Family Photo Shoot with Tomato Photo

Last year, we did a family photo shoot for our wedding anniversary and I'm planning to make it a yearly affair. This time around, our photo shoot was done by Hart from Tomato Photo. Hart did a great job and I love how the photos turned out. Here, I share some pointers that contributed to the success of the photo shoot.

Kids

Hart interacted with Nathan & Noah before the photo shoot and was able to draw out the smiles from them rather easily. Noah tends to be shy in front of strangers and doesn't usually cooperate when it comes to smiling for the camera. In spite of that, there were so many good shots of Noah...

Time

Most seasoned photographers will tell you that early morning or late afternoons are good times for outdoor shoots because the lighting at those times is most optimal. In addition to these, consider your family's routine. After nap times and not too close to meal times are good since it'll be no fun rushing thru a photo shoot with tired or hungry kids.

Location

We decided on an outdoor shoot since we thought it'd be nice to capture the boys at play, not restricted by the confines of a studio. But given the hot and humid climate, as well as unpredictable Singapore weather, I wasn't too sure where would be a good location to shoot. Hart suggested East Coast Park, and I am glad we went with his suggestion. The big shady trees as well as the beach & the sea made good backdrops for our photographs. We did not feel hot or sweaty during the shoot, even though it was done outdoors, thanks to the sea breeze.

Candid / Natural 

Most of the time, Hart just encouraged us to interact and play with the boys as we normally would. I was initially quite lost as to what to do, but with some guidance from Hart, play we did... most of the shots are not posed... except for the family of four shots.

Emotions

I love how Hart captured the emotions in these pictures...

Composition

We hardly get family photos of all four of us, much less just the two of us ever since the kids came along. I love how these turned out.

After the shoot, we got to view the photos online with a password provided by Hart. It is nice that we can take time to select the photos in the comfort of our home, at a time convenient for us, without having to deal with having to troop down to the studio (kids in tow) to make our selections. I ended up buying several canvases, and now they hang proudly on the walls of our new home.

Disclaimer: We received a free photo shoot for Tomato Photo and paid for the canvases we ordered. All opinions are my own.