Happy Fall Y’ALL!

It’s that time of year when many families get professional photos taken for their holiday cards (me included!) and I thought I would post some of my favorite tips for making the session a success!

• Make sure you pick your clothing in advance. I suggest laying out the clothes the night before in case you see anything needs to be ironed
• Wear coordinating colors, not matching. Gone are the days of everyone wearing a white shirt and matching.  Instead, pick a couple of colors and choose clothes that will fit into this color scheme
• Ideas: Pick a different color for the girls and a different color for the boys and use varieties of that color in the clothing.  Ex:  daughter has a pink shirt so Mom has a pink chunky necklace.  Boys wear blue – but one wears solid shirt, one plaid. Women’s clothing is more colorful than men’s clothing.  I always tell Moms to start with picking a color they like best for the girls, then put the guys in a more neutral color.  Super cute when Moms and daughters throw a splash of similar color with an accessory like a matching scarf or headband
• Avoid All white or black clothing
• Limit Patterns. Having a mix of colors in the group is great, but not everyone in the photo should wear patterns.  It may distract from the final image.  Mix solids and patterns
• Form fitting clothing usually photographs better than bulky, loose clothing
• Look for kids clothing collections. If you are dressing multiple kids, you might want to look for color-coordinated clothing collections
• If you wear eye glasses all the time, feel free to bring them, but if you can do without your glasses or have contact lenses, this is a better option.  Eyeglasses can cause a reflection of light or objects.
• If you are bringing kids, bring their favorite toy or treats to try to incentivize them to behave and smile for the camera!
• If you are bringing your pets, please make sure they are on a leash and bring “poop” bags.  And If they have any squeaky toys that get their attention…bring those too!

Family photos can be fun or a little stressful – but regardless preparing will help you look and feel your best.  And for those of you who I will see this Fall…can’t wait to shoot your family photos!