A toddler girl in blue dress lying on grass cuddling a sleeping newborn baby in rust outfit.

 

Your Session Guide

 

 

Family


The best part of a beautiful life

is found in the little moments.


Family photographs are about more than getting everyone to look at the camera at the same time. They're about the way your little one reaches for your hand, the laugh that only happens when Dad tells a certain joke, the way siblings love each other one minute and argue the next, and all of the little details that make this season of your family's story uniquely yours.


This guide is here to help you prepare without overthinking it—from choosing outfits and getting everyone out the door to knowing what to expect once we begin. A little preparation helps everyone feel more comfortable, but there is no perfect way to show up for your family session. Come as you are, and we'll make something beautiful from there.

 

Loving toddler girl gently touching baby sibling held by bearded father outdoors.
Two young children lying on green grass, one baby crying in orange outfit and toddler girl in blue dress with arms spread wide.
Happy young girl smiling while leaning on decorative white wheel arch in lush garden.
A young girl in a teal dress runs joyfully through a lush garden with colorful flowers and a wooden bench.
A smiling bald bearded man holds a newborn baby in a black and white portrait photo.
A laughing woman in a red dress hugs a smiling toddler girl near sunflowers in a garden setting.
Black and white family portrait of parents with toddler girl and baby standing by a wooden door.
A bearded man in a blue shirt gently holds a newborn baby wearing a rust-colored onesie.
Black and white photo of smiling bald father and curly-haired daughter on bench.
Family portrait with mother in red dress holding infant, father in blue shirt, and toddler girl in denim overalls smiling.
Black and white family portrait of four sitting on decorative wagon wheel bench.
Young girl with curly hair in denim overalls admiring colorful zinnia flowers in a vibrant farm field.
Black and white portrait of grandmother holding expressive baby sticking out tongue.
A bald bearded father tenderly holds his smiling curly-haired toddler daughter outdoors near a garden.
A mother and young daughter share a tender embrace among sunflowers in a black and white garden photo.
Young girl in blue dress sitting on white bench surrounded by colorful garden flowers.
A joyful toddler girl in denim overalls runs through a colorful flower garden with a wooden gazebo in the background.
A smiling girl with curly hair hugs a toddler on a wooden bench outdoors in a black and white photo.
Young girl in blue dress walking through colorful zinnia garden path with wooden gazebo in background.
Young girl standing by a charming stone playhouse surrounded by blooming flowers in a garden.
Family posing at a sunflower-decorated barn entrance surrounded by blooming sunflowers at a fall festival.
Family of four sitting on a bench surrounded by flower beds in a lush garden setting.
Curly-haired toddler girl in blue dress touching sunflowers in a garden field.
A black and white photo of two girls laughing and hugging outdoors in a garden setting.
Family of four posing on a wooden bench surrounded by colorful flowers in a garden setting.
Happy curly-haired little girl laughing outdoors in a blue dress.
Black and white family portrait of parents with young curly-haired girl and baby boy outdoors.
Joyful toddler girl in blue dress laughing among yellow black-eyed Susan flowers.
Black and white photo of father kissing curly-haired daughter on a bench outdoors.
Woman in red dress joyfully hugging a young child in a flower garden with yellow blooms and cloudy sky.
Young girl in blue dress picking a pink zinnia flower in a colorful garden full of blooming flowers.
Black and white photo of a mother lifting and kissing her baby outdoors among green plants.
Family of four posing in front of rustic wooden barn doors surrounded by sunflowers and corn stalks decorations.
Black and white photo of a bearded father hugging two young children, a toddler and a curly-haired girl, outdoors.
Smiling woman in red top holding baby girl in front of colorful flower garden with fountain.
Happy family of four posing together in a vibrant sunflower field outdoors.
Black and white photo of a mother and young daughter smiling together among sunflowers and garden plants.
Curly-haired toddler girl in blue overalls smiling while touching yellow black-eyed Susan flowers in a garden.

What Your Session Looks Like

 

01 — We Start Slowly

 

When we meet, we'll take a little time to settle in. I'll introduce myself to the kids, get a feel for everyone's energy, and give your family a chance to get comfortable with me and the camera. There is no expectation that everyone will immediately be ready to smile.

 

 

02 — We Connect Before We Pose

 

I'll guide you through a combination of gently directed portraits and natural interactions. We'll capture the photographs where everyone is looking at the camera, but we'll also make room for hugs, movement, laughter, cuddles, and all those little moments that happen naturally when you're together.


You won't have to wonder what to do. I'll give you simple prompts and direction when you need it, while leaving plenty of room for your family to interact naturally.

 

 

03 — We Follow Your Family's Rhythm

 

Kids are unpredictable—and that's okay.


If someone needs a snack, a break, a little reassurance, or simply some time to warm up, we'll make room for it. I intentionally build my sessions with time on our side so we don't have to rush through your family's story. Movement and play can be part of the experience, and sometimes the photograph we weren't planning for becomes the one you love the most.


Your children do not need to behave perfectly.

They don't even need to smile perfectly.


They just need to be themselves.

My job is to notice the moments that happen in between and preserve them for you.

 

 

04 — After Your Session

 

Once we're finished, I'll carefully select and hand-edit the viable images from your session, creating a cohesive gallery that reflects the Rooted Vision style.


Your full gallery will be delivered within 2–3 weeks of your session. From there, you'll be able to enjoy your photographs digitally and choose the images you'd like to print and turn into something tangible for your home. Because while digital photographs are wonderful to have, the photographs that become part of your everyday surroundings are often the ones that become part of your family's story.

 

A Few Quick Things to Notice

Before You Head To Your Session:


  • Everyone has eaten and used the bathroom
  • Faces are wiped clean
  • Lip gloss/chapstick
  • Hair ties have been removed from wrists
  • Athletic watches removed if desired
  • Snacks/water are packed
  • A backup outfit for little ones is handy
  • You have allowed yourself a little extra travel time because you never know!🤍
  • Pockets are empty  (We can put phones & car keys in my camera bag if needed.)

The beauty of your legacy

Preparing for Your Session
A young girl in a blue denim dress holds her mother's hand in a garden with yellow flowers.

The most important thing you can bring to your session is yourself and your family exactly as you are. You don't need to teach your children how to pose, practice perfect smiles, or promise them that they have to behave for the camera. In fact, some of the photographs you'll treasure most may happen when they're laughing, running, cuddling, being silly, or simply forgetting that I'm there.


A little preparation beforehand can make the experience feel much easier. Give yourself plenty of time to get dressed and arrive without rushing, and make sure little ones have had a chance to eat, use the bathroom, and take a break before we begin. For younger children, bringing a small snack, water, or a familiar comfort item can be helpful. If we're outdoors, consider the weather and choose shoes and clothing that allow everyone to comfortably walk, sit, play, and move.

A note about wardrobe.


Your outfits don't need to match—they simply need to belong together. I recommend choosing a small color palette and letting each family member bring their own personality into it through different shades, textures, layers, and patterns. Soft neutrals, earthy tones, muted colors, and natural textures tend to photograph beautifully and keep the focus where it belongs: on your family. Current family-photography styling guidance also consistently recommends coordinating rather than matching, avoiding distracting logos and overly busy patterns, and choosing clothing that allows you to move comfortably with your children.


And please don't feel like you need to buy an entirely new wardrobe for photographs. If you love what you already own and feel comfortable in it, that's a wonderful place to start. If you'd like help putting everyone together, your style guide has additional ideas and inspiration—and you're always welcome to send me photographs of the outfits you're considering.

A mother in a red dress walks with her toddler through a sunflower farm on a cloudy day.
Smiling bearded man in blue polo shirt holding a newborn baby in a rust-colored romper against a wood backdrop.
My Family Portfolio

 

"You will teach them to fly,

but they will not fly your flight.

You will teach them to dream,

but they will not dream your dream.

You will teach them to live,

but they will not live your life.

Nevertheless, in every flight,

in every life, in every dream,

the print of the way you taught

will always remain."

 

Mother Teresa

 

The RVP Studio

Serving Southeast Michigan & Metro Detroit

Canton · Plymouth · Livonia · Northville

Novi · Farmington Hills · Ann Arbor · Belleville

50755 Cherry Hill Road | Suite 11
Canton, Michigan 48188