Suggestions on what to wear:
- Wear comfortable and fitting clothes that flatter your body type.
- Everyone should dress the same style of clothes (don’t mix casual and formal clothes). Example: everyone wears jeans or everyone wears slacks.
- Dress for the season. Examples: dresses for spring, summer and fall; sweaters for winter.
- Coordinating colors is far better than matching. Choose colors that look nice together.
- I always recommend having at least two or three colors in your palette. Adding in a couple of patterns looks nice too! Add in a solid shift for one person, maybe some stripes for another. Remember, the key is to coordinate, so the colors in your prints and patterns are your friend.
- If your personality is suited to a more subtle look, neutrals photograph beautifully as well. You can easily keep your color scheme neutral and add in smaller amounts of color for variety.
- Layers are ok.
- Girls- Sweaters, cardigans, hats, jackets, necklaces, bracelets, belts, hairpieces, scarves, etc.
- Boys- Hat, beanies, watches, jackets, scarves, suspenders, belts, leather cuffs, etc.
What to bring:
- Bring any props and accessories that compliment you and your family. EX: picnic basket, blanket, balloons, tent, antique chair, flowers, signs for “it’s a girl/boy”, “we’re expecting”, ultrasound pictures, etc.
- Don’t forget your shoes. If you are wearing heels, then bring a pair of flats/sandals so you can walk with ease to another location.
- Don’t forget to paint your nails, or any other touch ups you need to do.
Families/Couples:
- Coordinate your outfit with the same shade (matching outfits is NOT a must). Choose one color, and everyone can wear a similar shade of that color in their outfit.
- For families, I suggest wearing soft, lighter tones like; soft pink, blues, mixed with light neutrals, heather gray, creams leather brown and whites. It’s easier for everyone to wear one a similar shade.
Babies/infants/Toddlers:
- Bring an extra set of clothes for the kids.
- Snacks for the kids that will not stain the clothes.
- Toys for the babies and infant (to get their attention or for them to play with if they start crying)
- Kids do not need a lot of accessories and they don’t need huge bows, headbands, etc. Huge accessories will take the focus off of them.
- Layers and textures work well with kids. Example: Leggings, ruffles, jackets, scarves, boots, etc.
Try to avoid:
- Don’t over accessorize!
- Bright neon colors. (unless you want this kind of styled session)
- Busy patterns, characters, labels or shirts with logos. (You are the focus; we are not promoting the clothing company)
- Baggy clothes & stripes (Both can make you appear larger on camera).
- DO NOT get a spray tan or stay in the sun for hours a few days before a shoot.
How to prep the family
- Make sure they are rested and fed!
- Tell them about the session and make it sound exciting, so they can be excited for the session!
- Let them be little! Just give them grace to be little, and I will capture their personalities no matter what.
- Make sure your spouse is rested and fed—Haha! Grown-ups need to be rested and fed too!
- Show him/her a few of your favorite pictures from my website and tell him/her how much this means to you, and that you’re excited for the session.
- Let him/her know that the best thing to do is to just enjoy the session and let me do the work. The pressure is off him/her.
How to prep yourself:
- Make enough time to prepare on the day of your session, so you don’t feel rushed and anxious.
- Let go of your need for perfection. This is the biggest anxiety for most moms. It’s ok if your kids aren’t “perfect” during the session.
- Don’t worry about your kids not giving me their “real smiles.” Most of the time, being told “not that smile, your real smile!” only makes is worse, so don’t worry. I will work hard to get them laughing and will be sure to capture them at their best!