as someone who works with a professional photographer, i’d say it depends on how you want the pictures to look. outdoor pictures have the potential to be beautiful if the photographer knows what he’s doing with lighting and posing, and they also tend to come out more natural and candid. studio portraits can look more ‘formal’ unless you want to start incorporating props which some ppl do, but its easier to control the lighting.
either way, make sure your kids are well fed and well rested! best time for pictures is after lunch and a nap. bring non-messy foods just in case they get cranky (dry crackers and water). know your kid and work with their schedule.
depending on the behavior of your kid, it might be easier to be outdoors then in an intimidating studio with lights and umbrellas etc. but then again you may have them running loose around the park…
I always love outdoor pictures if the lighting is good. make sure its not too sunny or you’ll all be squinting, and its better to do it either early morning or later in the day when its not so hot out. partly cloudy days are best because you get the light from the sun without the overpowering heat or shadows from too many clouds. if you’re doing outdoors, decide on beach or park type of venue and have your colors to match or blend. I love white and denim/navy on the beach, it contrasts great with the sand and water, so you can do white shirts with jeans/denim skirts or navy pants/skirts.
also if you do outdoors, make sure the photographer poses you well like he would in a studio and doesn’t say ‘just sit’ or ‘just stand together’. you should get a nice combination of candid and posed shots.
I like the idea of doing both a studio and outdoors, if its not too much more money and the photographer is willing. you should definitely do studio first and then bribe kids with ‘if you’re good, we’ll go to the beach! ‘ 🙂