What To Wear For Your Photo Session | Tips & Visuals
My MOST FAQ is "what do I wear?" This can trick people up wether it's just for yourself, or for 20 of your closest family members. Here are some tips that will help you look perfect no matter the occasion or group size.
Avoid stripes:
There is a rumor that stripes are not slimming or flattering on people, and I beg to disagree BUT there is another reason why I always say to avoid stripes all together! Medium to small stripes, or a small plaid are always subject to digital distortion. I don't know exactly how to explain why it happens (there is a fascinating article on it here) all that I know for sure if that it will make you look like your waving in and out of another dimension. I do not recommend this particular activity for your photo session.
Busy patterns:
So no stripes, but what about other busy patterns? If you're a floral lover, or you want a classic flannel, or something with an array of bright colors...go for it! I just suggest that if you're in a group of people, only one or a few of you (depending on the group size) wear a busy pattern, because It's typically best to place someone in multi colors next to a solid shirt. You can also bring a solid scarf, cardigan or sweater to tone down the busy pattern when you're standing in a group.
Easy changes + accessories:
Speaking of scarfs or cardigans, they are great accessories to quickly move through wardrobe changes for more variety during your session, and also help to spice up something simple! Take it to the next level with quick jewelry, or shoe changes and in current fashion you almost cant go wrong with a wide brimmed felt hat. But if that's not your style then...
Don't be too extreme:
A lot of people want to go all out for photos, and buy nice outfits that they have never worn before. There is nothing wrong with this, and the results are often stunning! But There are times that people will later realize they love the outfit itself more than the way the love the way it looks on them, and then regret having their photos done in it! My suggestion? Plan your outfits around colors and cuts/styles that you know flatter your body, and that you feel confident in. Don't dress for some cute look seen on Pinterest, wear what feels the most like YOU. It will show in your photos when you feel comfortable and confident.
Base color + complimentary colors:
So that may all sound great, but where the heck do you start? Here is what I do. Pick a BASE color, like black, tan, or denim blue, and pick 3-5 complimentary colors to keep in your color scheme with that base color. Pick these colors based on:
- what will blend well with your photo location
- what colors you know flatter you
- colors that will compliment your home when the photos are displayed
For large family groups, it's not too over the top to pick some paint chips and send everybody the pallets so they can color match when they're shopping for photo day. Don't expect them all to be perfect, but it helps create a baseline for everyone.
Evergreen style:
If you typically only have photos done once a year, or even less often then that, then I suggest wearing something that can be used in photos year round, and is’n't too seasonal..i.e., maybe don't wear a pumpkin dress or candy cane pajamas... this way you can get more mileage out of your photos, displaying them in your home or using them in social media post. Jewel tones, neutrals, or black and white are pretty evergreen and right now they're also trendy, and I think they look good on anyone!
Match the location or the occasion:
If you'r still feeling overwhelmed, take cues from the location you have picked. Go on Pinterest and search "country photo session" or "city family photos" and get inspiration form what you see there!
If all else fails, throw this all out the window and just have some freaking fun with it. If you ave little kids that are particular about what they wear, or they are obsessed with a particular set of rain-boots, or a Christmas sweater...what the heck? It may not be super * aesthetic * but it will capture a really special memory for you all, so if they insist on wearing what they want for picture day, don't let that get you down! Embrace the special memories ❤️
Next up, how to pick the perfect location...
What other questions would you like me to answer about your photo sessions? Leave me a question in the comments, and I'll get you the best answer I can find!
Thanks for reading.
Summer Sunflowers | Quick Photography & Editing Tips
Even though bluebonnet season was a bust this year, it's been made up to us by the most rainy Spring that Texas has had in a very long time, and that rainy Springs= a rainbow of wildflower bursting into full blooms.
In my nine years of living in San Antonio, TX I have never seen so many wildflowers, nor wildflowers this tall! We spotted this breathtaking field on the side of the highway, growing in mud and muck that was littered with debris, on just a small untouched strip of land in front of office buildings. I love how mother nature doesn’t wait for anyones permission to grow and shine, don’t you?
I keep waiting for the days that Mia is sick of me taking her photos, but I am so grateful that she still happily frolics in the flowers for an impromptu photo shoot!
These are some simple ways I help her feel comfortable, and have more fun taking photos:
1) Her and I both wore tall, close toed, shoes, we don't want to be surprised by anything stuck in the ground or lurking in the tall grasses
2) I always scope out where I want her to be, and go there first so she is reassured that there are not thorns or bugs. If she's going to sit somewhere , I will check the ground and do a test sit before I ask her to get cozy.
3) Turn up a playlist that gets you grooving! Use your phone or a bluetooth speaker to jam out during your session.
4) It's always easiest, especially if you're not a pro and if you're photographing kids, to wait until the natural lighting is right in that sweet spot. In these photos, it was about an hour and a half until sunset, giving us a warm glow to bask in without blinding bright light or harsh shadows. When I am photographing older humans, there is fun to be had with dramatic lighting in broad daylight, but it's much easier to give kids the freedom of frolicking about without worrying too much about your lighting AND you won't have to adjust your camera setting much if you’re in consistent lighting.
5) I used this atmosphere spray from Amazon to add a fog to my photos. Turns out I didn’t have enough hands to spray it and photograph it before it got carried away in the wind, so I will experiment with this again for a studio session or with my camera on a tripod.
6) Let's talk about framing your images really quick. This can make or break them. I have a short list in my mind of different composures I want to grab from each session.
- details - these are you macro shots like wedding rings, or for portraits it's often wrinkly baby feet, hand dimples, long lashes, or freckles.
- classic portrait- I like to get at least one classic portrait, with the subject framed in the center or to the right using the rule of thirds, and capturing from a out mid chest to top of head.
- wide angle - think of a spectrum and gradually work form up close to zoomed back. I want to make sure included mages in every session that show the setting and tell the story of the location, use the rule of third again to frame your subject in these wide angle shots.
- move your body or hold your camera and different angles to experiment telling a story with perspective. Try having some objects in the foreground, but with the focus on your subject.
- with each of these in mind, I also rotate between vertical and horizontal frames of each shot-this way, you will have plenty of variety and images that tell a whole story from A-Z!
If you want to know more about the rule of thirds and everything else photography related, I will be going over all of it in my photography course. You can sign up for my newsletter here to make sure you're the first to know when it launches, and get it on sale!
For my Lightroom users, here are some quick notes on editing.
I created a preset for this session with a focus on warm skin tones and hues that felt like Summer. I worked on the color tones to enhance the deep blues, rich greens, and golden yellows. Even after I create a custom preset, my editing certainly isn't one click and done! I like to add more moodiness and drama to my photos. One of the ways I do this is by brushing different areas of the image. I typically add a very subtle vignetting around the edges of the images. On the subject, I will create a brush that adds highlights (this brings out those details in the hair, freckles on the skin, etc.) and I will sharpen around the focal point of the images to first draw the viewers eyes there. Then I will brush all around the subject to give the image a dreamy look. To create this look, I turn my texture all the way down, my sharpening all the way up, and adjust the clarity to my liking. Give this a try on your next edit and let me know what you think!
I hope you learned something new, thanks for taking the time to read! What do you want to know next? I love hearing from you in the comments, or shoot me a message. We will chat soon ❤️
Want to book your own sunflower session with me? Click here to send me a message!
Branding Session Planning & Must Haves | FREE PDF
Social media + photography go together like cake and icing.
Most everyone is representing some form of their own brand now, whether that brand is themselves (influencers) or their small business.
A good branding session can make your life easier by arming with you with months worth of great content for easing posting, continuity between your website, business cards, social media & other marketing materials. Help raise brand awareness, and help you connect with your ideal clients.
However, it is crucial to get ultra specific on your brand design, and your mission for your photo session to make the time you have with your photographer (if you're in San Antonio, Texas hopefully thats me!) the most beneficial for your business.
Aside from my tips for any portrait session: i.e. sleep well, stay hydrated, wear what you feel confident in, hire a hair + makeup artist. Here are my go-to's for helping my clients plan out the best branding session!
Grab my FREE PDF here if you're serious about getting the wheels turning for your business shoot.
Contact me here if you want to rock with me. YAY.
Let's start with the basics, choose your color palette and incorporate your logo, or logo colors, throughout your session when you can. Remember, you want to make an impression with your audience. Being repetitive is good for brand awareness. Having a color palette is essential for brand continuity from your cards, to your website, and social media. This includes the overall edit of your images, if you have a curated Instagram feed that you want to stay in theme with. Most photographers, myself included, have it in their contract you do not add filters or edits to your retouched images, so make sure they can match your brand style if that's something you desire.
You cannot sell ANYTHING if you do not know what you're selling, and if you do not make your offer abundantly clear to your audience. Define what it is that you're offer, and how you are going to portray this in your images. An exercise I have my clients do is thinking of 5 adjectives or verbs that define their brand like a color palette, but with words. hahaha
Okay, so you have a pretty package and a good offer but WHO are you giving the offer too? You need to understand as much as you can about your ideal client, so you can make sure that your images move them and speak to them. What's relatable to them? Funny to them? What solution to a problem can you offer them? My PDF has more questions to help you discover a clear target audience.
If you have done all that work, good for you! You are making sure that you get the most out of your branding session. Now, to maximize your results with the time you have during your session, work with your photographer on a vision board (shares images that make you fell like the BOSS that you are) and have a shot list ready to go on shoot day, so nothing is overlooked or forgotten. If you want to take this to the next level, plan out specific post you want to have to engage with your audience, and create an image for that post. My goal as your photographer is always to capture as much high quality images as I possibly can give you in your session, so you have tons of great content to use again and again.
Lastly, a quick short list of what you should have loaded in your car, or at your office to be ready for your photographer. Get ready EARLY so you have all of the time with your photographer to take amazing images.
Do you know an amazing small business owner? Send this to them so they can use these tips to get the most out of their branding session.
Grab your free PDF here loaded with prompts to help you define your audience, and plan out every detail for the most successful branding photo session!
Have you been thinking about a branding session for yourself, but you're nervous about where to start? I understand how much your image (literally) means to you, and I am excellent at helping you put your best face forward for your personal brand. Let's talk about how together, we can create the most impactful branding session for you!
Summer Mini Sessions At The River
A recent heat wave served as a reminded that Summer is peaking around the corner. This bluebonnet season was a bust, and in general....life has been a whole new kind of wild.
I have had so many of you mention to me that you want to do photos, but I know that making it a priority is a challenge sometimes, which is why mini sessions are the perfect solution.
A weekend day when the kids are out of school, a beautiful pre-determined location with tall grass, dirt trails, gorgeous trees, and a babbling shallow river.
What makes mini sessions so great?
Mini sessions are completely pre-planned, with a set date & location so all you have to do is pick a time slot and show up. The short and sweet time window is excellent for getting a quick update on family photos, and snapping a couple of individuals. They are a client favorite, because they're discounted from my regular sessions, and already include your beautifully retouched digital images (15 in this case). I only do events like this 2-3 times a year, so that there is an opportunity for everyone to find a setting that they love!
My next mini session special will not be until the holidays.
What can I expect from this mini session?
Plan for it like you would a fun family outing such as a hike, or a picnic. In fact, I encourage you to plan a fun activity for after your session is wrapped!
First off, you can head over to my Pinterest for some inspiration on what to wear. My specialty is candid, natural and emotional storytelling, so wear something that is the most YOU, you should feel comfortable and confident in it. You can message me to confirm a time that is best for you, and please tell me what moments you are really hoping to capture the most.
I will confirm with you the day before your session. In the event of rain, a new date will be picked for the Summer river mini sessions. If any of you are feeling unwell, or something else comes up you can message me to cancel. Please give me as much notice as possible.
Get plenty of rest, and stay well hydrated the day before and day of your session, to be the most glowy and photo ready. I suggest arriving 15 minutes prior to your session time, so you can make your way to me and be ready to start right at your time slot. I want you to be able to get the most out of our 30 minutes together! I will be down by the river, which is about a five minute walk. You may want to spritz on a bit of bug repellent, and bring a water bottle along for the ride.
Finally, photo time! At this point, I will know any particular images you really want, and you can also share with me any other things you would like me to be aware of such as if you have a favorite profile side (most people do actually!).
I will coach you through movements that feel natural, and are fun for you while capturing all the BEST moments, so there is no need for you to feel nervous about not knowing what to do in front of the lens. The expectation is for you to have FUN. I encourage you to sing a favorite song with the kids, chase and tickle them, dance with your partner or snuggle up close. Be silly, give lot's of big hugs, splash around a little. Your session will take place along the riverbanks, by the trees, and wading into the shallow waters a bit. You can also enhance your session by bringing along memory triggers.
This setting will be focused on capturing the feeling of those long and carefree summer days, filled with laughter and love.
After your session, your retouched digital images will arrive in your inbox within 5-7 days. You can easily view, share, and download your images from your private gallery. Your session includes a print release, and you will have the choice of hundreds pf print products, from displays to albums right from my shop. If more than 15 images from your session are just too good to keep to myself, you will have the option of purchasing additional files for $10 per photo.
When is it better to have a storybook family session?
If you haven't had family photos done in awhile, and you want a session without a time constraints to truly capture the essence of your family, and create a time capsule of this stage in your lives, then I suggest a full session. You are also able to include your sweet pets, or any grandparents that are able to come along in storybook session. Often the longer I am with your family, the more fun we have together allowing me to capture even great moments, and give you much more variety in your gallery. You will receive a wide range of images from your whole family together, each of the kids personalities shining in their individual photos, you and your partner together, and so much more. A storybook session includes ALL of the images from your session and a wooden usb with your files in additional to your private online gallery.
If you have never been to the Cibolo nature center before , you are in for a real treat. No admission fees are required. You can see more about the center here.
If you are ready to reserve your spot, clock the "book a session" button on this page, or send me a message here!
I can't wait to capture precious memories of your family at the river in just a few weeks!
CIBOLO NATURE CENTER
How To Print & Preserve Your Photo Keepsakes
More photos are taken in now than ever before in history , but less and less of those photos are being preserved. Most of us click it and forget it, occasionally posting to social media, but rarely organizing and setting aside our favorite images. What a tragedy it would be if the most photographed generation, had the fewest of their memories in photographs to look back and reminisce on?
I found this great article speaks in depth about how we're "leaking memories".
So, what can be done about it? I know that you don't have the time to sort through and print out 100's of photos a month. Luckily for us, we live in an age of convenience...and there is an app for that.
Starting out, I want to introduce you to this excellent tool for digital online photo organization and storage. It's hard to foresee internet photo storage becoming outdated, but perhaps it's conceivable. For now, it's close tot he best thing we have got, and with facial recognition, and allowing multiple people to access it, this is a great way to store, organize, and save your best memories.
Backing up your photos to a hard drive is the current standard for safely backing up your images. But admittedly, it's hard to know whether or bot this technology will change over extended periods of times, and it's not the most convenient. This is coming from someone in their 20's who has already endured saving images to cd's, then to usb's, and now hard drives. Also, RIP to all my high quality emo photos fading away on Myspace. 😂 Truth be told, I have external hard drives AND old phones and computer sitting around for no other purpose than for me to "get all the photos off of" which may or may not ever happen.
Additionally, there is the small chance of them being damaged in the same way that prints can be...lost in a move, or in a natural disaster such as flooding, fire, or kids. This is worst case scenario, but something to be considered when saving your most precious images. Let's use wedding photos as an example. I highly recommend having them beautifully displayed around your home to enjoy, or making and album to show off but I also suggest having the files saved to a hard drive that's in a fire and waterproof safe, or back them up with a digital service like the one I mentioned before, and don't forget your password!
This seriously intense external storage is best rated for video and photo pros. For everyone else, this more affordable options from Amazon is also great quality and good reviews. For personal use, I recommend culling through your images and then only backing up the ones that you hope will last forever. Really make it worth puling out of storage one day.
Hands down, the best way to enjoy your photos every day and hand them down to future generation is the one method that has long withstood the test of time. PRINTS.
Printing has evolved, and there are limitless ways to enjoy your favorite photos. Form having them etched into glass, carved into wood, turned into an art illustration, or displayed in a digital frame that you can update periodically. My go to for all my prints and photo products has been Mpix for years. I love them for the combinations of best quality, wide range of products, great customer service, and affordability. Yes, you can find some items more affordable at other places, but for the combination of the things I just mentioned, Mpix is unmatched.
If you want to go the extra mile for yourself and your extended family? Create a family tree with everyone's recent family photo session (hey, if you need to update yours, you can book with me here!) Research your families history, and put together photos of past generations and recent family gathering into an album. My Grandma did this, then printed copies for all the grandkids. It is one of my most prized possessions.
Easily one of my favorite inventions of all time, is Chatbooks. Thank goodness for entrepreneurs that see a need and fulfill it well. I am convinced that any mom who isn't using Chatbooks, simply just doesn't know it exist. Initially you will need to invest 20-30 minutes downloading the app on your phone, and setting up your profile. After that, the process is gloriously automated. You can choose to have it synched with your instagram, or camera roll favorites. All you have to do after snapping photos of your kids all day, is favorite the photos in your camera roll that you want printed. Chatbooks will put them all together in a small chronological photo book, and ship it out to you every time you hit a full book (60 images). You can order books for special occasions like "Summer vacay 2021" You can also add notes or captions to your book before it ships, or delay shipping if you need too but what I love is that if you don't want to have to do any of that, then you still get your photos in print and my kids love to sit down with our pile of chatbooks and go over all their favorite memories together.
Last suggestions. Set up an email account, or even a private instagram account for your kids (I'm betting we can depend on e-mail lasting longer than social media platforms). Send photos and littles notes of big milestones or special moments to that e-mail account, and give them the login information on their 18th birthday. Since most of us have left our handheld camcorders in the past, I think this is a wonderful gift to give all the kids who will be missing out on watching terrible quality home videos one day.
I hope that this answers all the queries you had about storing and printing your images, but if you have more questions, leave them in the comments! Do you have a friend who would love these photo storage ideas? Please pass this post along to her.