Wardrobe

WHAT TO WEAR

Family photos are a chance to capture your family at their very best, which means wearing your best and most favorite clothes! Getting your photos taken is a chance for you to dress up and look fabulous! We often tell clients to wear something you may never wear in real life (have fun, be fancy)!

If you are doing an outdoor session, be mindful we may be walking over muddy areas (so don’t wear shoes you care too much about). Studio sessions are completely indoors, so it’s ok to wear your best of the best to a studio session. We have a changing area if you need to change into your chosen clothing at the studio.

If you are purchasing new clothing for your session, make sure to pull everything out and make sure its hung and ironed ahead of time so you don’t arrive to your session with wrinkled clothing.

In general, please avoid jeans.

COORDINATING WARDROBE WITH FAMILY MEMBERS

Coordinate your outfits with the other members of your group to ensure a cohesive look. We suggest wearing solid colors that flatter your skin tone. Avoid logos and busy patterns that may be distracting.

We suggest telling everyone in the group to stick with a similar color theme (for example - tell everyone to wear shades of cream and white).

Consider the season you will be taking photos in. Here are some suggestions to help when selecting colors. Neutrals (cream/white) look good in every season and are a very timeless look.

WHAT COLORS LOOK GOOD:

Creams and white (neutrals) always look good on camera. For more specific color choices, see below:

Spring sessions: pale yellow, light pink, lavender, light blue, sage green, white cream (pale + colorful)
Summer sessions: yellow, pink, purple/lavender, blues, greens, white, cream (bright + colorful)
Fall sessions: mustard yellow, orange, navy blue, rose pink, burgundy, emerald, turquoise (deeper + richer colors)
Winter sessions: ruby red, sapphire blue, emerald green, white, cream (cool based jewel-tones)

PREPARE WARDROBE EARLY

Choose your outfits well in advance of your shoot day. Prepare your outfit from head to toe. Consider what you will wear in your hair all the way down to what you will wear on your feet. Once you have the outfits picked out, place them on hangers and put them on one side of your closet. Any accessories or shoes you want to wear with the outfit hand in plastic bags around the hanger with the outfit. Do this for any additional people that may be apart of the photo session. Selecting your outfits ahead of time will help eliminate day-of stress of finding the right outfit and also help you avoid forgetting something at home.

A NOTE ABOUT DRESS/SKIRT LENGTH + SLEEVE LENGTH

We move around a lot when we pose you (sitting, standing, etc). We have seen trends lean towards short skirts for teenage girls lately. Please avoid very short skirts when picking out wardrobe (teenagers, young adults, etc). It makes posing very difficult and short skirts don’t photograph well. Please choose skirt lengths mid-thigh or longer. If you get push-back from your teenager, tell them the photographer requested this :) !

If you don’t love your arms, wear sleeves. If you don’t love your legs, wear longer dresses, skirts, or pants.

A NOTE FOR THOSE WHO WEAR GLASSES
Glasses that have anti-glare coating and are not light sensitive are the best for photos. If we see a heavy glare on your glasses or they are transition changing with the light, we may ask you to remove your glasses so we can clearly see your eyes. If you think your glasses will be problematic, consider an alternate pair without these issues, or a pair of glasses with the lenses popped out (we will not be able to see the lenses are popped out in the photos). Please communicate with any family members who wear glasses they need to make sure their glasses are not light-transitional, especially if your session will be outdoors. Light-transitional glasses WILL appear dark and we will not be able to see your eyes well, even when shooting in shaded areas.

A NOTE ABOUT SMART WATCHES:

Please remove apple/smart watches before you arrive to your shoot!!! They look horrible in photos.

Weather Concerns

Summer sessions…

Ticks and mosquitoes ARE nasty in the summer. We recommend spraying deet from your waist-down and natural bug repellant from your waist-up (kids included).

Winter sessions…

Snow makes for beautiful photos, so bundle up and let’s go make magic! But please dress everyone accordingly. Cold kids can not hide it on their face, so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE dress warm. Hats, gloves and scarves can be very cute in photos so please layer up! There is no reason for everyone to be miserable and risk getting sick. We can still get beautiful cozy photos with everyone dressed appropriately for the weather.

If it’s raining…

We will connect with you to reschedule your session.

Makeup/Hair/ Nails

Arrive with your hair styled and your makeup done but bring your hair and makeup kit with you for touch-ups. Plan extra time to get ready to allow time if anything doesn’t look right. If it normally takes you 30 minutes to get ready, plan an extra 15-30 minutes to apply makeup and do your hair.

We often see hands, so make sure your nail polish is freshly manicured and not chipping. Men, your nails should be nicely manicured as well.

If you are interested in having professional makeup and hair done for your session, please check out our makeup artist recommendations HERE.

Bugs!

Unfortunately, often where the photos are the prettiest, is where there tends to be more mosquitoes and possibly ticks! I do try my absolute best to make sure everyone stays on man-made paths (to avoid ticks), but the mosquitoes often still will bite! I HIGHLY encourage coming prepared with bug spray.

What I will often do is spray Off with Deet on my legs and feet, and then I use the organic stuff from the waist-up.

Here are my favorite brands for those looking for alternatives to deet:

DEET-FREE PICARIDIN SPRAY - for those not wanting deet but something strong

MURPHY’S PLANT BASED SPRAY - for those looking for a more natural approach

BABYGANICS - for the little babies!

OFF - for when you want maximum protection!

Prepare Your Mind

LET GO OF EXPECTATIONS

It’s not about having the perfect hair or the perfect outfit or posing the perfect way. It’s about capturing this special time in your life. If you are worried about your clothes, it will show in the photos. Your clothes may get dirty, that’s a normal part of the photoshoot process. Don’t wear anything that you care that much about. Remember that ultimately heirloom photos aren’t for you, they are for the people that love you.

LEAVE YOUR ARGUMENTS IN THE CAR OR AT HOME

Too often have we photographed couples or families that argue through the shoot, picking at each other’s flaws. This makes for a very uncomfortable photoshoot process (for all parties involved). As best as you can, try to let go of any stress you have felt from the day and enjoy the fact that you are doing something creative! The moment you relax and just let the experience unfold is when the magic happens.

What To Expect

OUTDOOR SESSIONS

We will meet at an agreed upon location and walk from there. We do try our best to keep you out of any highly buggy or muddy areas. If your group has any walking concerns, please let us know ahead of time so we can properly prepare.

STUDIO SESSIONS

Our studio is our converted garage. It is temperature regulated (we have heat and a/c). There is a changing area and mirror for you to do last minute touch-ups. You can pull your car all the way up to the garage when you arrive for easy loading and unloading.

Working With Kids

WE SUPPORT BRIBERY 🥰

Please bring water + snacks for young kids. For kids who can eat solids, we recommend the white chocolate cooking morsels. These are small and sweet and don’t stain. We often get our kid to smile for photos by telling her she will get a chocolate treat afterwards if she smiles for the camera and cooperates. We also find those small squeeze packs (applesauce, fruits, etc) are great for photoshoots. They give kids a burst of energy and aren’t messy (just remember to be careful on that first sip…we’ve all seen them spill out a little at the beginning). Do whatever works. We support you.

DRESS THEM APPROPRIATELY

Please please please, DRESS YOUR KIDS APPROPRIATE FOR THE WEATHER!!! Adults can smile through the cold, kids can not. If your kids are cold or hot, it will show on their faces and they will look miserable through the photos.

TALK UP THE SESSION

Before your session, talk about how much fun it’s going to be with your kids. Talk about how you are going to play together and cuddle and explore and take some really fun family photos! Get them excited so they show up with smiles on their faces! This sounds silly, but it really works!

MAKE SURE THEY ARE WELL FED AND WELL RESTED

Hungry and tired kids are angry kids. ‘Nuff said.

CLIP HAIR BACK

There is nothing worse than having the perfect shot and hair is falling in your kids face. Use little clips to secure any hair that could potentially fall into their faces. Opt for hairstyles that keep hair away from the face.

CHECK YOUR OWN ENERGY

No grumpy dads or stressed out moms! Your kids will feed off your energy, so whatever is bothering you, try to let it go before your session and enjoy the ride! We will be here to root you on the whole way!

Feeling Stuck?

If you feel stuck with your wardrobe or need additional suggestions, please feel free to reach out to us anytime. We welcome our clients to send over photos of what outfits they are thinking about ahead of time. We are here to help!

Email: BKRoseStudio (at) gmail.com