PREPARE FOR YOUR FAMILY SESSION

Extra Ideas

• Layered clothing adda dimension and depth to your images.
• Purchase clothes that fit. It can be tempting to buy kid's clothing a size bigger so they'll have room to grow, but for photo sessions it's not the best idea. Avoid looking sloppy by wearing well-fitting garments.
• Shop your closet! Everything doesn't have to be new,
• Mix it up! If everyone is in pants, put you or your daughter in a dress or skirt. Have some of the guys wear polos, others wear a button down and yet another in a sweater.
• Do not wear neon or bright colours. They don't photograph well and cast colours onto your skin. Green or orange skin is never flattering!
• Shoes are important to think about as well. Clean and coordinated with outfits

Tips

For the Ladies . . .

• Wear clothing that fits properly, anything baggy or loose fitting will not be flattering in photos.
• 3/4 length sleeves or long sleeves are most flattering. (Please avoid sleeveless shirts/blouses/dresses as this draws the eye directly to your arms).
• Scoop neck or v-neck styles are flattering for all body types.
• You don't need to get a manicure, but nails should be clean with no old, chipped polish.
• Lip-Colour: natural is best or a soft colour in similar shade to your lips.
• Blush on the apples of your cheeks.
• Natural looking make-up looks best and is timeless... make it about 20% darker then you normally wear.

For the Guys. . .

• Shaving: have a clean-shaven face (unless of course, you have a fully grown mustache or beard).
• Hands: clean nails and hands
• Skin: use a light moisturizer on your face and hands and lip balm to keep chapped lips at bay.
• Clothes: run over them quickly with an iron to keep wrinkles at a minimum. New shirts should have the fold creases ironed out as they are very obvious in photos.

Pulling it all together.

• When dressing your family for your session, remember you are a family and there should be some commonality among all family members of the group.
• The cardinal rule of family styling for portraits is simple, choose items for the entire family as if you were creating one outfit.
• If all your choices were on one person, would the result be pleasing?
• Neutral tones tend to work best - think gray undertones.
• Bright colours are distracting and reflect onto skin tone.

DAY OF SHOOT

Small Children: If your child has a favourite toy or something that makes them giggle, bring it along. Try not to scold children before or during the shoot. This typically leads to tears and/or strained smiles and stress for everyone.

Older Children: Let them be involved in choosing their outfit so they are comfortable. Older kids can sometimes have a hard time "loosening up" for their shoot so it helps if they feel good in what they're wearing. While we will do posed shots, I also like to capture the family dynamic so feel free to tickle, joke and be silly with your older kids. Try to make them laugh.

The Nitty Gritty: Kids of all ages can get messy noses, have dirty faces or crazy hair! Try to check your children thoroughly to make sure their faces and noses are clear of anything you might not want showing up in your family pics. All photographs are professionally edited but you'll make my job a lot easier if their faces are clean and ready to go. Bringing some wipes and a hairbrush is a great idea for last minute touch ups. Sometimes you'll even need to pull them out during the session and that is totally fine. Check your child during your shoot to make sure their nose is still clean.

Adults: Preparing your family for a photo session can be stressful on both parents. Try to use the drive to your session as a time to lighten the mood. Listen to your favourites songs, play a game along the way or crack some jokes. If you're not all happy, it shows in the pictures!



I welcome any other questions you may have. If you don't find the answer in the guide - just ask!

1.403.548.0664