Family Portrait Sessions

How to prepare

NB - All of the following are purely recommendations.  What you wear is completely your choice.


HAIR & MAKEUP


  • Clean and classic makeup but ultimately whatever makes you feel your best.
  • If you are wearing false lashes, subtle is best.  Large false lashes can cause unflattering shadows under your eyes.  They also block the light from your eyes, which tends to make them appear smaller.
  • Loose hair is recommended i.e straightened, waved or curled, depending on your personal preference.
  • Try to avoid noticeable tan lines, broken nails/chipped nail polish


ATTIRE

** ladies wardrobe available. Please contact me to arrange a time, prior to your session if you'd like to utilise this.


For the most cohesive result, try to co-ordinate with each other, by choosing colour palette that works for everyone.  The following are good examples of this:


  • Neutral (beige, grey, off white) **
  • Earthy (beige, brown, rust, sage etc) **
  • Soft/muted colours / pastels **
  • All white


** A mix of denim also typically works well with the above.


  • Avoid solid black, if possible.  It can look harsh against other colours, especially in an outdoor setting.  (Dark grey and navy are good alternatives.)
  • Avoid solid white, if possible.  It can look stark against other colours, especially in an outdoor setting.  (Off white or beige are good alternatives)
  • If black and/or white are unavoidable, consider having multiple people wearing them, to balance out the images.
  • Dress for the same season and occasion.  
  • Subtle patterns are generally more suitable with larger groups.  Bold colours and patterns will draw focus and potentially upset the balance of the image.
  • Consider how your chosen clothing will work with other family members and choose colours that compliment, not clash.   


Footwear -  Preferably neutral coloured/plain shoes.

Neutral -  Neutral coloured/plain socks are ideal


  • Avoid logos, bold patterns (particularly stripes) and characters (Frozen, Bluey etc)
  • Remove creases from shirts and garments prior to your shoot.
  • Remove any old nail polish and temporary tattoos.


OTHER CONSIDERATIONS


Small children and babies have limited attention spans and at times, we will be working around sleep windows and feeding times.  Please ensure that they're well fed and rested and bring along anything that might offer them additional comfort through out the session, such as a favourite toy or snack.  If possible, try to avoid sugar loaded foods just prior to your shoot, so that they're not on a sugar high or crashing.  If children feel good, they're far more likely to co-operate.


PROPS AND OTHER SPECIAL REQUESTS


If you have something you'd particularly love to include in your session, please let me know so that we can workshop this prior to the session.  We don't want to include items that don't add value to the image or that may steal the focus from you!