Chinchilla Photography - Family Photographer Bedfordshire
  • Welcome
  • Galleries
    • Family & Child
    • Nature Newborns
    • Maternity
    • Birthday & Cake Smash
    • Faeries & Magic
    • Pets and their People
    • Breastfeeding
    • Bluebell Sessions
    • Pink Wildflower Sessions
    • Heather Sessions
    • Spring Sessions
    • Summer Sessions
    • Autumn Sessions
    • Winter Sessions
    • Videos
  • The Season Guide
  • Pricing & Packages 2022
  • Contact Me / Bookings
  • Session Guides & Information
    • Dressing & Styling Guide
    • Your Session Guides >
      • Your Family & Child Session
      • Your Newborn Session
      • Your Maternity Session
      • Your Birthday Session
    • Session Start Times
    • Q&A
    • Booking & Session Process
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Payments
  • Props, Outfits & Styling
    • Gowns
    • Birthday Props
    • Maternity Gowns
    • Child Props
  • Bio
  • Client Testimonials
  • Publications & Awards
    • Book Cover Publications
    • Features & Articles
    • In The Press
    • Awards
  • Editing - Making It Magical!
    • Standard Editing
    • Winter Wonderland Snow Editing
    • Classic Black & White Editing
    • Faeries & Magic Editing
    • Falling Leaves Editing
    • Small Friendly Creatures Editing
    • Rainbow Editing
    • Behind The Scenes





​Your Family & Child Session Guide

Celebrating the love you have for each other

Out in the countryside there is beauty, space, interest and gorgeous natural light to give unique results at any time of year.
​We never shoot in rain, in the event of a rainy day we will move your session to a new date as soon as possible.​

​Outfit Recommendations For Little Ones

​For Boys:
​Spring/Summer - Dungarees, with either no top or a plain, neutral coloured vest or t-shirt underneath. A cardi or jumper. Bare feet or sandals.
​Autumn/Winter - Layers; dress your little one for the weather in appropriate clothing, warmth is paramount! Stylish little coats, boots and scarfs are great.

​I have some items for your Little Men if you would like to use them for your session - check out Boys Outfits & Accessories.

​For Girls:
​Spring/Summer - Pretty lace or vintage style dresses. Flower girl dresses. Dungarees with pretty T's. A pretty or plain knit cardi. Bare feet, sandals or boots.
​Autumn/Winter - Layers; dress your little one for the weather in appropriate clothing, warmth is paramount! Little stylish coats over dresses with leggings and boots looks wonderful.

​I have beautiful gowns available for use for your Little Ladies! Check out Girls Gowns & Outfits.

​As a general rule, the most appealing styles of clothing for sessions are vintage, timeless items in neutral or earthy toned colours.

​As for all sessions, I recommend avoiding very bright, clashing or neon colours, and character clothing. Shoes, boots, sandals and bare feet are always preferable to trainers. I also recommend avoiding socks without shoes as this looks quite unfinished. Even if your baby is not yet walking or wearing shoes, a simple, stylish pair of baby shoes will be ideal to cover little one's socks in the cooler months.

Warmth is paramount for babies & children in the cooler seasons. On cold / frosty winter days it is imperative that your children have on lots of layers, a coat, gloves and a hat if necessary. These can be removed during the session if the children are comfortable to do so.  
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Outfit Recommendations for Mum & Dad

​As a general rule, the most appealing styles of clothing for sessions are vintage, timeless items in neutral or earthy toned colours.

​Wear clothes that you feel comfortable in - if you are worried about lumps and bumps, I am able to help with this during editing. As for all sessions, I recommend avoiding very bright, clashing or neon colours.

​Please remove keys, phones and other items from your pockets as these will show in the photographs.

​In the warmer months, you are welcome to bring an outfit change to add more variety to your session.
View Full Dressing & Styling Guide
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Things to bring

♥ All of your usual baby essentials, if you have a baby
​♥ Any special teddies, toys, musical instruments or any other meaningful items that you would like to include (please cut the fabric tags off teddies)
​♥ A couple of outfits for your children if you would like outfit changes (although just the one they are wearing is ideal for Winter)
♥ Your pram or pushchair for toddlers
♥ Snacks and drinks for your children
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Expectations

Children will be children, please don't feel awkward or worried about any tantrums or upsets, it does not mean your session has been a disaster, even if it feels like it at the time! There is no rush.

A Note About Toddlers and Pre-schoolers with Dummies

​If your toddler is unhappy without a dummy, this can make for a very difficult situation on session day. I can't Photoshop dummies out of mouths, and I have no magic way of taking the dummy away without causing upset to your child. If you don't want images with a dummy (or images with a little one who is constantly upset about not having a dummy), I strongly recommend weaning your little one off in time for your session.​
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​Autumn & Winter Family Sessions ​with a Newborn

​Whereas newborn sessions can only take place in the warmer months, you are able to take a family session in Autumn or Winter with your new baby. Baby will need to be dressed in something nice and cosy, such as a snow suit. If it is mild enough, we may be able to wrap baby in a shawl or blanket. This is a lovely way to make memories with your new addition in the colder months, but it is important to bear in mind that family sessions are not newborn sessions. It will be too cold for baby to wear my newborn outfits, or to do any posing. Your session with you new baby will be family-focussed, with you holding baby for most (or all) of the session. We will work close to the car so that we can return to your car for any feeds or changes.
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Your Session

Package sessions are roughly 1-1.5 hours long, although there are no strict limits and you will not be charged any additional fee for longer sessions.

Sessions always take place in the few hours approaching sunset when the light is soft and there are no harsh shadows, the sun is low in the sky which makes the surroundings look rich, golden and vibrant.​​ The time of your session will therefore depend on the time of year.

Location

​The ideal location will depend on the time of year. This is often decided nearer your session time, so that I'm able to check out different areas of the countryside nearer the time and see what's happening. Different locations vary year-to-year and it can be impossible to know exactly what will be growing or how a location will look in advance.

​​Props

​If you have any favourite props that you would like me to use, just let me know and I'll bring them along - you can see a list of props here.​
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After your Session

​Your private proof gallery will be sent out to you within a week of your session. This gallery contains around 35 images as unedited proofs, with a selection of edited examples, so that you can see how your images look when finished.

​The gallery will remain open for 1 week for you to choose your package-inclusive images/products, upgrade your package, or order additional items separately.

Each of your chosen images is lovingly hand-edited; first processed from its Raw file, before skin touch-up, colour cast removal, natural teeth whitening, detail enhancement, natural eye enhancement, shadow & highlight correction, removal of any background or foreground distractions, sunset sky editing (if the sky is visible in images) and beautiful, natural colour enhancements. 

There is also the option to purchase special editing add-ons, such as  falling leaves, faeries & magic, winter wonderland snow editing, friendly creatures, & classic black & white​

​Hand editing is the only way to get the very best results for your portraits. I don't batch-edit or cut corners, so it is a time-consuming process; I advise clients to allow a month to receive their orders, although this will often be sooner.

​I'll let you know when your order is ready to ship (or download, depending on your package)
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Useful Links
​| Family & Child Gallery | Pets & Their People Gallery | Mother & Daughter Dresses | Family Props | Baby, Toddler & Child Props | Girls Outfits & Dresses ​| Boys Outfits & Accessories | Booking & Session Process |

© All Content Copyright Claire | Chinchilla Photography

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  • Welcome
  • Galleries
    • Family & Child
    • Nature Newborns
    • Maternity
    • Birthday & Cake Smash
    • Faeries & Magic
    • Pets and their People
    • Breastfeeding
    • Bluebell Sessions
    • Pink Wildflower Sessions
    • Heather Sessions
    • Spring Sessions
    • Summer Sessions
    • Autumn Sessions
    • Winter Sessions
    • Videos
  • The Season Guide
  • Pricing & Packages 2022
  • Contact Me / Bookings
  • Session Guides & Information
    • Dressing & Styling Guide
    • Your Session Guides >
      • Your Family & Child Session
      • Your Newborn Session
      • Your Maternity Session
      • Your Birthday Session
    • Session Start Times
    • Q&A
    • Booking & Session Process
    • Terms & Conditions
    • Payments
  • Props, Outfits & Styling
    • Gowns
    • Birthday Props
    • Maternity Gowns
    • Child Props
  • Bio
  • Client Testimonials
  • Publications & Awards
    • Book Cover Publications
    • Features & Articles
    • In The Press
    • Awards
  • Editing - Making It Magical!
    • Standard Editing
    • Winter Wonderland Snow Editing
    • Classic Black & White Editing
    • Faeries & Magic Editing
    • Falling Leaves Editing
    • Small Friendly Creatures Editing
    • Rainbow Editing
    • Behind The Scenes