Dress yourself up! These aren’t just random shots you take on an ordinary day. A lot of effort could be put into these shots, they will be sent out to family and friends, and could even end up being framed somewhere in your home. Ditch the jeans and the sweater…adding a little glamour never hurt anyone 😉 Choose fabric colors that go with your hair and skin tone. We had amazing natural bright light on our shoot, so we made sure the colors we picked for our outfits didn’t wash us out.
The contrast of a woodsy, rustic, wild, and more “masculine” backdrop in nature (i.e. this local canyon we found near La Jolla, CA) paired with feminine dresses and fabrics is drrrreamy. It’s not too formal, not too casual, and a great excuse to feel like a goddess, creator of all humanity, and queen for a day 😉
If you’re going to wear a knee-length or shorter dress, go with a heel to elongate the leg (the camera can only do so much, lol). For all our girlfriends who don’t get enough sleep: don’t forget about your makeup! Your naturally beautiful features will really pop with a little help from eyeshadow, contour/highlight, a nice “your lips but better” lip shade to balance out the makeup, or a bold lip color to make a statement. Did you see the smokey cranberry eyeshaddow look we showcased on Instagram? It will add the finishing touch to your look 😉
Most families are in search of at least one posed picture, but it’s so much more special to capture a family candidly. It’s all about the memory, the moment, and the emotion behind the photo. Unfortunately, sometimes that all gets lost when the subject feels pressure to force a smile. Let your little ones be themselves and interact with them! Bring treats, schedule the shoot around nap time and meal time, and relax! Let them lead the way, explore the scene, and don’t direct them too much 😉
To ducktail off of the previous tip, try to capture a few photos where you focus the camera away from the toothy grin, and just document life happening. Here you see two of our favorite photos from our collective holiday card photo shoot, and neither are necessarily traditional. There is beauty and art in the everyday…just make sure you have good lighting when you’re there to capture it 😉
Shop our style:
*blue check shirt pictured in the gallery is sold out, similar found above
Love it! Great look for the holidays!
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