. family shoot tips .

. i've been shooting a lot of family sessions lately and loving it . when i get home i think of things i could have mentioned before the shoot that may have helped it go smoother . often times people ask me what they should wear for photos too and so i thought i'd throw out a few pointers, take them or leave them .

. coordinating is of course great, but as you've seen before sometimes it's not a must for great, fun, photos . and yet it does go a long way to create a certain look you may be going for . typical photo suggestions are 'don't wear lots of colors or patterns, denim and khaki are classic, avoid logos or branding...' . while some of these things are true, if you want a unique, fun, more comfortable family photo you may have to throw some of these 'rules' out the window .

. here' s a few examples of some wardrobe combinations that i like and i would recommend .

. first and foremost pick a style that represents your family, not something that just looks good . for instance, don't dress up for family photos if your family never dresses up . if you have to go out and buy all new clothes for your family photo you may fall into this category . that being said if you need a new accessory or two to make your outfits fabulous, go get it . but my point is to just be who you are .

. design mom went into detail of how she choose these great outfits here . loved reading all this, seeing her sources and how it all came together with old and new . i also realize to do this you'd need to have a real sense of style . although looking at the outfits i think something similar could be pulled off pretty easily . they are all fairly grounded with a base color (blue or white), with lots of primary colors thrown in and a few patterns for fun . of course there's more to it than that, but not much . (side note: love her kids names!)

. tara whitney, who takes a very fun and relaxed approach to photography, encourages every day clothes and they look great with her style of photography.

. if you are looking for a cleaner, crisp look, maybe a bit more modern or classic, go for more neutrals or blacks, or a single print or a solid color, like these .

. with winter coming and the cold weather here outdoor shoots are still possible, although not the greatest for small children, they will look completely miserable in the photos . in doing outdoor shoots you must come prepared . dress warm . fluffy warm coats that look as if they are meant to be in the photo . lots of layers look nice and provide warmth . big sweaters with cute scarves and hats always make for more interesting photos, just get creative . or if you don't know what to wear bring what you have and i can help you decide . and we always take the time to warm up so that the noses don't get too red .

. another thing i've noticed lately too is that if your children are on a photo shoot with me they will most likely get dirty, it's happened a lot lately, so please don't put them in something that if it gets dirty, muddy or grass stained it's the end of the world . we like to play and have fun and in doing so we get dirty, yes we...me too .

. one last tip for all the parents out there . during a shoot, kids tend to act like just that, kids . and sometimes parents are doing what parents are meant to do and they try to instruct them on how to smile or how not to put their leg or whatever . and while i completely appreciate a parent wanting their child to behave a lot of times this just makes the child uncomfortable and it makes for very strange facial expressions while they try to find a face that pleases mom or dad . (you've all seen this before, right, kind of funny, but not for family photos) . the best thing to do in this situation is tell me (and i really don't mind you mentioning it) and i'll work them out of whatever they are doing . parents remember, come, relax and just have fun with your kids you'll have great photos .

. hope these tips help somebody .

. happy wednesday .

:)