Kelly V. Photography blog

Is it really September already? I know summer always seems to fly by, but I’m having a hard time coming to grips with the fact that I’ll be pulling out my sweaters before I know it. As I’m sure most of you are, too.

But when it comes to portrait sessions, it’s not too early to start thinking about fall and even the holidays. Lots of people want to give photos as gifts, not to mention send out  personalized one-of-a-kind custom photo cards to their friends and family. If you’re one of them, I only have a handful of openings left in November and December, and they’re likely to fill fast.

This week, Jennifer Minor of Minor Impressions Photography in Texas gets in the fall mindset with some great layered looks.

Here’s what Jennifer had to say:

Here in Texas, it’s still HOT, and the thought of putting together an outfit for the fall just seemed downright dreadful! If you’re anything like me, you like to procrastinate a little bit, and you can’t help but laugh (or cry) at the thought of planning anything for the holidays already. But it’s already September, and most photographers are beginning to schedule those family sessions right now. So don’t wait too long and miss out on your chance to have the holiday card everyone is talking about!

Alright, now that you’ve scheduled your family session, what to wear? You would think that it would be easier to just have everyone wear the same color shirt and be done with it, right?! Not so fast — it is almost always inevitable that someone purchases a cream shirt instead of a white one, or maybe their black shirt is a little more faded than yours, or your idea of red is a little bit closer to maroon than cherry. It’s usually MUCH harder to match  the same color instead of coordinate around one outfit.

In the outfits below, I picked out a dress for the girl that has multiple colors. Everyone else has a shirt or sweater that compliments at least one of the colors of the dress. Add a few accessories and you have a matching ensemble without trying to “match” four shirts of the same color.
 

Shopping list
 
Girl’s Outfit
Sweater dress: J.C. Penney’s, $19.99
Boots: Kohl’s, $39.99
Headband: LovMely Accessories, $15.00
 
Boy’s Outfit
Polo: J.C. Penney’s, $7.99
Jeans: Kohl’s, $17.99
Shoes: Kohl’s, $34.99
 
Mom’s Outfit
Sweater: Old Navy, $34.50
Jeans: Old Navy, $25.00
Boots: Kohl’s, $28.99
Bracelet: J.C. Penney’s, $10.99
Earrings: J.C. Penney’s, $8.99
 
Dad’s Outfit
Shirt: Kohl’s, $27.99
Jeans: Kohl’s, $36.99
Shoes: Kohl’s, $39.99

With an almost 3-year-old of my own, I certainly know how challenging toddlers can be to photograph. Little ones are active and on the move, so it’s important to keep that in mind when choosing outfits for their portrait session.

This week, Erica of Erica May Photography in Texas not only put together some great looks for the toddler-set, but she also outlined a few great tips for parents to help ensure a succesful shoot. I’m all about playing games, having fun and definitely taking breaks when necessary. Because although small children can be challenging, there is nothing better — NOTHING — than capturing a genuine smile of a kid in their element. It’s like an instant jolt of happy to display on your wall.

Here’s what Erica had to say:

Babies and toddlers can definitely be the hardest age group to photograph. Between the spitting up, drooling, crying and running away from the camera, it can get pretty difficult. However, when you get that great shot of a challenging toddler, all the hard work pays off!

But dressing your baby/toddler doesn’t have to be hard! This is the one time in your child’s life that they won’t have a strong opinion about what you dress them in, so go for it! I give you permission to go crazy and get your toddler something ridiculously cute to wear to their session!

I put together some great outfits below that are full of personality, color and layers – all things we have been talking about every week in our Wardrobe Wednesday posts. Of course, I would never spend $100 on an outfit for my little boy to wear every day, but I do splurge for his photo shoots. Why? Because it totally makes the pictures come alive!

For babies and toddlers, make sure to try their outfit on ahead of time to make sure it fits them just right (even if it means buying the size they are about to outgrow!). It is always a good idea for a toddler session to bring a snack and drink for them so they can take breaks during their session. (Being cute is hard work!)

A really good trick to get portraits of your baby/toddler holding still is to bring something for them to do. We had a fantastic post a few weeks ago about props, and toddlers are a great example of how a prop can make a picture. I added a few pictures below of toddlers in action with their props. Often we can save the prop for the end of the session when they are bored with it all, and it gives the child an extra boost of energy and smiles! Remember toddler photo shoots don’t always go as planned, but just relax, go with the flow and have fun!

Featured Stores:
www.miniboden.com
www.ralphlauren.com
www.littleboychic.com
www.oldnavy.com
www.babygap.com

If you’d like to set up a session for your little one, e-mail me at info@kellyvphotography.com!