The Pre-Session Checklist Every Family Photographer Needs

A Pre-Session Checklist for Family Photographers That Works

It is October (or insert whatever busy month youare in as a family photographer). Your calendar is stacked with family sessions, a mini-session day is coming up fast, and on Wednesday night you cannot remember whether you sent reminders to those mini-session families. Then Saturday arrives, you power up your camera AT THE SESSION, and the battery reads 12%. OH M GEEEE (seriously, this is a nightmare and I don’t want you to experience this)! 

A pre-session checklist for family photographers fixes both problems before they start. I follow the same routine, in the same order, before every session: 48 hours out is all about the client, 24 hours out is all about me and my gear, and session day is about showing up calm.

I have been photographing families full time in Middle Tennessee since 2018, and I still run my business solo, with no assistant or second shooter (I’m not saying that to brag or to wear as a badge of honor; I just am still at a point in my business where it’s JUST me, so I need to find ways to make it work). If you love a good checklist (same), grab my free pre-session checklist and tape it next to your desk. Shooting minis this fall? Pair this routine with the Dubsado Mini Session Master Checklist.

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Why Do Family Photographers Need a Pre-Session Checklist?

Your client experience is only as good as your most rushed week. A checklist gives every family the same care, even in October.

When September, October, and November hit, it is easy to send one family a detailed reminder and forget to text the next. Those families do not know you are tired. They only know what landed in their inbox, and an inconsistent experience can leave them wondering whether they hired a professional.

Memory is not a system. A written routine (your SOP, or standard operating procedure) means mini-session clients and full-session clients get the same care, and your brain stays free for the creative part. For me, this is personal. Every family who books with me is created in the image of God and deserves dignity, respect, and a photographer who has her act together, even on a week when I am stretched thin.

What Does a Pre-Session Workflow for Family Photographers Look Like?

It has three parts: client communication 48 hours out, gear prep 24 hours out, and a calm arrival on session day. Same order, every time.

Most of this is automated or checklist-based, so it runs while you edit, shoot back-to-back minis, or hang out with your kids. To see how it fits into my full client experience, The Family Photographer’s Workflow Blueprint maps out every step.

What Should You Do 48 Hours Before a Family Photography Session?

Send the family a personal text to confirm the session. Then let your CRM send an automated reminder email with the date, time, and address.

In the fall, inboxes are packed with school emails, sales emails, and holiday party invites, and the parents you serve are already at capacity. A text message gets read, and it tells the family a real human is looking forward to meeting them. I collect each client’s best phone number and preferred contact method in my intake form, so if yours does not ask for a phone number yet, add that field this week. Here is the text I send, give or take a few words:

“Hi [Name]! This is Dolly from Dolly DeLong Photography. I am looking forward to your session on [day] at [time]. You will also get an email from me with the address and all the details. On session day, I will text you a pin location when I arrive. Please plan to arrive 10 to 15 minutes early. See you soon!”

In that same window, Dubsado, the CRM I have used since 2018, sends an automated reminder email. I built it into my workflow one time, timed off the session or scheduler date, and smart fields pull in each family’s details with zero copying and pasting (obsessed). You can get 30% off Dubsado with my link, and HoneyBook or a similar CRM for photographers can handle this too.

What Should a Photography Session Reminder Email Include?

Include the date, time, address, a weather check, and a request to arrive 10 minutes early. Add a heads-up that you’ll text a pin location.

• Date, time, and address. Families book weeks or months out, and nobody wants to dig through their inbox for an address.
• A weather check. Middle Tennessee weather can be moody, so I ask families to check the forecast and dress for it. Plan ahead for a rain date: families already know there will be a plan B (so they won’t stress out too much about the session). 
• Arrive 10 minutes early. In the last eight or so years, one or two clients arrived 15 to 20 minutes late, which pushed back the timeline and cut into other families’ sessions. Ten extra minutes gives parents breathing room for the restroom, an outfit change, or snack crumbs in the back seat. 
• A pin location heads-up. Parks here have multiple entrances and parking lots, and a street address can drop families at the wrong one.

Every item in that email solves a real problem I have run into. Detail-oriented? YES, and on purpose.

How Should Family Photographers Prep Their Gear the Day Before?

Charge at least two batteries and pack two camera bodies the day before. Lay out every piece of gear so you can spot what is missing.

I charge my batteries the day before, not the morning of, and put them straight into my bag. A dead battery mid-session isn’t fixable in a park because you cannot plug your charger into a tree (trying to be funny here, but seriously, be proactive with your batteries…also, don’t assume you can plug everything into your car). 

My hard-and-fast rule is two cameras at every session. Cameras are machines, and machines fail: a shutter error, a card-slot issue, a camera that slides off a rock you set it on. It has happened to me, and when you are the only photographer there, that second body is your insurance policy. If a second body isn’t in the budget yet, rent one for your busiest fall weekends through Lensrentals, which also lets you test gear you have been eyeing. More of my favorite tools live on my business tools page.

Then lay everything out the night before, not in the driveway with the car running. With everything laid out, I can tell in five seconds if something is missing. Add these to your photography gear checklist:

• Two camera bodies and your lenses
• At least two charged batteries
• Memory cards
• Blankets or props
• Session notes
• Parent-approved treats
• Water for yourself to stay hydrated 

Should You Bring Snacks or Treats to Family Photo Sessions?

Yes, if parents approve. Ask about allergies and food rules first, keep treats mess-free, and save them for the end of the session.

I am the snack and treat lady, and I own it. As a parent, I know what too much sugar does to my own boys, so I lean toward healthier options like organic gummy bears. My go-to magic wand is a Starbucks cake pop, but they aren’t organic or gluten-free, so find your own version that kids go wild for. A treat is a sweet incentive when a three-year-old is done smiling two minutes in, and it works best with a few ground rules.

• Ask about allergies and food rules in your questionnaire, intake form, or contract.
• Skip anything that leaves orange dust or chocolate on a white dress.
• Save treats for the very end, or for a reset in a longer session.
• Bring the same treat every time.

That last rule came from experience. My repeat clients ask where the gummy bears are as I walk up, and the one time I forgot them and brought Spider-Man stickers for a Spider-Man-loving little boy, he still asked for the gummies (hah!) It just proves that kids remember these details 🙂 

What Should a Family Photographer Do on Session Day?

Leave at least an hour early, scout the light, and text the family a pin plus a photo of where you parked. Capture B-roll if you have permission.

An hour sounds like a lot until you are sitting on I-40 or I-24, five miles from the location and 45 minutes from arriving. That cushion lets me arrive calm, walk the location, find the best light, and pick our starting spot. Then I text the family my pin location and a photo of where I am parked, so nobody wanders a parking lot, and their first impression is that I am already there and ready for them.

Before you leave, grab a few seconds of B-roll: the family walking toward you, kids running through leaves, or you crouched behind the camera making a toddler laugh. Check that your contract or model release covers video for marketing, and ask the family in the moment too, because it is their call. When families ask me not to share their images online, I respect that and film myself setting up instead. The Legal Paige has contracts for family photographers, and code DOLLY10 gets you 10% off.

How Do You Turn Session B-Roll Into Marketing Content?

Use short B-roll clips in Instagram Reels, email newsletters, and blog posts. A weekly marketing plan shows you where each clip fits.

Collecting clips is half the job, and knowing what to do with them is the other half. Inside The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society, you get a new weekly marketing plan built on my 4C Framework (Connect, Clarify, Celebrate, Call to Action) that walks you through Instagram, email, and SEO.

Frequently Asked Questions About Pre-Session Checklists for Family Photographers

How far in advance should a photographer send a session reminder? I am a firm believer in sending several reminders leading up to the session date. But in this blog post, I stress that you should also send a reminder 24 to 48 hours before the session. I send a personal text and an automated CRM email 48 hours out, which leaves room for weather updates and questions.

Do I need two cameras for a family photography session? A backup body protects the family’s time if your main camera fails. If a second camera is not in the budget, rent one for your busiest weekends.

Can I automate session reminders in Dubsado? Yes. Build a reminder email into your Dubsado workflow once, time it to send before the session date, and use smart fields to fill in each family’s details.

Should I share B-roll from client sessions on social media? Only with permission. Confirm your contract covers video, ask the family on session day, and film your own setup when a family prefers privacy.

What Is the Easiest Way to Start Your Pre-Session Routine This Week?

Print a pre-session checklist and add a phone number field to your intake form. Then build one automated reminder email in your CRM.

None of this is fancy. It is the same small steps for every family, from mini session to full session, and creative-brained photographers can go with the flow and a workflow at the same time. Grab the free pre-session checklist and tape it next to your desk, and join The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society for weekly marketing support. I am here to help you create a consistent marketing cadence (aka workflow).

Meet Your Favorite Marketing Strategist and Business Coach for Family Photographers (Dolly DeLong Education)

Hi, I’m Dolly DeLong, a Nashville-based family photographer, marketing strategist, and systems educator for family photographers who want structure, clarity, and consistency in their marketing.

My photography journey began in 2006, and over the years, I built a sustainable family photography business while navigating motherhood, client work, and the realities of running a solo creative business. Along the way, I discovered something unexpected: I loved the backend just as much as the creative side.

What started as organizing my own workflows turned into helping other family photographers simplify their marketing, build repeatable systems, and stop relying on last-minute posting or panic marketing.

Today, I focus exclusively on helping family photographers intentionally market their businesses (not with trends but with consistently showing up).

I offer two ways to work with me:

• The Family Photographer’s Marketing Society: a systems-first membership that provides a clear weekly marketing cadence for Instagram and email, so you always know what to focus on without starting over.

• 1:1 Strategic Marketing Support for established family photographers who want hands-on guidance in building a sustainable, SEO-supported marketing system.

Through my blog, podcast, and YouTube channel, I teach family photographers how to think like marketers, plan ahead, and create marketing rhythms that support both their business and their family life.

I still photograph families around Nashville because it’s one of my greatest joys. But helping family photographers build calm, consistent marketing systems that actually fit real life is a close second.

I’m so glad you are here, reading this blog, listening to the podcast, or watching the embedded YouTube video. I hope this educational content was helpful. Please let me know what future systems content you would like me to create!