Do You Charge Extra for Poses? Here's My Family Posing Workflow
One of the questions I get asked is whether I charge extra for different poses or combinations during a family session. The answer is no. Every pose, every combination, and every family member is included in your session. (You can read more about that on my all-inclusive sessions blog post.)
But I do want to pull back the curtain on how a studio family session actually flows, because knowing what to expect makes a huge difference in how relaxed you feel on session day.
Every session has its own workflow. The way I pose a newborn session looks nothing like a family session, and today I'm walking you through how I approach posing families in the studio — and how it helps build real connection along the way.
We start easy
The first thing we do is get everyone looking and smiling at the camera together. It sounds simple, but getting that "everyone looking, everyone smiling" shot out of the way early takes the pressure off. From there, we can loosen up.
Building connection as a family
Next, I pose the whole family together in a variety of directions — turning toward each other, leaning in, moving through natural interaction. This is where the real connection starts to show up in the images.
Solo portraits for each kiddo
After the group work, I focus on individual portraits of each child. This gives siblings a little breather and makes sure every kid walks away with their own solo photo. For littler ones who aren't quite ready to be on their own, that's completely okay — we'll get their solo portraits while they're snuggled in mom's arms instead. The goal is always a smooth, stress-free session, not a rigid list.
Then the combinations
From there, we move through:
Sibling photos
All the girls, all the boys
Kids with mom, kids with dad
Parents alone together
Individual portraits of each parent
There are so many possible combinations, and I keep a mental checklist running so parents never feel overwhelmed trying to track it all. If we miss a pose here or there, that's okay too — connection matters more than checking every box.
A mix of sitting, standing, and moving
Expect a variety throughout the session. Some seated poses, some standing, some movement-based. That variety keeps the energy natural and keeps kids engaged.
My favorite moment: teenagers as "littles" again
Some poses translate more naturally with younger kids, but I always make a point to pose teenagers in the same poses too, like sitting on the floor, looking up at mom. Yes, they're big kids now, and yes, they might feel a little silly doing it. But when mom looks down at them in that pose, for a moment they're still her baby. Moms consistently tell me how much they treasure being able to see their "big kids" from that perspective one more time.
The takeaway
Posing isn't a menu with extra charges attached. It's a workflow built around your family, designed to feel natural rather than staged, and to leave you with images that actually feel like connection. If you're curious what a session with your family would look like, I'd love to chat about it.