What to do when your child gets an owie before family pictures
You’ve scheduled your family pictures. Your outfits are all coordinated and ready for the big day. You’re just hoping for no curve balls before your family piles into the car to head out for family portraits. And then, your child comes home with a a big goose egg on their forehead. What to do? Have no fear - kids will be kids, and sometimes a little (or maybe even a big) injury is bound to happen at some point. And while we’d all love for the timing of said injuries to not be within a short window of professional portraits, sometimes, it just happens. As a mom - I’ve had my fair share of injuries occurring with the worst timing. For example, we often will hire a professional photographer to take our family portraits while we are on vacation. One year, while in the Black Hills, my youngest daughter fell not once, but twice, causing trauma to her front tooth (that you can still see today.). There was no way to reschedule the pictures, so we forged ahead. And while I was disappointed at the time, I am so thankful for those pictures. As a professional photographer, I’ve also had my fair share of communication with clients informing me of these unfortunate mishaps. While it’s not ideal, in most cases, it’s manageable. Here are four things to consider as the big portrait day arrives if you find yourself in this situation.
Is it cosmetically minor?
I can often wow my own children by creating portraits of them with what seems like magical powers - a Harry Potter mark on a forehead, my child floating in the clouds like Mary Poppins, or some other book or movie reenactment. But really, it’s the magic of editing. And usually, with minor bumps, scrapes and bruises, we can use that magical editing and continue with the photo session without having to reschedule. If you feel that your child’s injuries are minor, just send me an email with a quick picture of the injury so that we can discuss whether it’s an easy fix in post processing to determine the best course of action.
This little one took a tumble just a few days before their family session. With a little help from editing software, I was able to remove the scrapes on her nose.
How do you want to remember this moment?
There are moments in parenting that remain etched in our minds forever. I can remember some very specific injuries in which my rambunctious son faceplanted on hard concrete and received one of his biggest shiner’s to date. (Driveway 1 - My son - 0). And I have photographic evidence to prove it! (See picture) However, had I had family pictures scheduled shortly thereafter, I likely would have rescheduled. The scrape would have required extensive editing to remove, and while I documented the mishap with my phone, I personally would rather have professional portraits of a less scraped up face, so the easier choice would be to reschedule. In the end, this one boils down to your personal preference. I will always ask you what your preference is.
Can we creatively mask the injury with specific posing?
Some injuries go beyond a minor scrape or bruise. sometimes, a cast or crutches are involved. In some circumstances, we absolutely CAN get creative with our posing so that the injury is not apparent in pictures.
The only image in this set of four that gives away a cast on an arm is the lower right image. Otherwise, by posing him in a way that his arm was away from the camera, we were able to conceal his injury.
What’s in the best interest of the child?
You know your child best. Will the injury affect how they behave during the session? Is there still pain that would make them uncomfortable? Do they require rest so that the injury can heal properly? All of these are questions that should be addressed before your session so that we can have the best possible outcome - both for your child and for pictures. Rescheduling is always an option, and I will follow your cues for what you feel is best for your family.
This bloom session was so fun - but an injury prior to the session had caused not only some scrapes and bruises, but a minor concussion. I followed the mom’s lead on whether to keep the session as scheduled, and also paid close attention during the session to make sure that we weren’t pushing her too much. And when she started to get tired, we finished up so that she could rest.
Ready for family pictures?
Whether you’ve got littles still in the “boo-boo’s” phase, or older kids, let’s chat about designing a family session that’s all about you.