Tip 1

Consider the season and what you want to do with the photos. Decide early on if you want to match a specific room in your home, or create a cohesive look with other decor items. If you know you want an album, decide if you want neutrals or pops of seasonal or even just your favorite colors.

I’ve created a Pinterest Board full of fun color palettes for each season, if you’d like to check it out HERE if you prefer to pick out a color scheme already done for you.

Make sure the color scheme you select is appropriate for the season. Pastels don’t work as well in the Fall, and Fall colors don’t work well in the Spring. :)

Just a note: Bold colors are fine as long as they aren’t neon. Super bright or neon colors don’t look good on camera in any season. Keep super-saturated bright colors in your accessories or to a minimum in wardrobe.

Tip 2

Keep your location in mind. Select colors and/or patterns that will complement the location and season we chose for your session.

For example, if we’re doing photos in an area that is mostly greenery in the summer - something floral or muted hues will look best. Primary hues of Green or Yellow are never a good option for an outdoor session, because there is already so much green (and yellow) in nature. But softer hues of Seafoam green, pastel yellow, or even dark emerald green would be fine, depending on season.

But if we’re doing Fall photos at a location that will boast tons of warm fall tones - consider that as you plan your outfits, and go with neutrals or complementing colors to the color we’ll find in nature.

For outdoor family sessions, I also recommend comfortable and stable shoes that allow you to walk/stand in the grass. When planning your session, I’ll let you know if there’s a lot of walking involved! (For most of my mini-sessions, there is a little bit of walking involved, but not a ton!)

In most outdoor locations, a Maxi dress will look amazing! (They’re my favorite!) But if your style is more jeans & nice shirt, nice shoes & accessories, that’s totally cool too!

Definitely consider your personalities - but remember this is a special occasion, and a luxury service!

Tip 3

Choose coordinating colors or patterns, but not matching. Knowing what colors to wear can be tricky. Start with just one or two dominant colors.

The goal is to create a cohesive look, without everyone wearing the same color. By selecting a color scheme and using complementing colors, you can achieve a more curated look.

Choose one or two dominant colors, and add softer tones to accent and complete the look.

I usually recommend figuring out wardrobe for your toughest family member first. For my family, that’s me. I usually choose a color scheme, then find a floral maxi and pull colors from that to coordinate everyone else.

For example, If my dress is navy with red and tan flowers and little green leaves… My dominant colors will be either Navy and Red, or Navy and Tan - and everyone else will wear a combination of coordinating solids, or one other complementing pattern.

It’s okay to put more than one person in a pattern, as long as they don’t clash. My general “rule” is to keep it to just one or two people. So if you have a family of 4, just two can wear a pattern, and make sure they look okay together if you happen to be side by side. Lay the patterns next to each other and make sure they don’t clash. Too many bold patterns can overpower your photo. Stick to either one pattern or up to two complementing patterns.

You can also add interest to the entire wardrobe look by adding textural elements. Think ribbed or knit-patterned clothing items, sport coat, layers, accessories, ruffles, etc.

Tip 4

Plan your outfits in advance, but not too far in advance! You don’t want your 6 month old to grow out of the clothes you picked for him before your session! Have a backup if your kiddos are still growing this fast!

We actually had this happen with my own family once - we planned a session and picked outfits about 3 weeks before our shoot, but the week of, my then-6-month-old baby had a little growth spurt and I didn’t have a backup outfit! So we rolled with it, and he had leg rolls popping out of his chambray onesie.

Make sure to have everyone try the clothing on about a week before your shoot - just to make sure everything fits and you don’t have to find a last-minute alternative!

Remember to plan & try on shoes as well! If your kids are like mine, they have very strong opinions about their shoes. Make sure they try them on and they’re not uncomfortable or cause blisters!

Please also choose practical clothing. If the kids aren’t comfortable in their clothing, it’s going to be a very long photo session, and they’ll possibly start out in a bad mood.

On a similar note, if you have to constantly make adjustments or pull something up/down - you’re not free to enjoy the session and do all the fun prompts I have you do!

I like having families do big bear hugs, snuggles, playing with the kids, picking up smaller children, sometimes sitting/walking/dancing. Make sure you can move around and not flash me or have to constantly adjust your clothing to stay modest or comfortable.