How to Rock Your Holiday Family Photos
Thank-you, Dana of Pictiur Photography for writing this amazing post and sharing your tips! Dana and her husband Teauge - the other half of the business - have experience with maternity and newborn photography as well as family portraits. They’ve captured some of my favorite family portraits!
It’s that time of year again and holiday photos are upon us! If you’re like many of my clients, you’re stressing about what to wear and how to dress your crew to get some holiday card worthy images. This season brings so many other things to stress about, so let me help take just one thing off your “to-do” list. I have a few tips that I always give clients when they book a session with me, and I’m excited to share them with you!
Tip #1: Momma Comes First
In my opinion, the most important wardrobe-planning tip is to pick something for YOU first! Momma is typically the hardest critic in the family, so starting with your outfit and choosing the rest of the family’s to complement what you have chosen for yourself ensures you will be feeling your best for your session. When we feel our best, we look our best! It really shows in your photos when you bring your confidence!
Tip #2: Be Intentional with Your Color Scheme Selections
We love for our images to be long lasting. Not only do we want to treasure them when we look back on Christmases past, but also when we have them on display year-round! If you are comfortable with photos that have a holiday feel, then feel free to wear a festive sweater or outfit! However, if you want a photo that can be used for more than one occasion, choose a more neutral color palate. Similarly, if you already know you’ll want to hang the images on your wall, choose a color palate that compliments the tones found in your home.
Tip #3: Choose a Holiday Card First
If you’re a mega-planner like Mandy, then this tip is for you! I can’t tell you how many times I have found the PERFECT holiday card, but it doesn’t mesh with the wardrobe I selected for my photos. Solution? Choose the card first! Once you have the look of the card in place, it can help guide any clothes shopping you might need to do before the photo session. Check out Mandy’s tips for picking the perfect card design.
Tip #4: Mix and Match
Have you seen those pictures where everyone wears a white t-shirt and jeans? This might make your outfit selection process easy, but it also makes posing difficult for photographers who are trying to avoid your family looking like a one color blob. Don’t be afraid to mix and match some fun patterns and solids into your outfits! For a family of four, I recommend two family members in solids and two in floral, patterns or prints. I also recommend one parent in solids and another in pattern and the same goes for the kids. If you have more than two children - or maybe including extended family as well - just make sure there’s a good mix of solids and prints that compliment each other so that you have a lot of options for posing!
Tip #5: Where to Shop
If everyone in the family is in need of a new outfit before pictures, don’t stress yourself out running all over town to find matching clothes! Stores like Target or Old Navy can be a huge time saver as their seasonal clothing lines in Women’s, Men’s, and Children’s clothing often compliment each other. They’re also a great place to shop for basics like jeans or shirts that you can pair with fun accessories or pieces that you already have.
Tip #6: Personal Touches
Perfectly posed photos on holiday cards are beautiful but can sometimes lack a little life. There is nothing I love more than hearing a client say “you captured our family as they are in real life!” One of the easiest ways for me to do that is when my client adds personal touches to their session. Is your child really into dinosaurs right now? Do they love the color purple? Do you have someone that lives in rain boots? Tying those elements into your wardrobe choices is a subtle yet fun way to include some of your family’s personality in the picture. They also create great memories to look back on.
Tip #7: What Is the Most Important Thing to Wear?
It doesn’t matter if you have a brand new outfit, the nicest sweater, or you’re at the best location if your not wearing a smile - a REAL smile!. Your demeanor coming into the session can make or break your shoot. The more relaxed you are, the better you will feel, and the better you will look in your photos. Plan for your session with enough time to feel relaxed and excited about your shoot - not stressed and frustrated. Selecting outfits well ahead of time can make you feel prepared and confident as your session date approaches.
On the day of, make sure you leave yourself enough time to get yourself and everyone else ready. Assign jobs to everyone in the family for getting ready: dad can be in charge of getting the kids dressed while you get ready, older siblings can help load things in the car while you’re putting the baby’s shoes on, etc. Having a plan of action takes the stress and rush out of the day and leaves you feeling at peace, excited, and happy about your session.
There they are - your seven tips for rocking your family photos! Happy smiling, mommas!
About Dana and Pictiur Photography: Dana grew up in Gilbert, Arizona where she studied Speech and Hearing Sciences at Arizona State University and later received a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology from Northern Arizona University. Dana met and fell in love with her high school sweet heart, Teague while working together at their first jobs and later married in 2012. Together they make up Pictiur photography, a small photography business they ventured into to be able to capture their most treasured moments. As an Engineer and a Speech-Language pathologist, they craved a creative outlet to fill their free time and enjoyed learning photography together as a hobby before making a business out of their passion. They have been so happy to see their flare for photography grow as they welcomed their two sons, Deklan and Rowan and specialize in child and family photography. Pictiur Photography will be offering Holiday Family Mini sessions on November 17th in Gilbert Arizona. Email pictiurphotography@gmail.com to inquire about scheduling a session.