WHAT IN THE WORLD to Wear? We want to tell the story of you and your family. How you dress for your session will set the tone for your portraits (of course!)
The first question I would ask- what style of portrait do you desire? Classic or Modern.
Style: Classic
A portrait that never goes out of style… a portrait that a viewer would have a hard time telling when in time the portrait was made. Simple is best. Classic, non-trendy clothing will do the trick… Avoid logos, stripes or busy patterns. Consider the location that this portrait will be displayed… choose colors that are pleasing with that room.
Dressing a family for the Classic Portrait: You don’t have to look like you are wearing a uniform. When choosing your clothing for the family, put them all together as if you were laying out one outfit- how do they all look together? Clothing should all be in the same color range and be pleasing together. A white shirt and a black shirt would create great contrast- a viewer’s eyes would go to the contrast in the clothing and away from you.
Style: Modern Colorful Portrait
Bring out your bright, colorful clothing… whatever you LOVE. This type of clothing helps create a work of art that would brighten any fun room. Anything goes with this type of portrait! Bring anything that is “you” and bring anything that defines you! A skateboard, a soccer ball, your pet hamster… whatever- this session is fun and about you- bring it on.
Dressing a family for a Modern Colorful Portrait: When choosing the family’s clothes, you want them to all go well together… one tip is to select the entire family’s clothing as if you were choosing one outfit. Think if you put all the clothing together on one person- how would it look? Not sure where to start? Start with one patterned or colorful item- then choose colors from that item for the rest of the family to wear. Layers create visual interest… Accessories are great! Bring on the hats, scarves and jewelry. We can always tone it down if we need to.
MOST IMPORTANT NOTE ABOUT CLOTHING!
The most important thing is that you feel wonderful and comfortable in what you are wearing!
Your portrait should be a reflection of you and your family!
Props
If you have something that you want to remember about your child’s life, please bring it with you. A blanket that your child can’t live without, a special rattle that Grandma gave, a sports ball or piece of equipment- what ever it is that you want to remember, bring it.
Session Timing and Attendance
Babies and children seem to be their happiest in the morning –so I recommend early sessions for them. Also, please only bring persons to the photo session that is to be photographed. Sessions are usually more productive with smaller numbers of people present. Also, focusing on one child per session is usually most productive when possible.
Bring dry snacks and a few favorite toys. We’ll gladly allow for time for a snack, nursing, or just a break to comfort a child.
Make sure the children are fed and well rested before their photo session! Try not to schedule exciting activities before the session or the night before. Tired and over stimulated children appear that way in their photographs.
PLEASE
Please do not tell your child to “Smile” or “Say Cheese”. I want to photograph your child’s natural expressions and these tend to give “fake” smiles. Please let me direct the session- if there is something specific you’d like (pose, feeling, etc…) please let me know before the session. If I think it is appropriate, I may ask the parent to leave the session. Please do not be offended. Some children do MUCH better without their parents present (mine do). In any event, relax and have fun! The most successful sessions occur when the parents are relaxed and having fun!