“What should I wear?”
This is a loaded question.
When you book a family session with me, I’m often thinking about what the end-goal will be. Are these photos for Christmas/Holiday cards, an anniversary gift for grandparents, just-because-photos, or photos for some other occasion? In order to make a good decision about what you’ll wear, you obviously would consider what the photos will represent as you look back on them in the future.
No matter what the occasion, colors should coordinate, but not match. Blues are gorgeous in the sunset light (see photo below). Blacks & whites can be so gorgeous against the greenery of nature. Really, any solid or neutral that you are drawn to will probably work.
Blue hues pop against the bright sunset colors.
You may already know from looking at my portfolio that I am not a “matching furniture set” kind of photographer. I want all the mismatched pieces to come together in a cohesive, interesting, & fun way. I want the plum-burgundy throw pillow on the canary yellow couch. I’m not the “Rooms to Go” of photographers. I’m not the beige. If you want to show your style & bring some funky hat to play around with in your family session, by all means, we’ll get some solid photos. Classic is always in, but classic does not have to be boring.
Here are a few notes about other “style” factors to consider…
Footwear:
The locations I love are often in rugged terrain. Or at least we have to trek through it a little bit to get to a solid ground where we can shoot. It is always helpful to bring flipflops or some sort of casual easy-to-slip-on shoe, so that once we get where we’re going you can do a quick switch-a-roo. Men, tennis shoes never photograph well. If you can find one that does, please enlighten me.
Makeup:
Less. Is. More. I promise you. Even if you typically wear a lot of makeup, you will not appreciate how it will look in your photos. I will decrease all your redness & help your skintone look luminous & even. I will work hard to make your radiance shine through, so try really hard not to cover it all up with makeup! Also, if you own bronzer, your photoshoot is not the time to wear it. Blush looks great & transfers to photos really well, but bronzer ends up looking like you smeared dirt on those sweet little cheeks.
Men, sometimes it may be beneficial to wear some under-eye concealer to help with the shadows that our eye sockets can cast (not that you NEED it, but it sometimes helps you look a little more alert!).
Props:
You’ll notice from looking at my portfolio that its not really “on-brand” for me to use props. If you have some that you want to include, by all means, bring them! These are YOUR photos, so make them exactly what you want them to be. A child’s favorite blanket or toy may be the perfect little addition to your session. Also, it is the client’s responsibility to bring any sort of season item (like pumpkins in the fall or little Christmas gifts during the holidays), unless the photographer is specifically tailoring their package offering for a special shoot. Another exception to this rule is obviously if the shoot is taking place at a location that can “double” as a prop, then you’re all set. The farm I shot at recently (see image below of sweet little Delta) had a gorgeous willow tree that she loved to play with, so essentially the setting became a prop.
Little Delta in a willow tree.
Tips & Tricks:
Men, this goes out to you especially - try to remember to take your cell phone out of your front pocket! That indention is a little pet peeve of mine, but I can’t always catch it!
Ladies, even if you have a “good side” don’t be afraid to switch it up a little. If every single photo is of just the left or right side of your face, you may not like how posed that can look. Also, if you end up framing these prints in a multi-photo frame (like those really cute ones at Target that look like window panes), you’ll want there to be some variety in the way you look.
Open mouth smiles are my favorite. They make every image look candid. BUT when you’re laughing/smiling at all the hilarious jokes I tell (LOL), try really hard not to lean your head back. Leaning forwards and laughing makes a much better image than leaning back (cue the double-chin, the back of your throat, up the nose, etc.).