car on their clothes before the shoot) by showing up in your PJs and get dressed at my studio. I also have a bathroom, mirror, hair spray and combs on hand to make it easy. Many of the beautiful pieces in my wardrobe come from Bella Bambini in Southern Pines.


Bring along non-colored treats


It is no shocker that kiddos may need a little external motivation and rewards to sit and smile for photos such as these. Kids WANT to wiggle and I do expect it will take a little more work on my end to get the expressions and smiles we want. You are welcome to bring some favorite snacks or treats along as a mid-session bribe, but I do highly recommend to lean towards something that won't leave a messy residue on mouths and clothes. These portraits are QUICK and truly with young kids, every minute counts. The last thing we want to do is stop the session to wipe faces mid photo because in my experience if you break a child from their posing, it is VERY hard to get them back to where we want them. We want the actual sitting time in the session to be about 2-3 minutes (yes, truly...it's that short!) A great treat is bland crackers or smarties (they don't leave color on teeth or clothes and are small enough to offer between shots.)



A Favorite Toy


I have worked hard to bring unique toys into my Moore County Photography studio. As a family photographer in Southern Pines, I have learned that with portraits some of the challenges for me is to have the child warm up very quickly to my lens. When we are on a location (say..a field) it is very easy to help kiddos become comfortable and distracted, but in the studio we don't have as many physical distractions. It can be very helpful to bring a long a favorite lovey for them to hold (it doesn't show up in photos!). I do have a great deal of toys for kids to choose in the studio to help them feel brave!