Photo Session Questionnaire

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It’s Photo Tip Tuesday! I’m excited to share the Photo Session Questionnaire I give to my clients when they book the custom session.  Whether you are a photographer or a family being photographed, these questions will help you figure out the best way to give your pictures some personality and a unique-ness, just like your family!

So many people are dipping their toes into a photography business, and there are so many things to think about. If you need some tips on starting one, check out my post: How to start a photography business.  If you just want to learn how to use your camera better, check out my book, Say NO to Auto. This post today will help you as the photographer to better understand your clients.

Photo Session Questionnaire by KristenDuke.com

 

{more from this session HERE}

Maybe it’s your style to get in there, grab a few posed shots of a family, and get outta there. If that’s your preference, that’s perfectly fine. However, I have found my most favorite images to capture are families having fun and interacting with each other. It doesn’t always happen so easily, so this questionnaire helps me figure out what scenes to set up, and I cater it specifically to that particular family.

Here are the questions I’ve come up with:

  1.        IS THERE ANYTHING THAT YOUR FAMILY LIKES TO DO TOGETHER THAT WOULD BE FUN TO INCLUDE IN OUR PORTRAIT SESSION?
  2.        WHAT DO YOUR CHILDREN LIKE TO DO, EAT, GIGGLE AT?
  3.        ARE THERE ANY PROPS FROM YOUR HOME THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO USE?  ANTIQUE CHAIR, TRUNK, CRATE, VINTAGE CAMERA OR PHONE. (MAYBE GRANDPARENTS HAVE SOMETHING MEMORABLE).   
  4.        WHAT ARE THE CHILDREN’S FAVORITE TOYS (LEGO’S, TINKER TOYS, BUILDING BLOGS)?  BOOKS (VINTAGE COVERS)? TREATS (CUPCAKES)? FRUIT? COLOR? FAVORITE BOOK?
  5.        DO YOU KNOW YET WHAT COLOR SCHEME YOUR CLOTHING SELECTION WILL BE?
  6.        ANY MUSICIANS, PAINTERS, OR SOMETHING FUN AND UNIQUE THAT YOU WOULD LIKE TO REPRESENT?
  7.        ANY FAMILY INSIDE JOKES, GAMES, ACTIVITIES THAT WOULD BE FUN TO REPLICATE?
  8.       WHAT IMAGE ON MY WEBSITE STOOD OUT TO YOU AND MADE YOU WANT TO CONTACT ME?

Sometimes I’ll have some questions left blank, but other times, I’ll get a great nugget of information that will start a fun idea flowing in my head!  Below are a few example ideas that came from answers to the questions above.

For this family session, they told me in their questionnaire that they loved to go to the donut shop together. It was a regular family activity, and something they wanted to document. We started out taking some posed family shots nearby, then got some fun images of them enjoying donuts together. Here is  sampling of images I got at their session.

Photo Session Candid Ideas at KristenDuke.com

{More donuts and fun from this family HERE}

 This next family said the boys love to build and play lego’s together. I suggested they bring out the pile of lego’s and play. The kids loved it when I said to throw the lego’s up in the air!

Lego play

This cute little girls mama told me that she LOVES watermelons. So I surprised her with a watermelon at the end of her session, and she was so giddy!

Prop Ideas at a Photo Session by KristenDuke.com

{More from this cute girl HERE}

This family told me they have a “sock tag” game they like to play a lot, so they brought a bunch of socks and played while I snapped away. I love to capture moments that they often share.

Photo session Family Fun

{Lots more FUN images from this family session here}

I hope these images and the questionnaire above will help jog your brain as well as your clients for beautiful and meaningful images.

How many people out there have a photography business? Have you implemented something like this questionnaire to help you get to know your clients? Any great questions that can add to this list?

Would you like more photography inspiration? I’ve got lots of posts for the amateur as well as the business minded! Link to ALL of my PHOTO TIPS.
Want to start your own photography business? Check out the business book I co-wrote! 

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