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May 30, 2017

Family Photographer | The Williams Family

Tara Flannery is a family photographer based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. See more family photos in the gallery. Contact me to schedule your family session today!

Family Portraits in the Studio

As a family photographer, I typically suggest an outdoor location for families with kids. A park or green space is a great place for photos and it allows space for the kids to run in between shots (my favorite)! You’ve probably heard of the “golden hours” when photographers like to schedule sessions. It’s true – there is a magical time during the day when the sun is at the horizon and everything is warm and beautifully lit. For the best lighting, morning sessions should start pretty soon after sunrise. Evening sessions should start within 2 hours of sunset. However, it is sometimes necessary (and a great idea) to do a family session in the studio. The benefit of doing a studio session is that it can be done at any time of day, rain or shine. With studio backdrops and lighting, we can create beautiful portraits anytime!

The Williams Family

When you have a 21-month old boy and a 3-week old baby, it’s difficult to do a family portrait session in those golden hours outside. For the Williams family, the evening session was bad for the baby and the morning session was bad for the toddler. Mom said that around 9 or 10am would be perfect. She knew that the toddler would be in his best mood and behavior for the day and baby would be fed and rested too! So, we scheduled a family session in the studio. We had a great time and got some fantastic images of the family. Images also include Dad with the kids, Mom with the kids, and some individuals. We even got the toddler running around pretending to be a puppy! Next time the golden hours don’t work for your schedule, consider a studio session instead.

The Woodlands family phootgrapher family photographer

Tara Flannery is a family photographer based in The Woodlands and Conroe, TX. See more family photos in the gallery. Contact me to schedule your family session today!

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@taraflanneryphotography

I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what`s not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?

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I put together a Guide to Photography Gear for those of you who need some help deciding what is actually worth investing in (and what's not). The link is in my bio!

Lighting is one of those things that feels complicated when you’re starting out… but it doesn’t have to be.

At the end of the day—light is light.

You don’t need the most expensive setup to get good results. What matters more is having something reliable that you understand how to use.

Especially if you’re shooting outside… the last thing you want is a $2,000 light going down in the wind.

Start simple.
Focus on gear you can trust.
And build from there.

Curious—what lighting setup are you using right now?

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you want the full breakdown of what’s actually worth investing in (and what’s not).

If I was starting photography all over again, I wouldn’t buy everything.

I’d buy intentionally.

It’s easy to feel like you need all the gear to be “legit”… but most of the time, it just leads to spending money on things you don’t fully understand yet.

A solid camera, a really strong lens, and a reliable lighting setup will take you a lot further than a full bag of random equipment.

The goal isn’t to have more—it’s to have what you actually know how to use.

Start simple. Learn your gear. Build from there.

🤔 Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 18117379670509149

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you want the full breakdown of what’s actually worth investing in (and what’s not).

If I was starting photography all over again, I wouldn’t buy everything.

I’d buy intentionally.

It’s easy to feel like you need all the gear to be “legit”… but most of the time, it just leads to spending money on things you don’t fully understand yet.

A solid camera, a really strong lens, and a reliable lighting setup will take you a lot further than a full bag of random equipment.

The goal isn’t to have more—it’s to have what you actually know how to use.

Start simple. Learn your gear. Build from there.

🤔 Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you’re trying to figure out what’s actually worth investing in when you’re first starting out.

Because the truth is—you don’t need everything right away.

When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you need all the gear… but really, it comes down to a few key pieces.

A solid camera body and a really good lens will take you further than a full bag of equipment you don’t know how to use yet.

If you’re deciding where to spend your money, start there.

A 24–70mm or 70–200mm lens will cover more than you think—and give you the flexibility to shoot a wide range of sessions without overcomplicating things.

Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

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Open post by taraflanneryphotography with ID 17980146186029923

My Photographer Gear Guide is linked in my bio if you’re trying to figure out what’s actually worth investing in when you’re first starting out.

Because the truth is—you don’t need everything right away.

When you’re new, it’s easy to feel like you need all the gear… but really, it comes down to a few key pieces.

A solid camera body and a really good lens will take you further than a full bag of equipment you don’t know how to use yet.

If you’re deciding where to spend your money, start there.

A 24–70mm or 70–200mm lens will cover more than you think—and give you the flexibility to shoot a wide range of sessions without overcomplicating things.

Curious—what was the first piece of gear you invested in?

One of my favorite things about this session 👇🏻

Every single person showed up in outfits that coordinated with their brand colors—without overdoing it.

Nothing felt forced. Nothing felt too “on brand.” It just worked.

And that’s the difference.

When you’re in a business like coaching, your brand isn’t separate from you… it IS you.

So the way you show up—your colors, your styling, your overall presence—matters more than you think.

When everything feels aligned, the end result is naturally more polished, more cohesive, and honestly… just better.

Not because it’s perfect—but because it feels intentional.

If you’re planning a branding session, start with clarity first—

🌟 What do you want your brand to feel like?

🌟 How do you want to show up?

That’s exactly why I created my Brand Personality Workbook—to help you define that before you ever step in front of the camera.

📥 Grab it through the link in my bio. And while you’re there, go ahead and schedule a FREE consultation with me for a branding session!

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‼️ No clients (or videographers) were harmed in the making of this video 🤣

(For the record—this is very much a joke.)

But if you are a photographer, you know the real challenge isn’t getting someone in front of the camera… it’s knowing how to guide them once they’re there.

Small adjustments = big difference in how confident and natural someone looks.

And having a go-to posing flow makes everything feel easier—for you and your client. (so you don`t resort to violence 😉)

➡️ I put together a Headshot Posing Flow Cheat Sheet to help with exactly that—link in bio.

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A quick look at the people and brands I had the chance to photograph this month 👇🏻

Grateful for every person and team that trusted me to capture this season of their business.

Each session is different, but the goal is always the same—to create images that actually represent you well and support where you’re going next.

If you’ve been thinking about updating your headshot or branding photos, now is a great time to get it scheduled before things get busy later in the year.

📩 You can book your session through the link in my bio.

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Serving the Greater Houston, Texas Area

tara@taraflannery.com

713-412-5437

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Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers of America PPA.

Tara is a Certified Professional Photographer.

Tara is a member of TPPA Texas Professional Photographer's Association.

Tara has earned her Master of Photography degree.

Tara has earned her Photographic Craftsman certification.

Tara is a member of the Professional Photographers Guild of Houston PPGH.