Sibling photography is a popular request for photographers everywhere, and Central Ohio is no different. We receive this request quite frequently and as parents ourselves, we understand the importance of capturing the sibling relationship while they are young. One fun thing you can do with these images is recreate them annually, or at least once as an adult! This is something that can be done during a typical family session or a mini session but we would love to talk more about it today!
The older sibling is usually one of the first to met a new baby when he or she comes home. Reactions can be mixed to this whole situation. If a child is going from being the only child to now sharing their parents with their little sibling, it may be met with resistance. If there are older siblings and a new little one joins the crew, they are often accepted right away and it can be a privilege to be the one to get to hold the baby. This is always fun to document during our in-home lifestyle sessions, as they grow and change within their relationships so quickly! These sessions are typically done within the first few weeks or month of being home in order to capture that true newness.
After baby has been in the family for a while, the sibling relationship continues to grow. That's where a sibling photography session comes in! Whether it be a mini photo shoot or a full-length portrait session, documenting this changing relationship is one of our favorite things - and usually some of the favorite photos of the day are the siblings together!
Posed sibling photos
Once the kids are old enough to stand still, or if you have a photographer that is experienced working with young children’s, it is great to get a traditional photo side-by-side of the kiddos looking at the camera. This gives you a chance to document their smile and see their faces and sometimes I call this the “grandma shot” - you know, the one grandma wants of them looking and smiling. A shot like this sometimes makes the annual holiday card.
In this case, I love how their outfits complement each other so well. She has on a pink dress with a rainbow and unicorn, which perfectly illustrates a little girl of this age. That little rainbow is perfect to add a pop of color and sunshine to the images. Her sandals add a dressy but casual accessory to her overall look. With his blue long sleeve shirt and khaki pants, The richness of his shirt complements her dress well. We stopped here right at the beginning by the flowers for some quick smiles before we moved into the more casual portion of the session. I often like to get a few of the looking and smiling photos at the beginning of the session while everyone is still super fresh!
Sibling Hugs and Laughter
One of my favorite shots is siblings hugging. They all do it differently, and it’s never how we imagine! Sometimes it is a full on chokehold that leads to a wrestling match. Sometimes it is a very light touch where they will not get close to each other (we see this a lot with teens!) In this case, I think they had the absolute perfect sibling squeeze! Look at their little faces as they embrace, clearly they have a strong relationship and must have a lot of fun together. I also love the colors of their outfits here against the green backdrop. Perfectly set up for a successful sibling photo!
Speaking of fun, check out this next shot where they are sharing a candid moment while mom and dad look on. Her laughter says it all! I imagine that on Saturday mornings they spend a lot of time laughing and playing together after breakfast. Sometimes these moments create the sweetest images as families are posing for some of those smiling & looking shots (we got those, too!).
Individual photos of each sibling
I always try to make sure that we at least get one or two great shots of each child individually. There’s something about having them look straight at the camera where you can look into their eyes forever and see that childhood joyful expression! There are times that I post them a certain way to get shots like this and there are other times that I let them do their own thing and take a photo. I love when they show off their individual personality and sometimes having them choose their own pose can really help with that. Ultimately, that is often the kind of thing that families end up appreciating in the long run. In any case, as long as I get some cute little faces and natural expressions, I'm happy!
Family Photos During Sibling Session
Of course no session would be complete without some great family photos! This includes both some post photos but also some of those moments that just happen along the way. In the session, we wrapped up with the parents spending time walking through the woods with their kids and I photographed the laughter and fun they had while moving around. I just love the way the fall season comes through with the trees filled with such vibrant color this is truly a wonderful place to walk in the fall and one of the reasons that I love fall for family photos. Many of you will recognize this location, especially if we worked together before, as we may have been here. This was taken at Inniswood in Westerville which is a popular place for family photography sessions.
If you have a set of siblings that deserve to be documented through photos, I would love to help you with that. Their relationship is like nothing else and could never be replaced. You can learn more about session options here or if mini sessions are a good fit for you, you can read more about those here. You may get inspired by viewing additional galleries here. Don't be afraid to get in touch if you have any questions!