A drink in something spill proof

A yummy snack in case the child gets grouchy (this often works!)

A favorite toy that makes the child laugh, but would be okay if ends up in the picture

A second outfit in case the shallow ponds or waterways prove too irresistible

A hair brush and a damp cloth for sweaty heads or fly-away hair

The sitting fee, so we can mail you your proofs

For a single child, any outfit will do, although strong prints or stripes in contrasting colors are not recommended. Formal attire for Easter or Christmas is beautiful, and casual play outfits for a more informal portrait are also very popular. Don't plan on a wardrobe change; there will not likely be time and it is awkward changing outdoors.

For more than one child, make sure no outfit overpowers the other. Avoid dressing a girl in pastels and a boy in a navy suit--give the girl some darker colors for balance. The best outfits have similar neutral colors.

Bonnets for girls are fine, although I would stick to smaller-brimmed hats to avoid overshadowing the face. I don't recommend ball caps due to shadows. If you feel strongly about a ball cap, we'll put the cap on after taking a few shots to avoid "hat hair" in later pictures.

Make sure you let Deanna know if you are bringing a pet to the sitting. This often adds considerable time and difficulty to the shoot.

Dogs must be kept on leashes at all times. Cats are not recommended in public gardens, as they could easily disappear.

Small pets, such as rabbits, chicks, or guinea pigs should be brought in a cage. An extra adult may be needed to make sure they don't get away!

Animals are not recommended in whole-family portraits unless an extra person comes along to help keep them under control or the animal is very, very well trained.

Remember that the constant arrival of strangers in the gardens, as well as other animals, makes for a very unpredictable sitting. Be prepared to end up leaving your pet out of the picture if it is clearly not going to work.

A drink in something spill proof for the kids

A yummy snack in case the child gets grouchy (this often works!)

A hair brush and a damp cloth

The sitting fee, so we can mail you your proofs

It is VERY important for everyone to dress in complementary outfits. You do not need to match exactly, but you should choose a color combination and stick to it. 

The best outfits are:

	khaki pants/skirt/shorts/overalls with white shirts or sweaters
	jeans with white shirts/denim dress/overalls
	chambray shirts with khaki pants or jeans
	jeans and navy or black or brown shirts/sweaters
	navy pants/dresses/skirts with white shirts/sweaters

The worst outfits are:

	Everyone wearing different colors
	Different shades of a color, especially red, green, pink or blue. If you are buying from scratch, try the Gap, Old Navy, Land's End, or J. Crew, which can sell you the same color in outfits for men, women and kids.
	Too vivid colors for the surroundings, such as hot pink, orange, purple, or bright yellow

I would avoid hats unless very small brimmed. It takes effort to get everyone's faces out of the shadow and by then the kids are ready to quit!

This is going to be stressful! You will want a great picture; your kids will want to jump in a pond. Expect this, and do your best to roll with their behavior. Deanna has done this a while, and she knows kids. We will get the pictures done. Try to avoid getting upset and be prepared to bribe, bribe, bribe.

Things Deanna will do if kids are misbehaving/refusing to be shot:

	Let the children pick a spot (not always the best solution, as their choice may be a terrible place photographically, but we'll take a few, then it is someone else's "turn" to pick)
	Do "walking" pictures where the family wanders down a path, or hold kids up on a wall to look at things, rather than "posed" pictures. These are often some of the most beautiful shots anyway, but I try to get posed pictures done first since they are harder.
	Give up on the spot, even if we haven't shot any pictures there, and walk around a bit more. We can come back to it if it's a good one.

What you can do to help.

	Try not to be in a rush to get there. (I KNOW this is hard.) The more you push, the more uptight everyone gets. Make sure you are not picking a time where you will be frantic to get everyone home and ready. Factor in a diaper disaster, a last-minute face-washing, and parking difficulties, especially at Zilker Gardens on a weekend (which costs $3) or along Town Lake or at UT.
	Avoid building the day up too big or make the stakes too high. Let picture day be like any other. Save the bribing actions (like going to McDonald's afterward) for when you are there and things are getting tough, rather than setting up the whole experience ahead of time. Assume the kids will behave until they don't.
	Be prepared. A thirsty kid will not take pictures until he or she has something to drink. A sippy cup in the car or at home is no help! Snacks can solve almost any problem, especially if they are good ones (but avoid chocolate, as it is a mess.) Plan to bring along a small bag of goodies/bribes that we will set out of the picture.
	Try not to be too set on a certain type of shot. I will do my best to get that perfect over-the-fireplace picture you've dreamed of, but remember that those shots are rare, especially if you have small children. It isn't always going to be ideal, when your husband is sweating and ready to be done five minutes ago, your five-year-old is screaming about Happy Meals, and your toddler already has dirt stains on his shirt. This is the way it often goes! We still get good pictures, I promise!