BEST PRACTICES
Your photos should ultimately reflect your individual style, so please take my advice with a grain of salt. You can dress up or dress down for your session. It does not matter to me! But there are a few universal rules (or best practices) I encourage you to consider when picking out outfits and getting ready. You are always welcome to email or text me pictures of your outfits if you want my opinion on which items to wear.
NEUTRAL COLORS & EARTH TONES PHOTOGRAPH REALLY WELL
I personally prefer a more neutral color palette for portrait sessions. I think wearing clothes that complement the environment keeps the focus on you and not your wardrobe. That said, many people express themselves with color and patterns, and it’s really up to you how bold or curated you want your outfits to be. Pastels, earth tones, and jewel tones offer many great color palettes.
AVOID NEON COLORS.
Hot pinks, lime greens, and other neon colors often create an unflattering colorcast on your skin.
MINIMIZE SOLID WHITE CLOTHING.
I love the color white, but white clothing reflects too much light and color. It can easily become overexposed or tinted by the environment. I do my best to correct this during the editing process, but I prefer if you wear ivory, beige, or cream instead of white.
AVOID BRANDED CLOTHING.
Try to avoid using polos, pullovers, and sweaters that have company logos or graphics on them.
ASK YOURSELF:
Does this have texture?
Mix and match different solid color fabrics and textured cottons to add character and dimension to your wardrobe. I love linen, flannel, silk, wool, a chunky knit, and denim. Layers are also a great way to add texture and little pops of color or pattern without being too distracting.
Does it fit?
Can you comfortably move around your kids in this outfit? Nothing kills a good photo op faster than someone pausing to re-adjust an outfit. Things like mini skirts, loose shoulder straps, and dress belts can easily fall out of place and limit our options for poses and candids.
Will this cover underwear or a diaper?
If your child will be wearing a dress, use bloomers, biker shorts, leggings, or tights to cover underwear and diapers. If your baby or toddler will be in a shirt that may rise up, put a plain onesie underneath so that the top of their diaper (and their belly) will not be exposed if their shirt rises up.
GETTING READY
If you want to lean into being 100% authentic, then you can completely ignore this next advice and just come as you are. If, however, you want a polished look for your session, I strongly recommend doing the following:
Remove temporary tattoos and/or chipped nail polish.
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Take off brightly colored bandaids. (I will edit out scrapes and bruises.)
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Use gel, a hairspray wand, or wax stick to tame fine flyaway hairs around the face.
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Use a lint roller (especially on dark clothes or if you have a pet that sheds).
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Wear non-transition glasses. If you wear transition lenses (or photochromic lenses), on a sunny day it's going to look like you're wearing sunglasses in your photos. Bring a non-transitional pair or consider taking them off during your session.
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Go barefoot! If you don’t have nice shoes that compliment your outfits, I think it looks better to just be barefoot versus wearing shoes that don’t really match. But it's an all or nothing choice. Either everyone goes barefoot, or no one does.
Personality over perfection.
Confidence will always trump coordinated outfits. I’d rather you feel good in what you’re wearing and like how you look than wear something you don’t love just to coordinate or follow my advice. Wear what makes you feel great!
Also, none of this is worth a cortisol spike. No matter how hard we try to look nice, kids will inevitably do something to mess it up. When that happens, take a deep breath and let it go. It's hard to be in the moment if you're constantly fussing with clothing and hair.
A note to moms:
Please be kind to yourself and don't let your mind wander to negative self talk.
Self-deprecating humor (while a relatable coping mechanism) sets the wrong tone during your session, so try to avoid making critical comments about your body or jokes asking me to edit out your flaws.
To your family, you are truly beautiful, no matter what, and it's so important that you see yourself through their eyes.
xoxo,
Brooke
p.s. Please don't hesitate to reach out if you need any help choosing outfits!
