What to wear guide

It can feel daunting to choose what to wear for photos. Here are a few guidelines I’ve put together so your family can be comfortable and feel like your authentic selves - while still making sure the images are focused on your love, not what you’re wearing. These are only guidelines, not rules! You can show up wearing potato sacks if you feel so inclined.

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Shopping for new clothes before the session can be fun, but I actually recommend bringing items you normally wear, stuff that’s already in your closet that you love and feel yourselves in. Your go-to denim and favorite tee? Perfect. As long as it represents what y’all are like right now, thats all that matters.

Ultimately, the most important thing is that you feel and look like yourselves.

We want your kids to feel as playful and stress-free as possible. Our goal here is that they view our time together as playtime with photos - not posed, stiff portraits. Dress your child(ren) in something that won’t cause panic if they sit in the dirt. We want to open up opportunities for authentic child-like activity, so if your child is wearing an outfit that you foresee yourself saying, “Please don’t get that dirty” when they rest their knees in the grass to look closely at a cool bug, it probably isn’t the right choice.

match the scene

Plan your outfit around the weather and the location that we’ll be shooting in. Does what you’re wearing look like it fits the scene? Example: High heels in the woods = odd.

Pack for the temperature. I can’t emphasize this enough. In my 10+ years of shooting, this is the number one reason for forced smiles and sessions ending early. If your kiddo (or you for that matter) feels too hot or too cold it’s very difficult to capture authentic joy.

Avoid: New shoes that could cause blisters or discomfort, overalls with straps that don’t stay in place, hair accessories that aren’t secure

Consider: Adding shorts under dresses, dressing in layers for variety and/or temperature comfort, outdoor apparel like mittens and hats and even coats, a tank top underneath it all for easy shirt changes, switching up an entire look with one minor change like a hat or scarf.

Be as comfortable as you can be!

FALL
WINTER
SPRING
SUMMER

Movement

If your brand new jeans are still stiff and tight, you might be distracted during the shoot trying to make sure everything stays in place. I recommend bringing clothes that are "broken in" so that you'll be as comfortable as possible. Bonus if your clothing or accessories can also show movement by catching wind, adding a different energy to the photos.

Colors

I typically recommend sticking with neutrals, muted, and earthy tones. That doesn't mean just grays and browns, there is a neutral for every color (mustard yellow, forest green, maroon, navy blue, burnt orange, etc). Stay away from bright, florescent colors that tend to be distracting as well as bright pinks and oranges and strong red hues. Those specific colors tend to bring out unflattering skin tones.

Avoid graphic tees (sorry to all those Pokemon fans!) and more than one busy pattern.

Pups are guests of honor at shoots with me! I love, love, love your animals. Not all pups thrive in this kind of environment, so please consider their temperament and listening skills before inviting. As long as you are aware that adding pets into photos can take extra time during your session, bring them along!
Avoid loud, chunky, and crazy patterns. The smaller or more subtle, the better! If the pattern is too loud, it will distract from your faces. Flannels are the exception to this rule. A pop of pattern is fantastic, but avoid more than one within the group.
When I think “props”, my mind flashes through all of the cringe-worthy Pinterest photos I’ve seen of cheesy chalkboards and hobby lobby props brought to shoots. But props don’t have to be cheesy! Props could be a dominos pizza picnic, a motorcycle, your pup, blankets, a truck/car, a campfire, a bouquet, an ice cream cone, a paddle board, etc. If you have props you want to incorporate, let me know and we can make sure to incorporate them in a non-cheesy way!
A lot of people ask me whether or not they should get your hair and makeup done by a pro. My answer is always “whatever will make you feel best, do that.” I absolutely don’t think it’s necessary whatsoever, because in my personal opinion, I would rather look like MYSELF rather than a super glammed up version of myself; especially because I rarely wear makeup myself. But, if you want your hair and makeup done, then definitely do it, because the most important thing is that you feel confident like Beyonce always.

In-home sessions

All the of above applies to in-home lifestyle sessions, with the additional perk that you don’t have to pack up your car AND you can likely go barefoot :)