It's about time you had some photos with you in them.
If you’re like me, your camera roll is mostly full of pictures of your kids, with very few of them including you. Let’s change that. I want these photos to live on your wall and for you to walk past them and smile. My goal is to capture who your family is. I want these photos to feel natural and real life. In this guide, I am going to walk you through getting ready for your session, how to prep your kids and home, and how to choose your outfits.
Let’s talk about How to prepare for your session.
What will the session be like?
I’m so glad you asked! We’re going to strike a balance between posing you and letting things unfold naturally.
Ready for the best news? You don’t have to worry about managing your kids during the shoot. That’s my job, and luckily for you, I’m no stranger to kids with their own agendas! Your job is to show up ready to love on your people. Plus, it actually works better if you let me do the worrying–I count on kids to give me their natural selves, and they can’t do that as well with mom and dad trying to finangle them into following absolutely everything I say. So the pressure's off. Phew!
I firmly believe that successful photo sessions happen because of the prep on the front end.
Think through some activities you like to do as a family. What are the everyday things that may seem mundane but are something you will really want to remember about this stage of life? In our house, we have a nightly dance party. I will dance with my son and think “these are the good old days.” I have pictures of our dance parties hanging on our wall because they are just so special to me.
I can hear your questions …
clickity click for more details
+ Hanger Management
Full kids are typically happier kids and happy kids make for great photos! I have found it is best to have kids eat either a full meal or some snacks before we start the session. You can always pack some more snacks for during the session too. Bring something your child loves and there is zero shame in bringing some bribes along too (solidiarity!).
+ Keep Calm and Carry On
During this session your kids get to be kids. They don’t have to sit perfectly still and smile for every photo. Truly, I don’t want them to! You may start to get that stressed feeling if they are getting grumpy but trust me, I have seen just about everything, and a grumpy kid doesn’t scare me at all (promise!). If they need a little break, there is nothing wrong with that. We can take a walk, play a game, or do something to change the mood. Sometimes the most candid and adorable moments are captured during those unpredictable times. Remember, my goal is to capture genuine moments that reflect your family's unique personality and dynamic. So if your child is feeling a little less than cooperative, don't worry too much - we'll work together to make the most of the situation.
+ Furry Family Members
I love when families add in their dogs to photos! We will try to capture a few with your pet if you want to but otherwise they are welcome to just roam around while we are doing photos.
Let’s talk clothing.
Don’t freak out just yet.
I promise I'm not going to make you go on a shopping spree (unless you really want to!). I'm here to help you create a look that showcases your family's unique personality and style.
Think about what makes you feel confident and comfortable. Is it your favorite pair of jeans? That dress you always get compliments on? Start there! From there, we can add layers and accessories to create a cohesive and polished look.
But seriously, don't stress too much about it. The most important thing is that you feel like yourself. Plus, I bet you already have a bunch of great outfit options in your closet.
but what do i wear?
Rule of thumb is that mom gets to choose her outfit first.
First, I want you to think about clothes that you have worn recently that you felt confident in. Look through your camera roll on your phone, browse your closet, ask your best friend. I bet you have the perfect outfit in your closet already.
Go for something that moves freely, doesn’t feel constraining, and you feel great wearing. When in doubt, go with a maxi dress.
I want to see your personality! Do you have something that is your thing? A hat, boots, a jacket you love. Layering is always great. Makeup photographs a few shades duller than it looks in person. So remember to go more bold than you typically would on a day to day basis.
Let’s Put it all together…
Now that your outfit is solidified, we can use it to pick everyone else's.
If you’re wearing a dress, then we want the vibe of everyone else’s outfits to be similar. Now let’s start layering it all together. A mix of small patterns and solid neutrals photograph really well. We also want to think about mixing textures. Cotton, linen, jeans, sweaters, etc. If everything is the exact same color and texture, you will all start to blend together.
We’re not trying to get your clothes to match, we’re trying to get them to go together.
The key, though, is starting with ONE outfit (yours, Mom!), and then piecing everyone else's together one outfit at a time. If you try to do it all at once, it becomes incredibly overwhelming, and you'll get nowhere really fast. Believe me, I've tried.
Here’s an example:
Mom - white maxi dress
Dad - jeans & a blue or green linen button down shirt
Toddler - deep green pants and a subtle striped shirt
Baby - patterned dress
Mom - jeans and fun green patterned shirt
Dad - jeans and a solid button down
Toddler - solid pink dress
Baby - subtle pattern bubble
For your kids
Babies
Keep it simple! All the frills and ruffles have their place, but they tend to bunch up on little baby bodies and not photograph well. A simple one piece romper with good texture or a pretty print is always my go-to suggestion!
Toddlers
Once again, keep it simple and be mindful of clothes that bunch up! Less really is more, especially with little ones. A cute dress with good texture paired with a small bow or headband is always a good choice for girls. For boys, you can choose a button down, a henley, v-neck with a pocket or even a one piece outfit. The one clothing item I recommend avoiding with toddler boys are polos. They seem like a logical choice, but they don't photograph well!
Let’s break it down …
Do this:
✶ Be practical. If we are going to be hiking, wear good hiking shoes. If it is going to be cold outside, pack layers. Most of the time heels don’t work unless we are walking around downtown.
✶ Be comfortable. You want to be able to move in your clothes. I want you to be able to run around and feel good while doing it. I also love when fabric catches the wind and flows well with the movement you are doing. It looks amazing in photos and adds another layer of emotion to the photos. Dresses on little ones are always adorable in photos.
✶ Go neutral. I recommend choosing clothes that have neutral colors. Neutrals don’t mean just grays and browns, there are neutrals of every color (mustard yellow, forest green, navy blue, burnt orange, etc.).
✶ Small is best. Patterns are great if they are small and subtle. Flannels are always a yes.
DON’T DO THIS:
✶ Please take off those apple watches and pesky hair ties.
✶ Don’t go buy brand new shoes and that going to hurt your feet but especially dont buy new shoes that are going to hurt your toddlers feet.
✶ Avoid fluorescent colors. Red, pinks, and bright oranges can sometimes distract and cause a weird hue on your skin tone, so I recommend staying away from those colors as well.
✶ Don’t over-coordinate your outfits. If everyone is wearing white, you guys will all start to blend together in the photos.
✶ Steer clear of big patterns. They will distract from your faces. If you do have something that has a big pattern, I would suggest throwing a jean jacket over it to tone it down.
✶ No logos or big words on your clothing.
Let’s talk about
Maternity Photos
I love maternity photos. The anticipation of baby coming is just the most fun. I suggest scheduling your session between 30-34 weeks. I have found this is a bit of a sweet spot for photos. Pregnancy is super tiring so we will make sure to take breaks during our session.
The same clothing dos and don'ts apply here for choosing outfits. I love flowy dresses for maternity photos. They tend to photograph really well and also give you the ability to move around how you need to. Feel free to have multiple outfits during your session. If you feel comfortable, show off that bump! Shorts and a little tank look amazing for showing off the bump in photos.
Same guidance applies for location on maternity photos. In your home is always wonderful or we can go somewhere you like to go often. There are tons of great parks around Indy that have beautiful spots for photos too.
Newborn Photos
Newborn photos typically take longer than a normal family session. This is because I want to take it slow and take breaks when needed.
To make sure we get the most out of our session, try feeding baby before I arrive. Usually once they are nice and full they get pretty sleepy, which is great for newborn photos. If baby needs to be fed during the session, no problem at all. We all know that's just part of the newborn game, and I'm totally cool with taking some feeding breaks.
During our time together, we'll snap shots of the whole family, the baby solo, and of course, some photos with just mom and dad with the baby.
I know that your body probably feels a bit foreign to you right now, and you’re most likely still wearing a diaper (solidary, mama!). Your body has just been through a lot. Give yourself some grace when you’re choosing your outfit.
Black leggings with a sweater or flowy top always look great in newborn photos. Those maternity jeans you were just wearing? Those are perfect too. Flowy tops, sweaters, button downs are always great for newborn photos. A sun dress or something that allows you to move a lot is great too.
As far as outfits for baby, I really love a simple white onesie. Sleepers are always great too. I will bring some swaddles that we can use and if you have some, go ahead and pull those out too.