Preparation Guide

Welcome

Family Portrait Tips

As a mum, I get it! You’re probably wondering what to wear, how the kids will behave, and if you’ll get that perfect shot for your wall. Don’t worry, I’ve got this!

I’ll make this session feel like an adventure. I’ll keep the kids engaged and take the stress off you, so you can just enjoy the time with your family. You focus on having fun and being in the moment, and I’ll handle the rest.

I’ve set everything up to keep it as easy and fun as possible, so we can get that perfect family picture for your home. This guide is full of tips to make things smooth, so instead of feeling like a chore, it feels like a great memory in the making.

Let’s make it a fun experience your whole family can look back on… twirling in the grass, riding on Dad’s shoulders, or snuggling up with Mum, capturing those real moments that show the love and connection between you all.

Let’s do this!

First of all, I am so excited about your session and the chance to photograph your beautiful family! Before our time together, here are a few things to remember:

Don’t stress about your child’s behaviour. It’s natural to want them on their best behaviour, but if they’re feeling fussy or restless, trying to keep things “perfect” often backfires. Kids sense stress, if you’re relaxed, they will be too. If they’re a little wild or grumpy, we’ll roll with it! There’s beauty in the chaos.
It’s my job to get great shots, not yours. Some of my favourite family photos are the unplanned moments when everyone just let go.
As a mum of two energetic boys, I know kids don’t always listen or sit still, and that’s totally normal. Family portraits can be challenging, but it’s not a reflection of your parenting!
Let’s save snacks for a last resort, waiting for chewing can slow things down. Instead, we’ll focus on keeping things silly and fun. If you feel that you must have snacks, mini white marshmallows are best.
And keep smiling! Sometimes parents are so focused on getting their kids to smile, they forget to smile themselves. Enjoy the time together, and we’ll get great photos.

For the mums…

You’re probably putting your own outfit last, since getting the family ready is tough. DON’T! You’re at the top of this guide for a reason, this is your time to shine! Go ahead! Put yourself first! Now’s the time to buy that beautiful dress you’ve been eyeing or those jeans that make you feel amazing.

Your family’s outfits can coordinate around yours, so choose something you love and feel good in. After all, you’re usually the one behind the camera, let’s get some great shots of you and your kids!

Tip: Add a little extra makeup than usual—a pop of color on your lips and a bit more blush look great in photos. Or treat yourself to a professional makeup session. You deserve it!

For the dads…

I get it, getting dressed up and having your picture taken probably isn’t your idea of fun! But I promise to keep it easy and as painless as possible, so by the end, you’ll be thinking, “Well, that wasn’t so bad!”

All you have to do is get dressed, show up, and enjoy time with your family. I won’t keep you posing at the camera for long at all! I’m here to capture the real moments of you having fun together.

Tip: Dads, join in and play with your kids during the session! Throw them up, tickle them, have a thumb war, or wrestle, whatever you love doing with them, let’s capture that. It’ll make for amazing memories!

Outfit Tips

A guide to what photographs well

When it comes to what to wear for your session, comfort and confidence are key. I want your family to feel like themselves, so don’t stress about being overly formal. If your husband’s go-to is a t-shirt, that’s perfect. If your little one adores her overalls, let her rock them! My goal is to capture your family’s genuine connection and personality, and that starts with you feeling at ease.

To help with coordination, try laying out everyone’s outfits on a bed or the floor to see how they look together. Aim for harmony in colours and textures rather than matching perfectly. And if you’re unsure, I’m here to help! Feel free to snap a photo and send it my way, I love helping families choose the perfect look for their session.

Most IMPORTANTLY, Coordination Instead of Matching

Instead of matching outfits, aim for colours and textures that complement each other. Coordinating tones bring a sense of harmony to your photos while still letting each person’s unique personality shine through. Earthy tones, subtle prints, and textures like linen, lace, knits, or corduroy photograph beautifully and pair well with my editing style. For added charm, dresses with movement, flowy fabrics that catch the breeze, can bring your images and film really to life with a sense of depth and energy.

Remember, these photos are meant to last a lifetime, so choosing timeless pieces is always a great idea. If you’re looking for inspiration, colour palettes can be a helpful guide for creating a unified look without feeling overly planned. It’s all about creating a beautiful, natural flow while keeping everyone comfortable and true to themselves.

Wondering whether to go bold with some colour or stick with neutrals?

Neutral colours like whites, creams, and light greys help create bright, airy images. Darker colours like deep blues or blacks can make images look heavy. A balanced look is fine with one or two dark items, but if everyone’s in dark jeans, the overall image can feel too dark. Instead, limit dark clothing to one or two pieces, choosing lighter washes and neutral tones where possible.

How to decide

Tips for Choosing Your Style

Consider your space: If you plan to display these portraits in your home, consider your home’s colours. For example, if your space includes neutrals, taupes, and blues, those tones will fit beautifully. A bright coral or purple shirt could clash, affecting the overall look.

Avoid Black

While black may be your go-to, it often makes portraits appear darker. If you want a bold look, instead of black try a dark green or navy.

Avoid Bright and Warm Colours & NO Neon or Logos

Vibrant reds, oranges, yellows, and hot pinks can be so intense that they cast their tones onto faces and necks, which is difficult (sometimes impossible) to edit. For the same reason, avoid neon shades. Pastel colours are fine; it’s the super-bright hues that tend to cause issues. AS far as logos go, they definitely take away from that timeless appeal that we're going for.

Avoid Tiny Patterns

Patterns can look great, but tiny ones can create odd effects on camera. Stick to patterns larger than a 10-cent piece for the best results.

Check out my Pinterest board for ideas and inspiration!!

Shops to Try

Here are a list of stores which might have some amazing options for what to wear to your photo shoot. Have fun!

Kids

Mums & Kids

Mums

Spell & The Gypsy Collective

Locations

I have locations that I have scouted out and tested out multiple times to insure that you get the best pictures possible. Please select the type of location that you would like to use for your family photoshoot.

Bushland and rolling hills

An open setting with native gumtrees and tall grasses, a lot of light and neutral colours. Please note that there is a walk up a gravel path that is on a hill so not suited for young children that require a pram.

Beach

Trees, scrub, sand. A fun place to play while you have your family photoshoot. There are a lot of fun things that we can do at the beach, from building sand castles to playing in the water.

Orchard

Orchards change so much throughout the year from full fruit and green leaves to golden yellow and orange, bare limbs and stunning blossoms. There are also beautiful eucalyptus trees that make for fun things to play on.

In Home Session

Your own home! A lovely place where you share many memories. A great choice if your kids are more comfortable at home. I would suggest this if you have little ones that are very shy, if it’s in the heart of winter and you don’t fancy getting out into the cold or if you don’t want to do a sunset session (maybe your kids are little and their bedtime is early).

Testimonials

Tahlia

“Working with Sarah was seamless, the booking process. On the day I was worried how sunset would go with my kids being in the “witching hour” but she made it completely relaxed and amazing! My kids had a ball, there were tantrums but Sarah’s calm energy was felt by us all.
I absolutely loved the location, the beach was the perfect place for my little ones who love playing in the Sand.
I absolutely would recommend her to my friends when they are looking to book a photographer.“
Leroy Family

"Sarah from Etched in Time Portraits have capture the most beautiful and precious family moments that I will cherish forever. I was worried initially about it how the shoot would go because our little one can be pretty strong willed at times, but Sarah caught all these amazing moments I didn’t even realise we were having, and made the whole process a breeze. I loved that even when we weren’t posing there were some candid snaps taken some of which are my favourites! The advice given to us before the photoshoot was foolproof and really helped us coordinate our outfits which photographed perfectly. The experience was really relaxing and casual, and while my husband can be camera shy, even he felt the experience was really easy and liked the guidance given because he didn’t really know what to do. I would highly recommend Etched in Time Portraits to anyone thinking about wanting to capture their family at a moment in time. It’s a time you’ll never experience again and Sarah is so down to earth that she naturally draws out the beautiful moments you have with your family and captures it perfectly. Thank you so much for our images!!"
Nico, Greg & Freddie

"Sarah was fantastic throughout the entire process. Despite the hectic atmosphere of being newly home from the hospital, she skilfully managed the chaos of our home during the photo session. Her interaction with Freddie was wonderful; she kept him calm and happy throughout, demonstrating patience whenever he needed it. The final pictures reflect her professionalism and care, and we're thrilled with them! I wouldn’t hesitate to recommend Sarah and will definitely use her services again."
Gordon Family

“My biggest fear about getting photos before having a shoot with Sarah was the fact that I have 3 neurodivergent children and I honestly didn’t know how it was going to pan out but Sarah was super friendly, easy going, welcoming and made us all feel so comfortable!
We just all went with the flow and the end result has left me speechless honestly.
I already have been recommending Sarah to family and friends, I just showed the images that Sarah did and people are blown away with how beautiful they are.”
Quirino Family

"Sarah is absolutely amazing, we loved the whole experience of getting our photos taken, she made it fun, easy and we all felt so comfortable!! It’s hard sometimes with little ones you never know how they are going to be on the day but Sarah was a natural at getting the most beautiful captures of all of us. We will definitely treasures these priceless memories forever!! We can’t thank her enough!!!"
Giaccotto Family

"What can I say, we are absolutely in love with our family photos! Sarah was a pleasure to work with and just knew how to make our boys comfortable in front of the camera. We loved the fact we were able to get a big variety of shots and the beach ones were just a stand out for us. I love that for years to come we have these beautiful photos to share with our boys. Thank you so much, we will be sure to recommend you to our family and friends!"
Gray Family

"We are absolutely thrilled with our photos! We found the photo shoot experience to be fun and relaxed and Sarah has lots of experience in getting the best out of young children (and pets!). Sarah was an absolute pleasure to work with. She took the time to speak with us before the shoot to get a sense of what we were looking for, and provided advice on what to wear. The photos are so special and make wonderful forever memories for our family."
Bosevski Family

"We have always wanted an extended photoshoot, but with the kids being so small it was always a worry we would get to the shoot location and the kids would act up and not want to participate. Well not in this case, Sarah was so calm, cool and collected during the entire shoot, it was like she just came along for a play date with us!
Having us all together and just enjoying each other's company without any other commitments was really nice.
I would highly recommend Sarah, you won’t be disappointed. We couldn’t decide which photos to choose from, so we took the whole lot!"
McMurray Family

"We were feeling a bit nervous about baby staying settled throughout the session, and whether we would all be comfortable in front of the camera. But Sarah was calm and relaxed throughout the session, encouraged us to do whatever we needed to do with baby (feeding, soothing, nappy changes). She didn’t make us feel rushed at all and she really worked with the unpredictable nature of babies (and our dogs!). She just kept the whole session relaxed and had us feeling comfortable the whole time.
We loved how Sarah really wanted to capture us just being a family - and how she was so patient with all of us. She was also more than happy to include our fur babies - even though they weren’t super easy to work with!!
We would absolutely recommend Sarah to anyone looking to have some beautiful memories captured to cherish forever. She will keep the session low pressure, whilst capturing the most amazing shots...
... We are so grateful to Sarah for coming into our home to capture our newborn bubble with such kindness and professionalism!"
Barbanera Family

"We honestly have no words.... These photos are so incredibly stunning and we truly cannot thank you enough - having these precious moments captured forever means the world to us! There is absolutely no doubt we will be in contact to book a shoot with you in the near future and won't hesitate to recommend you to all our family and expecting friends!
Woodhead Family

"Our family photography session with Sarah was an absolute delight! Her ability to ensure the session was filled with genuine laughter meant she was able to capture those precious, candid moments, which is not an easy feat with four active little boys! It's clear that Sarah has a keen eye for composition and lighting, resulting in a series of beautiful images. Her professionalism, patience, and enthusiasm made the experience enjoyable for everyone, but especially our little ones. The final photos were truly wonderful, and we will treasure the memories captured of our family. We wholeheartedly recommend Etched in Time Portraits for an unforgettable family photography experience."
Knight Family

"We had such a great experience with Sarah, our session was very relaxed and enjoyable. She was able to direct where we needed her to but best of all Sarah was able to capture our kids love and happiness in beautiful photos!"
Warwick Family

"Choosing etched in time portraits for our family photos was one of the best decisions we made! From the moment we met, we felt completely at ease. Sarah has an incredible talent for capturing not just moments, but emotions. Our photos turned out beyond our expectations- they’re a treasure that we’ll cherish forever. The whole experience was enjoyable and relaxed. We couldn’t be happier with the results. Thank you Sarah, for creating such beautiful memories for our family!"
Jansen Family

"Our entire experience with Sarah from the moment we made contact with her has been exceptional. Her warmth and easy going nature shone through. She was so relaxed and engaging with our family during the session, putting us all at ease, making us feel very comfortable and creating an enjoyable experience. Sarah has a natural ability to engage with all ages. She had a large group of us to work with and did so seamlessly, covering all the combinations of the families in both posed and candid shots. The final photographs are incredible. Everything I had hoped they would be and more. Sarah has created a beautiful collection of photographs, that will be treasured forever."
Liston Family

"We loved having Sarah take our family photos. This was our first ever family photo shoot! She was so easy to work with and made us all feel relaxed. I was so impressed with the final photo gallery we received. She captured our family perfectly! I would highly recommended her for your next family photo shoot!"
Lauren, Jarrad & Finn

"Sarah was so easy going and made us feel so comfortable during the whole photoshoot. She made working with our toddler so simple and got some amazing shots of him that we absolutely love. Her creative ideas of shots really showed her experience and passion for photography and we are so happy with all our photos!"
Jay

“We are so happy with the family photos Sarah from Etched in Time took for us. We now have gorgeous pictures of our 5 year old twins and equally priceless family pictures. The accompanying slideshow set to music was so beautiful. Sarah captured priceless memories that we will cherish for ever. She was amazing in so many ways. Our recommendation to family and friends is that Etched in Time is a must. Thank you Sarah for the priceless memories.”