Styling

Family

Styling is such an important part of your family’s images and will have a major impact on the finished product. It will not only affect your physical look; it will also influence how you feel which will carry over into the images. It’s also potentially one of the most time consuming and stressful components of the shoot. Due to these factors, I provide a service that will transform this process into a positive experience.

Once you’ve hired me to conduct the shoot, I’ll provide a link and login credentials to Style and Select. This is a service that will allow you to easily decide on outfits. You enter some basic information regarding your family size, ages, etc. You’ll also provide color preferences and clothing vibe so they can customize your selections. They’ll pull together suggested items and outfits from retailers like H&M, Zara, Target, Old Navy, Free People and many others. They'll provide details on both budget friendly and higher end items.

One of the great features of this service is that you can either purchase the items that you select directly from the retailers or you can use this as a guide to put together your own outfits. Since they provide photos of items you have a lot of flexibility with options on how to move forward. You can exclusively use items that you already own or would like to obtain locally, purchase all new items by following the links or do a little of both.

Again, I’ve paid for this service and it’s included in your shoot so you can use it as much or as little as you desire. The goal is that your family looks incredible in your photographs and this service will help ensure you chose photo-friendly outfits.

Pets

Styling for a pet session will vary from shoot to shoot depending on the images you're interested in creating. Even though the majority of shoots don't require any type of styling, grooming is beneficial. With high resolution images every detail will show up so you at least want the areas around their eyes, nose and mouth clean. Depending on the amount and type of hair you may also want to brush him or her out prior to the shoot. If you would like to have your shoot coincide with with a grooming session please let me know and we can easily work this out. 

If you are interested in outfits we can discuss at our initial consultation.    

Individual / Senior Portraits

During your individual / senior portrait session you'll want two or three different outfits so we can create different looks for your images. At a minimum you should have one casual and one dressier look. The casual look should be something you typically wear so you're comfortable and and shows your "normal" self. The dressier look should be something that makes you look and feel fabulous. You can add an additional outfit or two that incorporates your passions, hobbies, culture, etc. Perhaps you play sports or would like to add a look that's designed around your culture. If you go with one of these options, plan the entire outfit that includes props. 

Even though you're not coordinating outfits with other family members I would highly recommend using the same service that I use for family sessions which is Style and Select. You'll get some great options and ideas as you go through the online process and it will only take a short amount of time to complete. This service will provide specific details on outfits and retailers. You can purchase items that you select or just use the outfits that they suggest as inspiration. They'll even ask you questions regarding color palettes and clothing vibe so the suggestions they provide will be customized for you. Once you've hired me for the shoot I'll provide a link and the login credentials for this service. I've already paid for the service so this is included in your session. 

We'll also discuss styling during our initial consultation and my goal is to make your outfit selections as stress free and fun as possible. I want you to look and feel amazing so the images that we create will also be amazing.  

Additional general styling information can be found by follow this link and I've listed some tips below: Ultimate Styling Prep Sheet

• Match Your Personality - Wear outfits that match your personality and your own personal style. 
• Keep Clothing Visually Simple - Avoid outfits with words or bold designs, pictures, etc. You want your face to be the focal point of the image and not your clothes. 
• Color - In addition to thinking about what colors look good on you and trying to stick with solids, give some consideration to the location and time of year.  Colors like sky blue, pale green, watermelon and dark peach work well in the Spring or Summer. For Fall, consider wearing red, gold, deep orange, emerald green and dark green. In addition, darker shades tend to make people look slimmer. Try not to wear flesh-tone or neutral colors such as white, beige, tan, pale peach or pink, or gray, as these can dominate the picture and make you look washed out.
• Existing Outfits - If you have outfits that you already own and love, these are great candidates for your shoot. These outfits will show who you are, they'll fit properly and you'll feel good wearing them. Another great option is to wear your first day of school outfit. That was an outfit that you probably planned out and it tells people who you are.  
• Clothing Fit - Clothes that are either too tight or loose will not look good in your pictures. This includes under garments. Items that are too tight will create unnatural curves and bulges. Clothes that are too loose will make you look large and bulky. The outfit should also look good whether you're standing, sitting or kneeling. This will allow you to use a variety of poses during the shoot.  
• Jewelry - Classic jewelry pieces are recommended. Avoid attention grabbing or trendy jewelry. You should be the focus of the image and not your jewelry. 
• Glasses - If you wear glasses day-to-day, you should wear glasses in your pictures. However, the lenses can cause issues during the photo shoot so remove the lenses if possible. 
• Tans and Tan Lines - You typically don't want to tan immediately before a shoot because your skin tone may look unnatural. If you have tan lines, consider this when picking outfits so you cover them.  
• Shoes - For females, you typically want something with a heel unless it's a themed outfit (sports, band, etc.) If you're doing a shoot in a park or wooded area, bring comfortable shoes to wear until it's time to shoot. 
• How You Feel - This can't be stressed enough but if you feel good, the pictures are more likely to look good. Wear clothes that make you feel amazing!