Styling Guide
for family portrait sessions
Whether I’m capturing your sweet family, or celebrating a special moment in your life, like an engagement, graduation, birthday, anniversary or new baby, I am so honored to help you create memories you will cherish for a lifetime. I’ve created this guide to help you get the most out of your photos, and by the time you’ve read through this, you’ll have all your questions answered and feel more than ready and prepared for your session. Then I’ll take care of the rest! Your only job is to be yourself, laugh a lot, and let me create photos you’ll love forever. I can’t wait to get you in front of my camera!
Timing
I am a natural light photographer because I believe that natural light, from the sun and its reflections, create photographs that feel fresh, timeless and truest to you! I suggest planning some extra time when getting ready so you can arrive a few minutes early to your session and be ready to start on time. I’m only able to shoot when natural light is still in the sky, so we’ll want to take advantage of every minute we have together before the sun goes down.
Styling Tips For Her
Don’t Be Afraid To Dress It Up!
This is your chance to do it up! Remember: There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to your portrait session, so don’t be afraid to have some fun! Long, full-length, flowy dresses and skirts look most stunning because they really flatter every female body, especially on camera. Consider softer fabrics (like chiffon) which allows for beautiful movement in images.
When considering the length of your dresses or skirts, it’s also a good idea to factor in whether or not there will be a little one in your photos. If you have smaller children, I’ll likely have you sitting or crouching on the ground to interact up-close with them. Cute, shorter cocktail-length dresses photograph beautifully, but if you have little ones in your photos, a floor-length dress or skirt, or perhaps a cute midi-skirt, will make moving around with your kids much easier, and look perfect on camera too!
If you’re an expecting mother, I always recommend floor-length gowns or maxi-dresses. These dresses create the best silhouettes to flatter your figure and really highlight your bump.
Flatter Your Features
In my experience, every woman, regardless of her shape has an area of her body that she’s self-conscious about, so recognizing what area that is in advance is key. Choosing flattering silhouettes and colors that complement your natural features is the best way to ensure you’ll love the way you look in your photos.
Three-quarter length sleeves create an awesome slimming effect on all arms, so be on the lookout for an option with a longer length sleeve. You could also bring a cute jacket, blazer, or cardigan along, too. Skinny straps or strapless dresses have the opposite effect on arms on camera, so I recommend avoiding those whenever possible if your goal is a set of slimmer-looking arms.
Consider Pro Hair & Makeup
Professional hair and makeup looks amazing on camera and removes the stress of getting ready on your own. This is the time to treat yourself! Whether it’s lash extensions or blown-out hair, professional hair and makeup will give you an extra boost of confidence in front of the camera, and it always photographs like a dream. If you’re working with a makeup artist, have her apply your makeup in natural light, if possible, so that it looks fresh and not too heavy. Most clients feel like their professional makeup is “too much” at first, since it’s more than you would wear on a normal day, or that their false lashes look too big, so if you feel that way at the beginning, don’t worry! Good makeup artists know how to get it all just right for the camera!
Extra Tips
Paring an accessory or two with your outfit can really help bring some extra dimension to your images, and be a nice tie-in when you’re coordinating with a group. Although it might seem counter-intuitive, I recommend that you do not get a spray tan before your session, even a few days prior, because it tends to photograph orange even when it’s applied subtly and by a professional. Your actual skin tone will photograph the most beautifully and naturally. If your toes are showing in a peep-toe heel, you might want to schedule a pedicure before your session so you don’t regret letting your feet show. These little tricks make all the difference!
Fashion Tips For Him
Long, fitted pants and closed-toed shoes are the most sophisticated and masculine looks for men. They draw the attention away from his legs and feet and place it where you want it: on his handsome face. So, for your session, it’s best to leave the shorts and sandals at home, too, as well as any pants that are loose or baggy. Fitted dress pants, fitted colored pants, or fitted dark jean work best on camera. Solid shades of gray or navy are a strong compliment to most women’s outfits, whereas pinstripe or plaid patterns tend to distract the eye. I also recommend staying away from graphics and logos.
Many of the guys love to mix a suit coat, blazer, or sport coat with a different pant color. It adds some extra visual interest, and breakup the color tones. I’m a big fan of this fresh take on a timeless classic.
How To Prep Your Man
Most men aren’t overly excited to take photos because they don’t have an expectation of what’s to come and why it’s so important to you. Take fifteen minutes to educate your guy. Tell him why you chose me and my style of photography. Show him a few of your favorite photos that I’ve taken, explain why you love them, and express to him how much it means to you. Trust me, once he knows it’s important, he’ll light up the camera for you! The most common thing I hear from guys before photo sessions is this: because of a bad experience in the past, they don’t like taking photos or don’t think they’ll be good at it. By the time I’m done, though, they won’t be able to believe how fast it went and just how much fun they had!
Prepping The Family
Choosing Colors
When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting softer, lighter tones and more muted shades. By avoiding ultra-bright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces. The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, cream, leather brown, and white. That softer color palette fits beautifully into almost all natural outdoor environments.
Coordinating Your Crew
As you’re coordinating your outfit with your family, keep in mind that your outfits will look the most cohesive on camera when the color palette and wardrobe pieces coordinate, but don’t actually “match”. The goal for coordinating a family is to visually break up the colors and shades so that you’re not all wearing the same color on top and bottom. The more we can mix that up, the better.
Don’t feel like you need to put everyone in the same type of outfit. For example, mom can wear a dress, while your daughter wears a skirt and boots. One of your sons could wear a bowtie, while dad wears a suit jacket. Mixing up the wardrobe pieces will bring a great visual interest to the photos.
Prepping Your Little Ones
Before your session, pack a bag with snacks, water, and any small objects (like toys or lollipops) that might help me get their attention when it’s time for them to look at the camera. If they are old enough to understand you, it’s a good idea to prepare them for what’s to come before the session starts. Explain how much the photos mean to you so they know to be on their best behavior. A lot of families pick something fun in advance as a treat after the session if they’re good listeners, like an ice-cream cone, for example. It also helps if their bellies are full and they’ve had some good rest beforehand.
One Final Note
I know I just gave you a lot to think about. I created this guide to help make your portrait session experience something you’ll look back fondly on for years and years to come. At the end of the day, though, the location you choose and the outfits you select won’t matter nearly as much as the memories you make together. Your future memories are the most important thing to me, and I want your session to be a time for you to just be yourselves and enjoy it. Have fun together. Laugh a lot. And I’ll take care of the rest!