Styling your session
Why does it matter?
Because your not hiring me to take picutres- your hiring me to create are
Like apinter carefully considers the elements of comopositiion (balance, contrast, focus, motion and pattern) when mixing paints for his masterpiece, we must do the same when choosing the elements that go into yours.
The outfits you choose to wear for your session should reflect your s tyle, both individually and as a famliy- however, the colors, textures and styles will play a husge part int he way your photos turn out
Some outfits ahtt look great in real life just don’t photograph well or distract from you and your family. When you hire me, I’lls end you my comprehensive client syle guide that goes into great detail about styling with all my tips and trick snad expams. Until then I’m giving you this little snealk peak of my five basic styling principles
2. TEXTURE & PATTERNS
textures and patterns help add movement dimension. and visual interest to vour images. Examples of different textures include chunky sweaters/cardigans. long flowy dresses (if they're translucent, even better!), linens/gauze, velvet, fringe, corduroy, statement jewelry (especially earrings, bracelets, or rings), etc. Mix and match a variety of textures both within each outfit and across your whole family. Patterns are another areat wav to add more visual interest to vour images. As a general rule one tor every three people should be in a pattern. Go tor medium-sized patterns Stripes and florals are my favorites! No buffalo plaid or super thin stripes/ tiny patterns, please.
4. CONTRAST
Contrast is the styling principle that will keep you looking like one monochromatic blob Simplv put contrast says put each of your familv members in different values so thev stand out from each other Here s what it looks like: Let’s pretend I’m shooting a couple and they both wear black. When I edit their pictures, their black clothes blend tog blend together making it hard to tell where one person ends and the other begins. But if she wore black and he wore white they’d have contrast and stand out from each other. i(thought I don’t typically recommend black and white, it’s helps explain the principle.)
So it mama wants to wear a dark dress, dad should be in a lighter shade and babv in a medium tone. Or if someonis dark on bottom and light on top, then whoever they’re most likely to stand next to should be light on bottom and dark on top. Contrast.
1. COLOR
You want the colors you wear to both help you stand out and blend with the environment, thats why I recommend starting with location. in general thinK warm neutral. earthv. rich. and vibrant NO TWO PEOPLE SHOULD WEAR THE SAME COLOR. Instead, choose colors that complement each other rather than match exactly. Including lots o neutrals will help prevent a color overload The colors you chose will also affect the way my editing style reads on your images, best to stick with similar colors as in my Instagram feed, since those are probably what drew you to me in the tirst place. Limit cool tones lIke certain blues and greens, and avoid lignt grey at all costs
3.LAYERS
Besides adding even more depth and visual interest, adding layers to your wardrobe gives your images an immediate sense of coziness, cuddles, and warmth. Cardigans and even blankets look great worn off the shoulder. Open work-shirts, jackets, overalls, and vests are an especially great way to layer the men in the family.
4. BE YOU
Show your tattoos, bring hats, favorite items that help tell the story of who you are and what’s important to you.