family
Family: What to Wear Guide
Congratulations on booking your Family Session, I am so excited to meet your family soon! This may also be the moment you think…. uh oh what do we wear and bring!? Don't even worry for a minute, I've got you covered. I have put together a little guide to help you. If you have any doubts please don't hesitate to send over photos of options, I love outfit planning!
details
neutral & soft tones
keep it simple
I suggest starting with a soft colour and mixing tones and textures to compliment rather than matching completely. I especially love all of the above soft tones. Consider choosing a tone you love and mixing and matching with textures and tones so that there is some soft contrast.
For Daddy: please avoid black & navy and tops that have heavy patterns or logos if possible as it creates a harsh contrast with the softness of your little one.
For Mummy: when the sun is setting often you will be able to see your body's silhouette if you are wearing white.
Simplicity is timeless and less stressful! I have put together a Pinterest Board to give you some inspiration. Hair & makeup: understated and soft is wonderful. For hair I would encourage you to style it so that your hair doesn't fall and cover your face (this especially for little ones).
If you have chosen a beach session your hands and feet will be visible so please consider being barefoot or if this feels uncomfortable to wear sandals or shoes that fit in with being close to the water and sand. Nail polish will likely be visible in some pictures so be sure to consider either no polish or a little nail love beforehand!
LITTLE TIPS
– Choose soft tones & mix textures/tones
– Avoid heavy patterns, navy and very dark tones
– Bring treats!
– Bring an activity to do together
– Extra outfit for littles in case they get wet
– Bring hairbrush & for kiddos consider hair styled so we can see their perfect little faces
– Shoes: barefoot or beach appropriate
sibling, tips & tricks
Pressure to create a portrait of your family – big smiles, perfectly coordinated outfits that aren’t wrinkled, the kids being angels and us parents looking 5 years younger and effortlessly photogenic. Is this what we will want looking back through our family albums in 20 years? Family photos are meant to preserve a moment in your life and make you feel something. When you look back through your most favourite photos rarely will the truly special ones be perfect because we aren’t perfect. They will however, bring a smile to your face and take you back to how you felt on that day.
What being a parent has taught me despite my attempts to fight it at times is that my family is far from perfect but it is love-filled and perfectly imperfect and I wouldn’t change the chaos for the world (well maybe I would change some of the messy house!) This is what makes every family session so unique. And this, is what we will miss when our kids are grown.
Often I am asked how to prepare for family portraits and so, dear parents, here it goes:
outfits
I adore linen, rompers, barefoot and soft colours! If possible I would avoid dressing kiddos in clothes with large logos, overly bright colours and busy patterns. Zara Kids and El Corte Ingles have great options.
For littler siblings: I will start with sibling photos so please bring everyone dressed with a change of clothes in case. Consider bringing for littler ones a change of clothes in case they get wet or if a mid-session treat gets on their outfit!
I love barefoot but if that's not your preference please consider footwear that is subtle in colour or shoes that aren't too flashy and beach appropriate. For girls: longer dresses and rompers are super cute or little leggings and a top so that we aren't having to worry about underpants showing. Hair: swept off of their face possibly with a headband or clip so that we aren't having to worry about this while getting those adorable portraits we are dreaming of. If you are planning on wearing trousers please consider that we will likely be near the water so if they aren't too long or can be rolled and not get too wet that is ideal.
If your youngest spends the majority of her days twirling and dreaming of being a fairy ballerina then wouldn’t it be lovely to have a beautiful portrait of her with her fairy wings? I encourage parents to bring along these special outfits, especially for individual portraits of the kids – you should see the sparkle it brings to their eyes…even to the most skeptical little models!
Treats! Not clothing related I know, but so important! It can feel overwhelming for siblings sometimes, treats work a …. treat!
choosing the right location
Choosing a location that is familiar and means something to your family will put your kids (and you) at ease. If you are visiting Marbella on holidays and spend your days on the beach, why not pick your favourite beach for your photos? Not only will these images feel more natural but your kids will be more confident because it is a place they know well and they will more likely not protest having their portraits taken and want to show me around.
choose an activity to do together
After taking formal family portraits, I encourage families to bring along an activity that they would normally do together. Perhaps this is kicking a football or flying a kite or blowing bubbles – whatever the activity may be it will help you to stop trying to get everyone to listen and instead just be focused on having fun. Sometimes we can feel frazzled especially with younger kids and trying to get to your session on time and all looking presentable and in the right mood. Running in the sand, playing with your kids, LAUGHING and being present does magic for your portraits and you might actually leave having had fun! These will also be some of the most special family portraits we will create together.
In a world full of social media perfection, let us consciously stop being so hard on ourselves and stop trying to create perfection and trust that I will see your family and capture those special moments of love.
If you have any questions at all or would like help choosing what to wear, please let me know, it would be my absolute pleasure to go through these details with you so that on the day you can all feel relaxed.