To most people, taking a family photo or any decent photos of their kids at all can be an elusive and down right tricky thing. Normally there's one parent behind the camera and the other wrangling the kidlets. So if you've decided to book a professional family photo session, it pays to Be Prepared Beforehand. Everyone loves, and deserves, quality, beautiful photos of their children and themselves.

Here are my top 4 tips for a fun, beautiful and stress-free photo session.

Always remember - Children don’t have to be perfectly behaved for the session. Shutter speeds are really fast and can capture moments in between “those times”. Let your photographer guide your children and don't stress too much A good pro will have them playing along in no time.
Don't bribe your kids before hand. It rarely works and kids will often associate the bribe with a painful experience beforehand i.e the photo session may be BAD! Let the photographer guide the children in the session. Both standing behind them to get the kids to smile is not going to work. It confuses the kids and makes it hard for them to understand what required of them. I will often let the kids ‘run’ the session. e.g.. I let them choose a spot for photos at least once in the session. I ask them what they’d like to do or if my idea is a good idea or not. Helps them feel more in control of the proceedings.
Actually speak to a photographer. Lots of people email around for price lists but if you don't actually like your photographer or you don't 'click' then the session may not be as fun. Pick up the phone or ask them to call you. It pays to know a little about the photographers personality. Compare photographers and pick the best fit for your family. Talk to them and see if your personalities work together.
Trust in your photographer. Check their previous work. Are they qualified? You will probably pay a little more for the right photographer but it will be ever so worth it. Quality will last forever.