Styling Support

Welcome, please note that no AI is ever used in my writing. You'll always be reading the words straight from my passion for this purpose of helping you love your session to the fullest. I trust you'll hear my voice behind any possible grammar errors and look past them to feel my passion for photography. I do not believe that the right styling can make or break a photography session. I do, however, believe it can make you feel at your best and draw the viewers eye right to the moment you wanted to capture.

The majority of the time, it's the mom that contacts me to schedule a session. I've said it for years and I will continue to suggest: build your photoshoot outfits around your preferred outfit. Take the time to go through your closet or go purchase something you feel absolutely amazing in.

Why does styling your session matter? You are going to treasure these photos for the rest of your life. You may share them on social media or create your holiday card with them. They are also going to get passed down for generations to come.

Styling should be personal to you and your family. I intentionally do not have a client closet. I don't want you to be in the same dress as hundreds of others. I want everything about your session to feel personal to you and your family. 

Love a bold color or pattern? No problem, but let's make sure the pairing compliments the rest of the wardrobe. Generally, you do not want multiple patterns battling the viewer's eyes. Above you can see two different options for letting one piece of clothing be bold and the others complimenting it. Often, a mom or daughter's dress is more bold and special to them. We lay that piece out on the bed and start pairing the rest of the family's options to work together. If you have a larger family where there will be five or more, you could add another pattern into the mix.

I have had families wear identical attire. Two common matching setups are everyone in a solid neutral color, or jeans and tees. Those are scenarios where you would want to match more identical in color.

When you are mixing and matching, you could go for one darker jean and another lighter jean. Then add a dress or leggings in. You'll see two examples above with the same jean setup and a colored legging option. The more family members you add into the mix, it's best to have everything laid out and imagine you all close together and how the colors will land together. Dresses and skirts are a great way to add more variety.

Dresses that sway and twirl always make for fun photos. Teens and adults in skirts and dresses ensure you can easily sit and stand in them. For the littles, having a matching color shorts underneath is a great option to ensure the outfit is ready for play. 

You've probably started to notice the color pairings in the photos above and are starting to have some ideas sparked. Before you begin, let's establish what your backdrop will be. If you are going to the forest, you do not want everyone dressed in green and getting mistaken as a fellow tree. If you're in front of the water you do not want to be all in blue and lost in the water. Colors can be picked to compliment the backdrop, be seasonal to the local foliage, or meaningful to your family. 

I am here to help from when you first contact me with questions all the way to ensure you have saved all your edited images. As you lay out your lineup, send it to me and let's work through it together. 

It's common to forget about shoes in your selections. DO NOT just let the family wear their favorite athletic shoes. You've worked so hard to set this up. Find a neutral shoe to finish bringing everything together. I understand you do not want to buy a pair of shoes just for a photoshoot (neither do I). You'd be surprised how many friends would let you borrow a pair. Check your local buy nothing group or visit my favorite recommendation for a local consignment store. All these photos were actually taken there. You can visit Pop Up Kids at 7530 28th St W Suite B, University Place, WA 98466 and have a good chance at planning your entire photoshoot attire with one stop.  Final note, having any photos taken is better than none. Hiring a photographer to help capture those meaningful moments with intention is even better. What's best is taking some time to intentionally craft what your family will wear. I look forward to seeing what you come up with!