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The Family Posing Playbook

A framework for posing families so you can create movement and connection with any family, in any location (without having to memorize any more prompts). 

Enroll now and get instant access to the full course, pre-shoot audio guides, 3 session walkthroughs, and the private FB community.

 

Why I made this (and why it works)

Most “posing” collapses the moment real life shows up.

You don’t need 300 one-liners memorized.

You need a simple way to know how to pose your clients, spark connection, and flow through scenes that work in a living room, a field, or a studio (without memorizing any more poses or prompts).

 

The Family Posing Playbook gives you exactly that.

In this course you’ll learn to:

  • Pose any family in any location (with or without activities planned, no matter what challenges happen)
  • Use communication that warms the room and produces genuine interaction
  • Build variety quickly, handle meltdowns, shyness, or overstimulation without losing the connection.
  • Deliver a full, diverse gallery to your clients that tells a story (and feels like you). 

Instead of forcing families into your plan, the Playbook helps you create with them.

So every session feels alive, connected, and unmistakably yours. 

 

What’s inside (course + tools)

 

Module 1: The Express Module

Learn the entire method in 90 minutes. 8 micro-lessons, 5–20 minutes each. Designed for the busy photographer who wants to learn something today and use it this weekend.

 

1. Start Here (3 min) How to get results from this course as soon as your next session.

2. Parent Prep How to set families up before the session so they arrive relaxed and ready to play instead of stiff and nervous.

3. Lead the Parents How to guide the adults in the room. What to say to a dad who doesn’t want to be there, a mom who’s micromanaging, and parents who keep looking at you for permission.

4. Director vs. Documentarian The difference between controlling a session and leading one. How to stop directing every moment and start creating space for real ones to happen.

5. The Play-Scan™ Method The full framework for posing any family, anywhere. How to read a room, create connection with real actionable steps, and always know your next move without memorizing a single prompt.

6. How to Make a Full, Diverse Gallery How to build a complete gallery that tells a real story, with variety and depth, without running through a checklist of poses.

7. Creating Connection at the Studio How to make a studio feel like a home. Specific techniques for creating warmth and real interaction in a controlled environment.

8. Turning Challenge into Real Connection What to do when a toddler melts down, a kid says no to everything, or the session feels like it’s falling apart. How to use those moments instead of fighting them.

 

Module 2: The Academy

These are the OG lessons I made when I first launched this course as Home Grown. These are podcast-style lessons you can listen to while driving or editing galleries, to go deeper into each skill.

 

1. Getting Started - Clarity in your work 

2. Turning Every Client into the Right Client How to lead ANY family into connected work, even the ones who showed up expecting stiff, traditional poses.

3. Guiding Families Through the Photoshoot The step-by-step of how a session actually flows from arrival to goodbye when you’re leading with connection.

4. Understanding Family Dynamics How to read who’s nervous, who’s ready to play, who wants to stay close to who, and use that as your compass for the session.

5. Navigating Challenges Like a Pro Advanced strategies for the hard moments. When nothing is working, when you freeze, when the energy drops.

 

Module 3: Gallery Walkthroughs

Watch me narrate three complete sessions. Exactly what I saw, what I said, what I was thinking, and why I made the choices I made. Students consistently say this is the most valuable part of the entire course.

 

1. Family Session at Home - How I used the house, the light, and the family’s natural environment to create connection. Including navigating tough light and rooms that don’t look like Pinterest.

2. Family Session with 2 Toddlers Melting Down and Teething - What happened when the plan fell apart completely. How I spent 2 hours with a family in chaos and built a gallery the mom cried over. This is the walkthrough that floors people.

3. Family Session Outside - How to lead a family in an open space with no furniture, no rooms, and no structure to lean on.

 

Module 4: Pre and Post-Session Audio Tracks

Three audio guides for your phone. Listen in the car before and after you shoot.

 

Pre-Shoot Prep: Clear your head, set your intention, get into the right creative space before you walk in.

When You’re Not Feeling Your Best: A pep talk for the days you’re tired or stressed. So you can still show up and create something real.

5-Minute Decompress: Close your nervous system after a session so you don’t carry the emotional weight home with you.

 

Private Facebook Community

Share your sessions, get feedback on your Play-Scan practice, troubleshoot the tough families, and celebrate the galleries that came alive. A room of photographers practicing the same shift you are.

 

Who this is for

  • Family photographers who want real connection without chaos

  • Studio shooters who think “playful candids” only happen at home

  • Newer photographers who want a repeatable system

  • Experienced pros ready to stop chasing prompts and start flowing

  • Photographers who feel stagnant and bored by their work, ready to make work with more confidence and meaning. 

This approach works whether you shoot film or digital. Regardless of your experience. It works with any family, any location (indoors, outdoors, studio). 

 

What you’ll be able to do by this weekend

  • Walk into a space and know how to play with and pose a family 

  • Build a full gallery with movement, intimacy, and storytelling.

  • Redirect tough moments without bribing or scolding

  • Leave with enough variety to over-deliver (without over-shooting).

What it’s not

  • Not a gear or editing class

  • Not kid-command scripts (“Smile!” “Look here!” or making fart noises!)

  • Not hours of theory. You’ll watch, apply, and shoot. 

 

Start now!

Get The Family Posing Playbook — Full Course
✓ 8 micro-lessons (1.5 hours total)
✓ 3 pre-shoot audio tracks
✓ 3 session walkthroughs
✓ Private FB community
✓ Forever access + updates

Enroll now — $497
30-day guarantee. Take the course and if you're not satisfied, we'll give you a full refund. 

 

FAQ

Will this work in a studio?
Yes. You’ll get a map to making a studio behave like a home. 

What if kids melt down or won’t cooperate?
We don’t fight it, we redirect it. Learn how to take meltdowns and chaos and turn them into unexpected connection and magic. 

Is this only for film shooters?
No. The method is based on an approach of working with families, not based on the medium you use to shoot. (I use this method when I'm shooting film at full sessions or digital at my mini sessions; the leadership and flow work with any camera.)

How long until I see results?
Most photographers change their next session with Lesson 5 + Lesson 6. You’ll feel the difference immediately.

Do I need to watch everything before I use it?
No. Each lesson stands alone. Start with Lessons 5 & 6, then shoot.

 

Ready to pose any family, anywhere?

Stop memorizing prompts. Start flowing.

CTA: Get The Family Posing Playbook — instant access ($497)

My favorite way to photograph families - 

Small moves. Big Heart.

Always shoot for connection, not perfection.

 

 

The Family Posing Playbook 2025, formerly known as the class, Home Grown. With better lessons, easier to go through and with more impact. 

What People Are Saying:

Suzy's Homegrown e-book and course was so incredibly enlightening and refreshing. It gave me such a good perspective on finding the joy amidst family dynamics and toddler meltdowns, which is all normal and real and something to be expected and should be met with love and grace. I love how Suzy outlines ways in which she draws a family together, and helps parents take delight in the moment they are in, whatever it may look like. I admire how Suzy takes a holistic approach to helping photographers prepare their minds and bodies for a session, and the work that we need to do in ourselves to be able to show up as creators. This helped me, as a photographer, re-frame my own expectations and realize how my own energy and mindfulness can dramatically shift a session from a family maybe feeling resistant, frustrated, and a "why did we do this?" mentality to "oh, she sees us just as we are, and there is value in being authentic in this moment- there is beauty here that she sees." This allowed me the opportunity to structure my sessions differently and adapt to each and every situation, no matter the circumstances. Because our job as photographers is to lead with love and acceptance, be flexible in nature, and instill confidence in a family that their time and investment is not wasted, but actually SO valued.

Britt

The course was one of the most beneficial things I did for my business and honestly my personal life. [Home Grown] gave me the push I desperately needed to make necessary changes in my business. What is so amazing about Suzy is that she managed to help me truly see and connect with my own heart, desires and creativity. I also love that she encourages balance, rest and building a business that works with your life. I am so grateful for Suzy and this course.

Katie

My work has never been better. I could never find a course that I actually could learn from until this [class] with Suzy was offered. My work has never been better. My business has never been so profitable. It's like a grad class in business and photography, but written just for you. 10/10!

Caili

Before taking this course I had done a handful of family sessions. While I was going through the videos, I simultaneously had family sessions so I was able to put all of my learnings into practice immediately. [the tools I’ve learned have] helped me connect with the family quicker, see when people are getting burnt out before they are depleted, and observe the interactions between family members better. The gallery walk-throughs have been helpful because it matches the way that I learn …. Hearing Suzy talk about what was going through her head during the different photos in the gallery and the conversations she was having with the families helped me set expectations for my future shoots. Ultimately that knowledge sharing has helped me give better experiences and ensure that I’m going to deliver photos that my clients like just as much as I do. A monumental part was being able to sense Suzy‘s passion for teaching, and her want to give families beautiful photos. That energy jumped across the screen! Her passion stoked a fire for my own enthusiasm to go down this path of family photography.

TJ

I’ve admired your work for years and am obsessed with your process and beautiful storytelling. I raised my prices significantly in 2023 and started feeling A LOT of pressure (from myself - not my clients) to produce “perfect” galleries and the consequent anxiety that comes along with perfection. Last year, I started examining my art and approach to photo sessions and thinking about how to incorporate more “real moments” and storytelling into my work and taking the pressure of perfection off myself and my clients. I attended a workshop with a well-known photographer which was certainly inspiring and memorable. But I had a difficult time applying [their] approach to family photography. [I’ve] participated in several workshops throughout the year and experimented with different ways of shooting when I could, but wasn’t getting the desired results. Your course has been the BEST at helping me figure out how to photograph families in a more relaxed and memorable way. It is so dense with information. When you talk about each featured session, I feel like I am there with you.

Alice