How to use this questionnaire
Send it as soon as the session is booked and ask for it back a week before, which gives you time to plan the location and timing and to send a what-to-wear guide. For newborn sessions, send it at booking and confirm the details by phone once the baby has arrived, because feeding and sleep patterns are only known then.
- Ask about the household as it is. Families come in every shape: two parents, one parent, grandparents raising grandchildren, blended families, step-siblings who visit at weekends. The template asks for names, ages, pronouns and relationships rather than assuming a mum, a dad and the kids. Use the names they give you on the day.
- Plan around naps and feeds. The best session time is when the youngest child is fed and rested, even if the light is better later. In summer, golden hour is often past bedtime, so compromise on an earlier slot in open shade.
- Find out what makes each child laugh. A favourite song, a silly word, a game of chase or a toy that never fails. Arrive with it ready, and you'll get real laughter instead of a forced "cheese".
- Ask what to avoid. A child who hates being picked up, a parent who is self-conscious about something, a recent loss, or a health condition that affects how long someone can stand. Treat the answers in confidence, ask only for what you need, and store anything about health securely.
- Ask where the photographs will hang. A wall above the sofa needs a landscape photograph of everyone; a narrow hallway suits a set of portraits. Knowing this helps you photograph for the prints they want, and makes the ordering conversation easier.
- Keep consent separate and optional. Parents feel strongly about photographs of their children appearing online. The template puts consent in its own section at the end and makes clear that saying no changes nothing about the session. Make sure the answer matches what they agreed in their contract.
After it comes back
Read it the same day and reply with a short plan: the time you'll arrive, the location, what to bring and anything you'll do differently because of their answers. Families relax when they can see you've listened, and children pick up on that. If you don't yet have a session agreement, start with the photography contract template, which covers rescheduling for illness and weather, children's safety and portfolio consent.
In Caloreel, you can attach this questionnaire to a session type on your booking page, so it goes out with the contract and deposit when a family books, and the answers save onto the job, ready for the day.