With the emergence of Bluebonnets, Indian Paint Brushes and Indian Blankets I thought I would do one on On-Site Portrait Sessions, specifically outdoor sessions in the flora and fauna (just watch out for the fauna with rattles). These sessions usually involve kids, (one of the most unpredictable variables of modern day photography). I have found the success of the sitting is usually completely dependent on their mental and physical well-being. So I wanted to lob some of my advice over the fence and you glean from it what you will.

First, keep it positive before the session, as your getting them dressed, as they are riding in the car, as they are walking to the position, keep it overly positive. Talk about stuff that is fun to them.

Second, these flowers usually only grow in areas that are wide open and not shaded so you probably do not want to schedule on a day with no cloud cover and full sun at 2pm. Obviously the weather is a huge player, and none of us have a crystal ball, but those conditions create a harsh lighting condition that usually leaves the subject squinting the sun out of there eyes, and creates a situation where the photographer must provide fill light for all the shadows. Couple all this with one unyielding fact I have discovered about children, a hot sweaty child is a miserable child, and that change in psyche will instantly ruin a shoot, see the difference below.

Third, if it does go south, take a break, do not try to force the situation with frustration or scolding, to only feeds the negativity and makes it harder to recover. Bring plenty of refreshments or snacks so they can take a break between scene setups. If the photographer is principled they should be able to work with you to reschedule, just tip them well, if they want to charge you for a whole other session then you need to find someone else.