What to Wear?

Ladies:

Classic jeans and white shirts always look nice. Soft colors and pastel can be beautiful. Darker colors (black, browns, blues) work well – especially at the beach where the setting can be a bit bland. Khaki and white seems to be the choice of many -- just remember, the beach itself is khaki and white. This makes for very flat images with no color. On the flip side, try to avoid busy patterns as this takes away from YOU!

If you decide to wear a dress or skirt, keep in mind that you may be seated for some of your portraits. For ladies with longer hairstyles, try pulling the hair away from your face. This helps greatly when windy conditions arise (especially at the beach).
Avoid glossy make-up. A fine dusting of powder will take away the shine

Gentlemen:

Although men's clothing styles are generally stronger than women's, the same rules on colors apply.

Children:

As long as it’s a quick change you can bring more than one outfit for your child. I'm all about fun with the kids - so colorful outfits are right up my alley! Anything fun or funky that you can think of will help me work my photo magic!

For young children, be sure they are well fed and rested. You can bring a dry snack for your little one to keep him/her satisfied during the session. Feel free to bring along a favorite toy or ‘lovie’. This can help make your child feel more secure and make for great props!

It has been my experience that children who have been conditioned to “smile” while having their photograph taken, most often result in frozen smiles and stiff poses. During the session please allow me to help guide your child (unless mom's help is needed). After all, great photos capture your child's personality rather than big, beaming smiles. That is, of course, if we capture it naturally!

Groups:

Colors that compliment each other help to make a better image. For large groups of several families, try having each family wear the same color shirt. For example Family A- pale blue, Family B- pale yellow, Family C- white, etc. These flow well together but will help show each individual family.