Twin Cities in-home family photo session: Love, laughter and two bottom teeth at the Mosbek home

Family photography is about capturing love, connection, and authentic moments. While studio sessions and outdoor locations are popular, there’s something special about hosting your photo session right in the comfort of your own home! It provides an authentic setting, tells a story, and preserves cherished memories in a way that no other session can. Also, depending on the time of the year in Minneapolis let’s be honest – sometimes you just have to take those photo sessions indoors! Your kids will cherish these photos as they are older as well. “Mom- I remember that bedroom!” It’s truly a special moment in time to be able to document and look back on as a family.

A couple weeks ago I had the absolute honor of capturing the Mosbek family inside of their Twin Cities home. They are the most adorable young family of three and this session was an easy task for me because of all the joy and love they feel for each other. I mean, how many 9 month old babies smile in nearly every photo!? Read on for some benefits of capturing your family in your own home, and some tips on how to prepare! If you’re interested in seeing more family photos from Angela Watts Photography, click here!

Why Choose In-Home Family Photography?

Your home is uniquely yours! It’s where your children take their first steps, it’s where you read bedtime stories, and where all of your kids’ favorite stuffed animals reside. In-home photography sessions allow you to be yourself, surrounded by the details that make your house a home.

Benefits of an In-Home Family Photo Session:

Comfortable: Being at home helps everyone feel at ease, leading to more relaxed and natural photos.

Convenient: No need to wait for golden hour, which in summer months can be LATE! In-home sessions can take place at most daylight hours, so scheduling around naps and lunchtime is easy peasy! I have additional lighting that I bring with me as well to guarantee optimal photos.

Personal: Your home decor, your “happy spots,” and everyday interactions provide a unique backdrop that tells your family’s story.

Weather-proof: No need to worry about rescheduling due to rain or cold temperatures!

Great for little ones & pets: Little ones feel more secure in a familiar environment, making it easier to capture genuine moments. And if you want Rufus in your photos then you don’t need to lug him around!

How to prepare for a photoshoot in your home.

Select outfits: Start with Mom and coordinate outfits from there! You want to coordinate, but don’t match. Pick a neutral color palette that compliments your skin tones and home decor, if you are planning to frame your photos! For the little ones, avoid characters and clothing that will look dated. I know the Mosbeks shopped at H&M for little Harry’s neutral outfit and it’s absolutely adorable. Also, to help you out even further I will send you a style guide upon booking!

Declutter: While you want to keep your sentimental items out to remember this time in your life, a nice clean backdrop makes you the focal point! Place items that you do not want photographed in a different place in your home. Put away phone chargers, cords, even certain pillows or wall decor if it doesn’t quite match the aesthetic you’re hoping to achieve with the photos.

Gather personal items: Opposite from above, bring out some personal items that you or your children want to include in your photos. Favorite toys, books, stuffed animals, blankets all make your photos uniquely yours.

Prepare your little ones: Not unique to in-home photos, but having children that are well-rested and fed can be a key factor in setting up any photoshoot up for success!

What to expect during your in-home family photo session.

It’s photoshoot day! Everyone’s dressed, fed and ready to go with their special things. Now what? The good news is that the “hardest” part is done. The next 30-60 minutes, depending on what session you’ve booked, will be relaxing and fun (really!!).

Photo locations: The first thing we will do is walk around your house and make a plan of attack! You likely will have selected 2-3 rooms that you’d like to be photographed, and that’s great! It will be important to prioritize them and begin with the room that is most important for you – especially with very little ones. This will help ensure we capture those most important moments when everyone is fresh and happy!

Lighting: Lighting can vary from house to house, and room to room. Ideally, we will choose rooms that have some great natural light (a dark basement room isn’t going to create the prettiest photos)! We will turn off all incandescent light and open up windows as much as possible to get as much natural daylight as we can. As a supplement to natural lighting I have a simple lighting set-up that is unobtrusive and helps a lot to make your skin tones and photos look light and fresh (see the behind the scenes below for how this looks)!

Mix of candid moments and portraits: The benefit of an in-home photography session is that you can be relaxed in the comfort of your own home. The majority of the photos will be you and your loved ones laughing, tickling, and just hanging out together. You will look at these photos years down the road and feel the heartwarming energy you had in that home at that time. Of course, since I’m there we will definitely get a few great family portraits as well (say cheese!).

Minneapolis, Edina, Twin Cities friends ~ Does this make you interested in an in-home family photo session??

I would love to meet your lovely family and capture your authentic memories. My photo style is clean, light and fresh and I am meticulous about editing them to perfection! Feel free to contact me and we can discuss what package would be most appropriate for you! Let’s connect! xoxo