I am so pumped to photograph you and your family! This guide is a mixture of setting expectations of a family session and also a ‘what to wear guide.’ I’m sharing tips and pieces of advice I’e learned over the last seven years to help make this experience so much fun!
Ultimately for your family session, I want you to feel like yourselves & not be worried about what you're wearing while shooting. Over the years, I have noticed specific things that have helped families feel more comfortable and things to make the photos look more cohesive. These tips are meant to be helpful, but they aren’t set-in-stone - what you wear is a physical representation of you and it will be amazing regardless if you follow these tips or not! However, I have noticed that this guide helps people feel more confident in their skin and the clothes have the ability to enhance the environment we are in to create more dynamic photos.
As you have noticed with my photography, I photograph in a more natural, photojournalistic style, and I won’t be combining styles that don’t belong. I value comfort, ease, and a sense of all things ‘lovely’ when it comes to enjoying your family session. Do you love cuddling in the nursery? Let’s do that. Does your family go on family hikes or picnics? Let’s do that. Do you all make breakfast together in the kitchen on a Saturday morning? Let’s do that. I want to photograph who you are in this exact season of life doing.
To summarize, what you wear should compliment the tones and style of the environment we are photographing in and represent you feeling confident and amazing!
PERFECTLY IMPERFECT
I do not strive for perfection, I strive for authenticity. Let’s capture the real moments.
Your child might be super loving, cuddly, having the best smile ever, or your child could be upset most of the time, or might not want to be loving and cuddly. Kids are kids, and I will photograph them as they are! Let’s cultivate an experience that will bring out real emotions for the kids. If they are happy, let’s dive in, and if they are upset, let’s pause for a bit before continuing. This is why I like choosing a location where kids can explore - you get the real photos of real experiences with the classic smiling-at-the-camera photos scattered throughout the session.
OPTIONS AND LOGISTICS
I recommend bringing clothing + accessory options that make you feel like a million bucks! Typically two full outfit options will be sufficient for women (read the guys information below for more information!) and more options for your kiddos in case of spit-up, mud, or really anything else that can get all over kids clothing.
Are you cool with changing in the car? Great. If not, that's totally fine - let's text through outfit options so you can arrive in the one outfit you'll be wearing!
Advice:
+ Don't wear heels unless you're amazing at walking & running in them. Comfort goes a lot way!
+ I would advise against short dresses and very low cut shirts, mostly because I give a lot of active prompts. I wouldn’t want you to have to be worried about what you are wearing, like having your hands cover your bottom or chest when being picked up and spun around.
+ Bring all your favorite hats, beanies, jewelry, shoes, scarves, or anything to accessorize! We can put together outfits during the session.
THE NAPPING SCHEDULE
My key piece of advice in planning the date and time of the session is figuring out the kids sleeping schedule and planning around that. If your kid is more of an early bird, let’s photograph in the morning, and if your kid is better in the afternoon before bedtime, let’s do that. I can’t plan a date, time, or anything until I know this information - well, I could, but it’s very important for me to make sure your kids have a great time too!
If you are traveling in from a lower elevation state (like Texas or Florida) please be aware of the elevation gain. Colorado Springs is about 6,100 ft on average, and that can give kids headaches, stomachaches, grogginess, vomiting, and so much more. Hydrate them with water approximately double the amount they normally would drink, maybe buy a disposable oxygen canister, take an extra nap, or even some altitude medication. It’s all up to you. These will also apply to you adults, but we are much better at identifying when altitude sickness occurs. If I am photographing your family in Texas, ignore all that info :)
If you have a newborn, please let me know how many months. We can absolutely stop to feed or let the baby nap — I am team let’s-have-a-well-rested-baby (as are you, I’m sure!!)
As a note, lighting is the most important element for great photos. While sessions closer to sunrise and sunset are the best time to photograph, I know that is usually when kids are sleeping, feeding, fussy, etc. We can do various points of the day, but note that sun will be harsher and I will want to spend more of that time probably in some shade for that beautiful even light on your skin.
LOCATION & WEATHER
Think about the location & weather we are going to be shooting in, and plan around that. But also, dress like yourself. The location we are visiting and the time of year will greatly affect what you wear. When it’s cold, dress warmly. Choose merino wool, thermal leggings, warm scarves and beanies, etc. Comfort goes a long way during sessions, especially for kiddos. There are incredibly cute cold-weather kids outfits at Target, H&M, and so on.
If we are sitting and strolling through fields of tall grass, bring close-toed shoes.
If we are shooting in a forest, it would look weird if you’re wearing heels.
If it’s freezing cold outside, bring a warm scarf + beanie, lots of layers, warm clothes with wool socks & boots.
If it’s going to be hot, bring clothes that can breathe more so you don’t have sweaty pit stains in the photos. I can't edit out sweat - so invest in a good fabric that hides sweat!
Always lean towards simplicity rather than show stopping - emotion means more to me than distracting fashion!
COMFORT & patterns
I don't think I can emphasize it enough how important it is to wear clothes you are comfortable in! I would not recommend buying new clothes for session, as it may feel stiff on your skin, but if you feel incredible in the new piece - bring it to wear!
Dresses with movement, especially if it's windy, have captured my heart. Movement in fabric adds so much dynamic energy to an image, as well as bring an extra dose of romance. If you have a maxi dress with lots of volume, I'm going to be squealing so hard. I can help point you to online stores that have all that voluminous glory! We are likely photographing outside in fields, within the trees, on pathways, etc, so choosing earth-tones might be a better option.
IF YOU ARE BUYING NEW CLOTHES:
I know you probably have a lot of amazing clothes that all look good together, and I am just going to include a list of stores that I think look great in photos.
AVOID:
Avoid any loud, big, chunky, wild patterns.
Wearing big patterns is too distracting against the environment & steals the attention from your gorgeous faces!
Neon - please don’t.
Large logos. Or small logos.
Formal attire (unless we are at a formal location)
PRINT EXCEPTION:
I do like plaids in darker colors. Plaid should add to the cozy vibes, and not be the star of the show.
Dress Your Man —
(only if he needs it)
Unless your honey is a stylish man, you should consider picking his outfits. Here are some things to keep in mind.
Since women's style tends to have more color in it, keep your man's outfit as simple as possible. Ideally, stick with neutral and avoid pure white clothes, as it will pick up weird purple tones that our eyes can’t see but camera’s can.
Please, don't wear polos. Especially with logos. They just don't photograph the way you would expect them to, aka not good. Dark jeans and a simple t-shirt in black or white (or gray/dark green) can go a long way!
Target has great t-shirts for like $6 and light sweaters for $17. On the other hand, dressing up in a nice button up is fantastic too!Whatever you're wearing, make sure his outfit is on the same "playing field."
If you are wearing a gorgeous, dressy maxi dress, put him in a button-up with slacks.
If you are in a casual maxi or midi, put him in dark jeans and a casual t-shirt.
If you are both in jeans & a T-shirt, make sure he isn't wearing a polo, anything with a logo, or a color that you can see armpit sweat.
Stay away from crisp white, polyester button ups. If you want him in a white shirt, do a linen/cotton white button up or add a blazer on top, like this option or this one.
If you don’t know what to wear, it's just safer to keep him in dark/black jeans, a black or neutral scoop/v-neck t-shirt, and have a nice button-up as another option.
If your man is shaving his face before your session, please have him shave a week prior and then spend the week maintaining it. If he does a fresh shave the day of the shoot, he will likely have razor burns. Or if he has a really fancy shaving setup, it might be fine, but I will say that I spend a looooot of time trying to edit out razor burn pimples - let’s avoid them altogether if possible for my editing-sanity :)
Distractions & Treats
I am going to be really honest here - I am not above having distractions, treats, bribes or negotiations for these sessions - but no worries either way! Sometimes, kids are really into ‘posing’ for the photos, and sometimes they want absolutely nothing to do with this. Since our time is limited, I suggest having a little backup plan that might help. For the littlest ones, bubbles, car keys, or anything to get their gaze in my direction is good. Toddlers seem to love M&Ms or a little snack, which makes for a cute photo too! I’ve noticed that 4-5 year olds tend to like to have a ‘task’ to do rather than sitting around and smiling for the camera.
