What To Bring To Your Outdoor Family Session (and What to Leave at Home)
After 14 years in business and photographing well over 1,000 family sessions, I realized I’ve never actually written a blog post answering one of the most common questions parents ask me: “What should I bring to my family photo session?”
Whether we’re meeting at the beach, in the hills, or at a favorite park, knowing what to pack (and what to skip!) can make your outdoor photo session run smoothly. So here it is—my best advice on what to bring to a family photo shoot.
Keep It Simple: Bring Only the Essentials
The biggest tip? Less is more. The less we have to carry, the easier it is to move around and capture candid, connected moments. Before tossing something in your bag, ask yourself: “Will I truly need this in the next hour?”
I’m always happy to stash phones, wallets, or car keys in my backpack so your hands are free. But overall, traveling light helps us stay more relaxed and focused on having fun together.
Just you and your loved ones (and some pretty light) is all we need.
Families With Little Ones
If you’re bringing a baby or toddler, a small bag of essentials is a smart idea. Some things you might want to pack include:
A burp cloth or small blanket
Diapers and wipes
A change of clothes (spit-ups and blowouts happen!)
A small, non-messy snack for toddlers
Older kids, on the other hand, usually don’t need extras. Your 6-year-old doesn’t need a wardrobe change, but your 5-month-old might. Trust your parent instincts—you know your little ones best.
Essentials Check: Parents, Baby, Small baby bag, family pup.
What Not to Bring
This is just as important as what to pack! A few things I suggest leaving at home (or in the car):
Toys and lovies: While it’s tempting, kids usually discover them in the bag and then don’t want to let go. That tug-of-war isn’t worth the stress.
Screens: Please, please don’t hand your child an iPad or phone right before the session. It’s nearly impossible to transition from screen time to natural smiles. 😜
Extra “entertainment”: You don’t need to bring anything to keep your kids busy—I’ll guide activities and interactions that feel fun and natural.
Dogs are alwasy welcome at my family sessions!
Match Your Clothing To the Environment
Highly structured or overly tailored clothing and fussy shoes are not a great fit for a family lifestyle session. We tend to move around a lot at sessions and everyone should be comfortable in their clothing. This doesn’t mean joggers and a t-shirt (for grown-ups), it just means wearing something with a little give and something that can withstand the groping and grasping of dirty child hands.
It’s also good to consider the environment we’re shooting in. Will there be a lot of sand? Wear sandals you can remove. Will there be moss-covered logs to sit on? Don’t wear a white dress. We don’t want to miss fully interacting with our environment because we’re not wearing the right clothes or shoes.
Finally, it might be a given for all my families living in San Francisco, but it can be easy to forget when you’re in sunny Marin or the East Bay. No matter what the weather is like at home when you’re leaving, prepare for different weather at our shoot location (especially if we’re shooting at the beach!). Bring layers!!
Bring a Positive Attitude
It can be stressful to get your family out the door on your shoot day. Add to that being on-time and keeping food off your kids’ clothing and getting photo session buy-in from your spouse - it can feel like Sisyphean task. And… and… the more you can stay calm and regulate, the easier it will be for your family to do the same.
That said, something usually goes awry before or at sessions and my motto is ‘say yes’ to whatever gets thrown our way. Your kids has a meltdown 15-minutes into the session. We “say yes”. There are nude sunbathers at our beach session. We “say yes”. Your kid falls into the surf and gets wet and sandy when we’re only halfway finished. You get the picture.
The more we can stay positive and allow whatever is happening to be there, the more we can be present with our families. For me to capture true connection, your family has to be in connection.
Final Thoughts
So, what should you bring to your outdoor family photo session? The short answer: only the essentials. Keep your bag light, your hands free, and your focus on being present with your family.
I’ll handle the rest—guiding you, engaging your kids, and making sure we capture those beautiful, natural moments you’ll treasure for years.
If you’d like to see more images from family sessions, you can find them here and if you want to find out how you can have images like these for your family, please get in touch here. ❤️