Little boy posing at Francis Park in Lansing, Michigan

Child Photography

Our little loves have so many precious moments in their lives. Using professional photo sessions to capture these moments is an extraordinary gift for you as well as them. These times may not be special to them right now, but as they continue to grow, having these heirloom images will be something that is treasured forever. These sessions can include maternity sessions, newborn, six month, one year, birthday, smash the cake birthday, holiday, school days, seniors, prom, graduation, and really any moment that is important to you. Remember, it all passes so quickly, don't hesitate too long to get the shot or it will be over before you know it.

Baby girl wearing cream outfit and hat sits in a basket with a pumpkin and is sucking her thumb

What session needs do you have? It's your baby's first birthday and you want a smash cake session. It's your child's first year of school. It's your child's last day of school. These children sessions can be used for just about anything: birthday, siblings, school photos, Christmas, holidays, prom, homecoming. I have mutliple clients who scedule with me twice a year for family and chidren photography, once in the spring and once in the fall. You determine what your needs are and then we can plan the session. 

When do you need images or products? Is there a date or event for which you need these images? Make sure you let me know so we can get them to you before you need them.

Location? I mostly shoot on location at this time, unless you want to book at your home or business. We have phenomenal locations in the Greater Lansing area to choose from to create whatever image you may want. Share your ideas with me and I’ll come up with the perfect location! I can also accommodate a session at your home or business. I’m extremely flexible with planning your perfect session. With child photography, I like to suggest a location that is fun for the little ones. I like when the family make the session a fun activity for their little ones. Examples would be a park or promising ice cream after the session. 

How do you want to look for your images? Do you have a few ideas about what you want for your child's session? Maybe you don't. That's okay! You can look through my Children's gallery for ideas or come up with some of your own ideas. We can theme it around a holiday, season, clothing, or whatever. We can bring props like bubbles, helium balloons, playing at the park, flying a kite, or sitting on a cozy blanket. Sometimes we just need our little ones to be happy and have fun. Those make the best images! During our communications, we'll figure out these details and share ideas. 

What final products are you interest in purchasing? Finally, what do you hope to have as your final products? Are you hoping to have a beautiful lay flat coffee table book to share or give as a gift? Do you want prints to pass along to all the grandparents? Do you need an image sent to a school? I have so many products that we can have made from your digital images. Please let me know. You are also able to purchase the digital image for personal use. Check my pricing tab at the bottom of this page for product pricing and packages.

If you have any questions, call (517-484-8789), email (ariniko@ariniko.com), or use my contact form to send me a note.

Tips and Tricks

For families with small children:

  • Wear layers especially in colder shoots.
  • Always bring a washcloth or wipes for noses and other mishaps.
  • Rather than matching clothing exactly go with color coordination; browns and greens, lighter or darker shades of the same color. Also make sure the colors are good on you for your complexion.
  • If you choose a location, pick one that accentuates your personalities or will go well with the space you plan your wall art to hang.
  • Bring things that enhance the shoot or tell a story or promote the idea you want to share.
  • Bring treats for the kids as a reward system. Positive reinforcement (produces anticipation looks on the face) works better than negative, which creates frowns and sometimes tears.
  • Let them have a "lovey" in the photo, especially really small objects that won’t be seen in the photo but makes their day.
  • Keep it simple. It really is about all of you and your faces in the end, not the location or clothes or anything else.
  • Using props that cause movement tends to give blurry images; e.g swords, throwing leaves and jumping. Special care is needed in a photo if these are expected for images. Speak to me about this during your consultation meetings.
  • Let me know of any stylistic shot you might like and what your purpose is. This will help guarantee we include it in the shooting time.