Making the decision to have family photos taken is one of the best things you can do for your family. You are making the time to let your family know they are important, and taking a huge step toward preserving your family’s legacy.  Families sometimes get bogged down with the logistics, such as what to wear or which location should they choose to have their photos taken.  A good professional photographer will be able to work with your family and guide you as to the best outfit choices and the best time of day to be photographed.  When it comes to the location, we love to get our clients’ input.  The location should not just be in good light, with a nice colorful aspect, but we believe that the best locations are those that are part of the client’s history and personal story.  Start by thinking, what is it that your family does together for fun?  Do you engage in a particular sport or hobby?  Where did the parents meet or get married?  What is your profession, and do you do that in a location that might be fun to preserve?  Get creative and put some thought into it ahead of time for lasting memories that will be handed down for generations!

Everyone in New Orleans knows that the French Quarter makes a lovely backdrop for images, as do City Park and Audubon Park.  These are all standard locations where we photograph regularly and love to share these locations with our clients.  But the following are a few unconventional locations that may just get your creative juices flowing for a unique and one of a kind made-just-for-you session!

1. A local fair, festival or amusement area

This photo was taken in the amusement area inside of Audubon Zoo.  The Zoo is a wonderful location for photography, and our clients generally bring us in with them on their family pass.  For the additional price of a carousel ride, we were able to capture this precious image.  Considerations for shooting in the zoo:   think about going in during a week day and close to closing time.  The zoo will be less crowded and the light will be softer and create a better shooting environment.

There are also other fun fairs and festivals that might make a fun backdrop for your family.  Depending on the time of day and how popular the event is, it may make for a fun lifestyle session.

 2. The Family Home

The family home is one of our favorite places to photograph a family and create a story that is uniquely yours!  What better place to show your family being who they are than in the place where they live and play.  We love to come in and find spots of beautiful light in your home, and this is a great way to include the family pets, too!

 3.  At a Local Business or Anywhere You Love to Have Fun

Where does your family love to hang out?  A snowball stand, a fishing camp (yes, we’ve gone to one of those), a fun bar, a fun restaurant.  Think of what your family loves to do together, and often it just involves a call to the manager of a business to work out the logistics, or a quick ask on the day of shooting.  Don’t be afraid to ask us about your favorite place.  You never know what we might be up for!

4. Longue Vue House and Garden, or Other Garden

Longue Vue House and Garden is a private historic estate tucked away in the area right at the New Orleans/Metairie boundary.  Although there is a fee associated with shooting there, the gardens make for some of the most stunning scenery you can find and is well worth the price of admission.  Similar places with beautiful gardens might be many of the historic plantations that line the River Road just west of the New Orleans area, or cute little courtyard gardens that are part of some of the smaller boutique hotels in the French Quarter.

Considerations when looking for a location that accommodates large extended families, such as the one below:  look for a location that has steps or some kind of levels for staggering the subjects in the image.  And, as always, call ahead to any private location to inquire about hours of operation and shooting fees.

 5. Your Local Park

Lots of our clients want to be photographed in City Park, which is a beautiful place with lots of greenery.  However, City Park also requires a $50 permit in order to have professional photography done there.  Consider what we often say, “a park is a park is a park” … which means that as long as we can find greenery, we can photograph a beautiful outdoor look.  There are many little local parks that could provide just the scenery you are looking for, such as this one in Waggaman, or the Veteran’s Park in Kenner, which contains some of the remnants of Pontchartrain Beach.

6. A College or School Campus

If a member of the family is attending school or college in the New Orleans area, this can be a wonderful place to shoot family photos that has a very special connection to the members of the group.  The photo below was taken on the campus of Dillard University.  However we have shot on many college campuses in and around the New Orleans area, as well as high school campuses.  Just make sure you have contacted the school office or security to make sure that permission is allowed before shooting.

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