Try to relax in front of the camera, taking a deep breath can really help. Don’t over smile, just a nice friendly relaxed smile works great. Pretend you’re having coffee or a beer with your best friend.

Wear nice fitting clothes with similar solid colors, nothing with stripes, plaid, polka dots or logos. Don’t worry about matching too much, but try to look like you’re on the same team. Cover your elbows and knees at least for adults. Most people's knees and elbows don't photograph well and will become distracting in a portrait.

In larger family portraits try to group within your significant others. It’s also important to get your heads close together for the shot, so please lean in! This really makes for a friendlier looking pose.

In large group portraits it can be tough to avoid having someone blink. To get everyone on the same page we may ask everyone to close their eyes. Then when we say, “Open!” we can get the picture.

Make sure they’re rested and fed. Bring their favorite toys but hide them until it’s time to take pictures. It’s great to catch them by surprise!