But what do I wear?
For Holiday sessions I suggest arriving in your dressy clothes to start to with. Boys in either Dark Jeans or nice Kakis pants or shorts and a solid colored neutral shirt work well. A patterned thin stripe or gingham button down work well with coordinating colors to other family members. I do have some bow ties to use during the session. Basically no logos/images on the shirt that distract from the photo, unless we have planned a specific theme. Bring a white button down shirt or your boys to wear with the bowties. Girls a neutral or solid color dress or outfit work great, keeping in mind dark reds, dark greens, dark/navy blues, and creams/whites will work best with the setups. Parents dress coordinating with your kids, I son is wearing dark jeans then dad can wear dark jeans. But I son is dressed more formal in kakis then dress dad in kakis too. Dressing casual is great too if it fits your family better. Just keep in mind to coordinate for a cohesive put together look. I also have some outfits provided for your child(ren)'s session at the studio. I will have PJs and nightgowns, gingerbread dresses and bow ties for the boys, dresses or girls, and outfits for babies and newborns. Shoes: If in the studio kids can be barefoot or clean shoes other than bright sneakers or white sneakers are preferred. For outside nice dress shoes are preferred. For some more ideas, head on over to my what to wear Pinterest Board.
https://www.pinterest.com/lschumaierphoto/what-to-...
MOMS
I know! You are always busy taking care of everyone else and aren’t feeling your best to be in front of the camera. But I think this is the perfect time to pamper yourself!
Go have your hair + makeup done (or better yet, have someone come to you!), schedule a massage or have your nails done as your hands will be in the photos. Looking super relaxed and at your best will make you feel more comfortable during the session. This is an exciting time in your life and I want to capture all of that…so take care of yourself first! And feel free to tell your significant other that I'm making you if they need a little convincing! ;)
Your children are not going to care about things you are worried about and will just be thankful to have photos of you with them when they were little. So don't be so hard on yourself.
As far as clothing? Keep it simple. Throw in a little color if you’d like, but skip the busy patterns. (And please don’t feel the need to match everyone in white shirts and jeans – there’s simple…and then there’s boring!) Most importantly dress yourself first and then build all the outfits off of that. If mom is comfortable in what she is wearing then your family will pick up on it and enjoy their outfits too.
DADS
Your hands, and possibly even your feet, will play a major role in this session, so it’s important that you tend to them too! Even if you aren’t planning on participating much in the session, you may be helping your baby a bit, so it’s a good idea to touch up on your grooming.
Trim and tidy your nails and apply lotion to any dry skin. (It also never hurts to dab a little moisturizer on your face to help you look more refreshed. Those late nights of parenting can take a toll on your skin!)
A little clothing advice? Coordinate your shoes to your outfit. Unless you are going for a run leave the bright colored or white sneakers at home. ;) Neutral colored sneakers or even better black or brown shoes work great.
Hats? No! The brim of hats can put a dark shadow on your face. Leave you baseball cap for after the session. Fancy dress hats may be used after consulting with Lindsay and will be used after a few hat free photos first as to not mess up your hair.
Make sure your t-shirts are free of logos or too much writing. Plain is best. Patterned button down shirts that coordinate with the family look nice. *Wrinkles do show up in photos, so please make sure all clothing is ironed or steamed. The retouching involved is extensive and will incur an extra fee. (Make sure there isn’t too much bagginess in the sleeve.)
KIDS
Tidy their nails and bring a brush/comb for their hair. I suggest bringing the clothes to change into at the studio so that they don't get wrinkled. A well fed sibling before the session will help keep the crankies away. Bringing snacks may help, but save them for after they are finished with photos. A drink in their kid's cup will keep them hydrated in the warm studio. I suggest bringing an extra change of clothes for baby and kids to go home in just in case it gets soiled or they want something comfortable to wear.
For siblings , it is best to coordinate and not necesairly match them exactly. For a more styled look I do have some options at the studio I may use. If you are having your photo taken at a Limited Session with a theme I recommend coordinating colors to the theme. Holiday themes are great wearing jeweled tones like dark red, navy blue, forest green as well as neutral colors like creams, browns, and greys.
Pajama themes are an option so please either bring your favorite coordinating PJs or let me know and I have red and green Holiday styles here to use at the studio.
If wearing a dress remember they may be sitting. It's a good idea to put something on to cover up underwear. Little girls can wear diaper covers or bloomers and older girls can wear legging shorts to help. Follow the rule of no printed/logo shirts. Khaki pants or jeans or even solid colored pants for a little color pop look great on boys.
Studio Clothing Options
I have great options at the studio to use or your session. Bow ties or boys to add to their outfits too! I have started a page to show you your options below. Head on over and take a look at what I have. Please let me know I there is anything specific you have in mind and I will try to make it into your setups.