An hour doesn’t seem like a long time in the grand scheme of a day, but when you are doing a family shoot, an hour can produce a LOT of images. And with a lot of images comes a lot of choice and variety.  It’s been researched and proven that lots of choices are hard for people. Basically said, we don’t know how to make up our dang minds.

It’s hard, especially when they are staring at images of people that they love. They want them all. They want to display them all.

And they should. The first thing that should happen to help them decide what they want is to ask them before you even shoot the session. Talk to them. Help them decide where in their home they are thinking of displaying photos or who will be receiving them if they are a gift. Go into the session knowing what you should be shooting to give them those types of images.

Next, cull. Cull. Cull. Do not give them 5 images that are identical except for one person’s smile or slight turn of their head. I have been guilty of this before because they all seem so unique. Now I know, it makes the process harder. Go with your gut and pick and edit the best photo of that pose. They’ll never know the difference and will have an easier time loving one image of that pose instead of five.

Give your honest advice and opinion. They will trust you because you are the expert, and they are looking for your guidance anyway. Your client wants you to help them!

And this is where I tell them, sometimes less is more. Pick the absolute favorite, the one they cannot possibly live without, and make it the biggest. A single canvas or framed print is so strong. It will draw their visitors’ eyes, unlike a group of 10 smaller images that will feel distracting and overwhelming.  One or two images on their walls will feel simple and make those images the most important.

Lastly, reassure them that they made the right choice. This goes with the trust thing again. They probably know they did, but it never hurts to reinforce it.