The Family Experience: Your Guide

Family Sessions with Tom Godfrey Photography

Hey there! Thank you for picking me—or thinking about picking me—as your family photographer. It means a lot for many reasons. My job is to tell stories through images, and I can’t think of a story more important than our families.

Whether you want to photograph the family you were born into or the one you’ve created, my goal is to capture a moment in time you’ll look back on and remember who you were then and there.

This guide is here to help you know what to expect, answer common questions, and put you at ease. A session with me is not the stiff, awkward portrait experience we all remember from Sears. Instead, my family portraits are relaxed, fun, and natural. You’ll come away with both candid and posed images—and your smiles will be real.

About Me

I started taking photography seriously in university when I was required to take a photojournalism class for my journalism degree. I was hooked and took every photography class that was available. I lived in the darkroom and really loved every minute of it. Most of my career has been in newspaper and magazines, both as a writer and photographer. I am really proud to have worked as a journalist and photojournalist here in Massachusetts as well as in Seoul. My background in storytelling is why I approach family sessions the way that I do.

In 2011 I was writing and shooting for a music magazine and barely making rent when a college buddy convinced me to follow him into a teaching job in South Korea. I took a job in a small city in the center of the country hoping to get a growing travel bug out of my system by fulfilling my year-long contract and returning home. When I actually came home, six years later, I was married and hopelessly addicted to meaningful travel experiences. During my time I was able to explore places I never thought I would get to see, meet amazing people from all over the world who became lifelong friends, and have some pretty great experiences. One of the coolest things that I did (that I still haven’t shut up about) was ride my bicycle from the DMZ at the northern border to the southern port city of Busan during monsoon season for an article at the biggest English-language magazine in the country.

I live in Worcester with my wife, SiEun, and our daughter, Eejin. In addition to photography, I dedicate a lot of my time to the support and advocacy for the refugee / immigrant community here in Worcester. I work with an organization dedicated to resettling refugees into the community and fostering the skills needed to love independently and successfully here. I have a master’s degree in international studies with a focus on policy and diaspora, which is nice, but at the end of the day you don’t spend a significant amount of time traveling the world and meeting folks from all over without it changing and humbling you a bit.

My Approach to Family Sessions

Truth: there are lots of great photographers in New England. What sets me apart is balance.

Most sessions feel like a relaxed walk in the park: we’ll wander, chat, and stop for photos along the way. My posing is simple, but my prompts spark real interaction. The result? Images that balance candid warmth with timeless portraits.

What you can expect:

A light, fun, and stress-free experience.
Gentle direction without stiff posing.
Plenty of candid, in-between moments.
A balance of posed and natural images you’ll love.

In-home lifestyle sessions follow the same philosophy. Your home is your most comfortable place. We’ll move through a few rooms, using simple prompts that create photos full of connection—not forced smiles.

Session Investment

Good photography is an investment. If I do my job right, you will have a collection of photos (including some prints on the wall and maybe a big canvas over your bed) that you can look at when you need to smile. Photography is as close as you can get to a tangible memory - it is like a book mark that you can go back to.

Both packages include:

totally open communication between booking and your session. I am here for you with any advice you might want.
a relaxed family session at your house for an in-home lifestyle session or a local park. Sessions usually last somewhere between 45 minutes to 1.5 hours but there’s no rush.
basic edits to bring you a curated gallery of photographs that tell the story of our time together. You can share this with anybody.
simple touch-ups if you would like a heavier hand for certain images.
access to an heirloom quality print shop direct from your gallery.

Classic Session — $300
-Image downloads are not included. These can be purchased at $30 per image and include a print release.

Modern Session — $450
-Image downloads and print releases are included for all images.

In-home Lifestyle Sessions

Lifestyle is a buzzy word that describes sessions that look like they belong on the pages of a lifestyle magazine. This style of session has become extremely popular and borrows heavily from editorial photography. When you look at photographs from a lifestyle session they should make you feel warm as you see your family sitting closely together on a couch, looking at your new baby in their nursery, or reading a book together on a big warm bed. Families with infants really do well with these sessions because there is less impact on your little one and they are in a place that is familiar and comfortable to them. These sessions use prompts to guide you and your family through these interactions to create something that looks like a photo essay in a magazine spread.

These sessions differ a bit from a traditional outdoor session because they are a bit more stylized with a heavy focus on lighting, composition, and setting. While this works best with clean rooms, you don’t need an immaculate ode to Scandinavian hygge to pull this kind of session off. You only need to clean a few rooms of clutter and open some blinds. Unlike outdoor sessions, we want light pouring in through the windows to let us play with contrast and shadow. Remember, conditions don’t need to be perfect- I have never been in a house that would not lend itself to lifestyle session.

Mini Sessions

Mini-sessions are bite-sized family-oriented sessions that last about 15-20 minutes and center around a theme. Many photographers offer these in their studios or as a seasonal event and I am often asked if I do too? The answer is sometimes. I generally host mini-session events once in the summer and sometimes in the late fall if I am able to get an in at a Christmas tree farm somewhere. Pricing, however, is lower than my standard session because it is not meant to be a replacement for a full family session. I do not offer mini sessions outside of these special events.

Preparing for Your Session

Family portrait sessions are not something most people do too often. I want you to feel good and look your best. You do not need to all go to the spa before our session or wear matching suits but here are a few things that you can do to prepare for a family session so that we look like pros and you all look like you belong together.

Rest up: Well-rested kids (and parents!) make for a smoother session. If you have a young child who still naps then let’s plan around nap time. I have a 2 year old - I know how it is.

Hydrate & moisturize: Healthy, comfortable skin is good for photos and helps minimize bags and lines. You might not enlarge your photos enough to notice but as the person who will spend hours zoomed in for editing, I will.
Eat before you come: Hungry kids—and adults—get cranky fast. Bring snacks too (I’m partial to cookies). I structure these so that we can take breaks as we need them. If we need to stop for a snack that is no problem. Just make sure not to bring something that could stain if it is spilled. Avoid Cheetos.
Choose two or three rooms to clean in your home for lifestyle sessions. This is usually the living room, nursery, and parent’s room. This helps the images that we make look like magazine quality without a ton of extra work. Feel free to shove everything in another room or a closet :)

What to Wear

The most common question I get is: what should we wear?

For a formal look, go with dress pants, button-ups, sweaters, or jackets.
For a casual look, think “dinner at a nice restaurant”—a few steps above what you’d wear around the house.
Coordinate, don’t match: A few shared colors tie you together without looking like a uniform. If you have no color preferences then I always suggest sticking with earthy tones - they work really well outdoors and with my shooting and editing style.
Keep patterns simple: Too many busy prints can distract in photos.

Most importantly—wear what feels comfortable and true to your family’s style. If you love boldness, embrace it. Rules can be broken!

Location Ideas

I want your family session to take place at a location that is pretty but I also want you and your family to feel comfortable. Below are a list of suggestions but if there is a park your family loves, let’s go there!. For more detailed information check out this blog post.

Moore State Park (Paxton, MA): My favorite spot with a rustic mix. Only available on weekdays.
Dean Park (Shrewsbury, MA): Classic New England park.
Old Stone Church (West Boylston, MA): An old stone church with great natural settings. Best saved for early morning or sunset.
Elm Park (Worcester, MA): Fantast central location in Worcester with great bridges for a backdrop.

What time?

Photography is all about light. In a lot of ways, I think that the only major difference between a casual photographer and a professional photographer is light awareness. Here are the basics that you should consider from a family session point-of-view:

Early Morning: Soft, peaceful, fewer crowds. Cooler blue hues.
Midday: Bright + bold, but shadows can be strong (we’ll work with it if needed).
Golden Hour: Warm, dreamy light in the hour before sunset—photographers’ favorite.

During Your Session

Sessions usually last somewhere from 45 minutes to 1.5 hours. I do not book sessions back-to-back so there is never a rush. Some places, like the Old Stone Church, are just smaller and take less time to get the photos that we want. Others, like Moore State Park, involve some walking and naturally take a bit longer. Regardless, make sure to wear shoes that you’re comfortable in. I don’t recommend high heels for anywhere that I shoot other than City Hall.

I love shooting about an hour before sunrise or sunset for that gorgeous golden light, but I’ll always work around your family’s schedule and nap times. I spent a few years as a kindie teacher in Seoul. Kids generally warm up to me pretty quickly and these sessions are designed in such away that if a child isn’t really having it in the beginning then we still have plenty of opportunities to turn it around as we move through the park. The first few photos are usually just a warm-up for everyone.

We’ll wander, laugh, and explore a few spots together. My style is natural and organic—I’ll guide you but never over-pose. I’ll also capture candid moments in between, which often end up being the most treasured images. If you have small children then we will often let them lead the show and see where that leads us. If there are leaves then I encourage kids to dive in. Occasionally, kids find frogs or monster worms near the water at Moore State Park or meet a family of ducks at Institute Park - these situations are definitely photo-worthy.

At the tail end of the session I will invite you to point out any spots that you like that we might not have taken photos at. On the walk back I will explain when to expect your gallery and give you a general idea of how it works. Your final payment is due at some point on this day but it is totally fine to wait until you get home to pay your invoice online.

Generally, people are still talking to each other after my sessions!

After the Session

Once your session is done, my work really begins. The first thing that I do is back-up your session into a few different places. This is one of the differences between a new photographer and a professional - we have heard enough nightmare “I lost the photos” experiences over the years to become overly paranoid. Every photo that I take is saved onto two memory cards to protect against corruption. Once on my computer it is saved to two hard drives and the card is taken out of service until image delivery. I never delete your photos - if you need them a year later they will be there.

My editing process is pretty simple. I will sit at my computer with a cup of coffee and listen to my podcasts (mostly about ghosts or video games because I am a huge nerd) and plug away. How a photographer edits is important because a lot of what makes up their style comes from how they edit things. I would define my style as true-to-life with a bit of warmth and contrast. I tend to go light on touch-ups because these are super subjective but I am happy to use a heavier hand if requested.

Often, I am asked to remove a scratch or scraped knee from a child who has inevitably taken a spill right before the session. This is no big deal and I am happy to do this.

What about bad weather?

We don’t need perfect weather to make great photos. I would rather shoot on a cloudy day than a sunny day any day of the week and the colors are never better than after the rain. This is New England, though, so we need to be proactive about weather. If it is actively raining during our session then, of course, we will reschedule. It gets a little more difficult when there is predicted rain. If the chances look pretty likely then I will give you a call or send you a message to see what your comfort level is and we can make the call to postpone or not. By natural law, if we postpone due to a 90 percent chance of soaking rain all evening then the sun will come out and we will both feel like dopes.

Prints & Products

I work with a professional print shop that delivers archival-quality art. I offer everything from wallets and canvasses to metal prints and cards. You do not have to print through me but I can vouch for these products because they are the products I have in my own house. The pricing in this print shop is not going to compete with Snapfish but if you are looking for something to hang up in your house, the quality makes a huge difference.

Orders can be made straight from your gallery. All orders are personally checked by me before printing to make sure everything looks great and somebody isn’t going to get half of their face cropped out.

Reviews

Here’s what a few families have said:

“Tom did a wonderful job for our family! He put us all at ease and captured beautiful, fleeting moments. Highly recommend!” – Roop
“Tom put my children at ease and all three had fun. The pictures were beautiful!” – Meta
“Tom has photographed our three kids twice. His patience and flexibility make all the difference.” – Janet
“We had a blast! Tom was fun, easygoing, and great with communication. We love our photos!” – Amy

Next Steps

If you love what you see here, I’d love to talk about your session. Email me back at any time or call / text me. I am happy to answer any questions you might have. I also want to hear any ideas that you have and what you hope to get out of your session - these are as collaborative as you want them to be!

📧 tomgodfreyphoto@gmail.com
📞 (508) 215-8808

To reserve your date, all I need is a signature on a simple contract and a $50 nonrefundable retainer, which is applied to your total. The remaining balance is due the day of your session. If weather forces us to reschedule, your retainer is applied to the new date.

Thank you—I can’t wait to create something wonderful with you and your family!