"A moment lasts all of a second, but the memory lives on forever."
—Lori Robinson
What should we wear?
Family sessions can be hard to coordinate for.
One thing I try to recommend in ALL sessions is to choose earthy toned, warm or neutral clothing. In other words, if you like red, choose maroon! Like yellow? Go with a mustard yellow. Then follow the rest with neutral colors. I try to shy away from crazy designs AND logos. I cannot after edit these things out of a photo. Pinterest is also a great reference for coordinating family outfits.
Another pointer is to alternate versus matching. This can help with editing so the photo can focus on you in addition to bringing better coloring and lighting to the overall image!
If you have additional questions, I'm here to help!
Lets break it down...
- Colors - As a photographer I have been trying to lean toward natural color editing style. Soft toned and neutral colors with a pop of an accent color can help with editing to a style you can enjoy.
- Mom- Pick an outfit mom is comfortable in first! Its easier to feel confident in front of the camera when you're in something you feel comfortable in. With this, I have always found that moms look very flattering in a flowy dress or skirt! A perfect dress can help cover any mom flaws that may make her feel uncomfortable in photos. Though, I'm sure you are beautiful the way you are!
- Choose your dominate color then accent color. If you pick a beautiful light blue dress you can coordinate the family with maybe some navy blue and a calm green. Other neutral colors you can't go wrong with are khaki, light grey, ivory, or denim.
- Mix it up! Think coordinating rather than matching.
- AVOID PATTERNS ALL COST, stick with solids - But avoid combining super dark and bright colors together. Wearing patters that are bright and floral or distracting can draw attention away from the faces distracting the overall photo and coloring due to my editing style.
BONUS: Try on your outfits together at least a week prior to your session. Give yourself time to get new pants if those old ones in the closet do not fit anymore. It can be hard to chase a smile out of your husband if his pants are a little too tight!
Your Smiles are contagious! Come with a great attitude and get the most out of your session! Kids can sense your enthusiasm
Prep the Kids!
How to prep for a photo shoot. We all know that parents know their kids the best, so use this with a grain of salt.
- Good nights rest the night prior
- Naps and meals before the shoot so they're not "starving" or upset
- Bring their favorite, quick and clean snack for a little bribe 😉 OR bribe with an after session ice cream trip!
- Encourage them to have fun and be themselves. We sometimes have to go with what we have. Forcing a smile can make them feel demanded versus having a natural smile.
Crying is never fun! Once we see a cry, it is hard to turn it around, especially when we are on a time limit. This takes away quality time of capturing those great photos. It can be easy to want to discipline them in the moment, but I've leaned that in times like these it never results in what we are trying to accomplish. Sometimes we have to go with it. Think of something that makes them giggle! Tickles? Monkey noises? As as photographer we just have to think of ideas to what makes them pop a smile! If you have ideas, bring them with! Ill do the goofy work to capture their attention.
Also parents, I know it can be easy to stare your kids down to make sure they're cooperating, but keep smiling at the camera! Once I see a peak from the kid I can snap a quick photo. But if you're not looking, then we have the opposite problem! Photoshop doesn't always give us the opportunity to swap faces when you're body is in all different directions.
Here is some outfit assistance! Click on the links to shop!
