WHAT TO BRING TO YOUR SESSION

Please bring clothing and all accessories needed. You can arrive and get your children dressed at the session if you are worried about them getting messy on the way. Please also bring chap-stick or lip gloss for children (helps with chapped lips, they are very hard to Photoshop).  To be extra prepared, bring snacks & a favorite toy to comfort them if they are feeling overwhelmed at the session.  This is a great time for bribes!  

DURING THE SESSION

Children are UNPREDICTABLE... so, it is my job to be ready for anything!  A lot of times parents get frustrated because sessions don’t seem to be going perfectly, but those small moments in between all the tantrums and chaos are beautiful. People are often surprised to see that there are so many great pictures to choose from, when all they remember is their wild child.  Don’t worry, I shoot like crazy and it’s my job to capture it all!  

The only job I give parents is to relax & enjoy it! I will do all of the hard work! I will give a lot of direction during the session so you will know exactly what to do. Children match your energy, so if you are having fun and showing them how much you love them, they will show you the same in return. 

Once in a while there are children that for whatever reason, do not want to be photographed. I might ask to photograph your child or children away from the parents so they will just focus on me and my lame jokes. It usually works! They don’t know me and usually children are on their best behavior for others! This is one way we can work together to make your session run smoothly.

INDIVIDUALS

I recommend wearing something more bold and colorful with a lot of texture to show off personality. This is an opportunity for your child or yourself to shine!  For children, I usually recommend bare feet for indoors and boots or shoes that compliment their outfit for outside. I recommend clothing that has texture, such as knitting, embroidery, dark faded denim, buttons, and ruffles. This type of clothing tends to photograph well and adds a lot of visual interest.

SIBLINGS

It can be difficult to coordinate colors and not look too matchy. I recommend picking a few colors, but try not to put them in the same exact clothing. The more layers, textures and colors, the better. Just pick colors that compliment each other. I suggest bright or deep colors (jewel tones like mustard yellow, deep purple, turquoise, dark pink, etc.) and try to stay away from all white.  Often you can find a few items from home and mix and match them with a few new items as well. 

FAMILIES

Choose a style you like and a few colors you like as well. Moms... sometimes it's easiest to start with you!  I recommend having the parents dress fashionable, yet simple and focus more of the funky, unique style on the kids.If you have 5 people all dressing with a lot of layers and accessories it can betoo much. Dark jeans that have a grit to them is always a great choice for the parents or especially the husband. If you are going to wear a print, stay away from small printsand not a lot of visual interest (think bold!). Continue to think about texture and color.You may think that certain colors don’t go together, but again think out of the box and have fun!