Rayola family photos: Joliet IL and Six Tips for Capturing Your Family's Personality in Your Photo Shoot

Nothing makes my day more than photographing a family with major personality, and when the Rayolas busted out their old-school dance moves, I laughed so hard I could hardly click the shutter button. Seriously, scroll down for some whole family "sprinkler," "lawn mower," and "shopping cart" action. As I thought about their session and what made it so successful, I was struck by a few items:

 Tip 1: Get off the beaten path in terms of location. Mom Jen and I considered a beautiful garden and a weathered barn, but after I sent a few test shots from this alley and the surrounding urban areas, we were sold on the cool grungy vibe. Plus, alleys offer natural shade which can save your images on an insanely sunshiney day. Intense shadows on your face are not your friend.

 Tip 2: Capture the little connections that family members share. This photo says so much about the relationship between these sisters. Moms and Dads don't always enjoy being at center stage, but can still be in on the action by conversing in the background.

Tip 3: Speaking of connections, eye contact is king. And that doesn't always mean looking right at the lens. So much emotion can be conveyed by the look in people's eyes when they look at someone they love.

Tip 4: Bring props that have special meaning and encourage interactions. A ball for a child-parent toss, books to read together, or a family heirloom all demonstrate the connections between family members. The Rayolas also brought a special quilt rather than use my standard blankets.

 Tip 5: You want your kids to look like themselves in photos. You want to exclaim "Look at that face!" and "Oh, that is *soooo* her!" And that means letting go of the overly posed, perfect looking kiddos. When you relax and enjoy the process, your kids will be their goofy, lovable selves. I mean, really, look at that face!

Tip 6: (and this is key) Get Dad to participate. Many dads dread family photo day, but they don't have to equate the process with getting a tooth drilled. These photos resulted with a simple request of "Who wants to dance with Dad?" I expected a sweet, formal waltz type of pose, but within 10 seconds all three kids piled into the shot just for a chance to "sprinkler" dance with Dad Nick.

Which turned into "lawn mower" dancing. Look at that intensity...

And "shopping cart" dancing. Ha, that face!!!

Even Mom Jen couldn't resist getting down with her man. I love the look on Dad Nick's face as his girl busts a move to some classic Vanilla Ice.