MaternityMoisturize that belly!
Gather your props to bring along – ultrasound printout, alphabet blocks that spell your baby’s name, baby shoes, stuffed animals, flowers, whatever you’ve
seen in other maternity photos that you like. Wear whatever you feel comfortable and pretty in – long, flowy skirts, especially solids are nice, and strapless bras that coordinate with them. Tube dresses are great for showing off your shape. Bring a pair of regular jeans, not the belly panel ones. A button-up shirt also makes it easy to transition into showing your belly. If you’re doing semi-nude/implied nude photos, bras and underwear will create noticable lines on your skin, so wear loose-fitting clothing to the shoot. You can add undergarments as necessary for photos later in the shoot. Do bring your significant other! They’ll make a great prop for your photos, and greatly expand on the number of different photos you can make during your shoot. They should bring outfits that coordinate with what you’ll be wearing, or a dark long-sleeved shirt or sweater and dark pants.
The focus should always be on you, your expressions, your emotions, your personality, your joy and your connection.
Newborns & Babies
Newborn photos are a very special aspect of my photography! I love capturing babies when they are so new and fresh! It is important to capture these photos with in the first 10 days of birth! Please try to contact me before the baby is born and then let me know as soon as they arrive and we will schedule the session! They are also more complicated than most typical sessions and pricing differs from a typical session. It is an on location natural lifestyle session. Here are a few tips to help the session run smoothly...
Have the room as close to 90 degrees as possible.
Have the baby undressed to a diaper and fed. Have any items you would like to use available! Use a wash cloth to clean away flaky skin and eye boogers. Trim those tiny fingernails and toenails with appropriate baby trimmers.
Book your shoot around your baby’s feeding and nap times, work with the natural rhythm of your baby. The perfect time to shoot is right when the baby would be laying down for a nap. If your baby normally falls asleep after a feeding, wait to feed the baby until you’re at the shoot. Baby photographers allot plenty of time for this sort of thing to set up the best situation for great photos.
Dress up paper diapers. Cloth diapers are classy and stylish, but if you don’t use them, bring bloomers or decorative diaper covers, solids preferred.
Nothing is the best wardrobe for a newborn – no outfit fits a newborn well, and they often look swallowed in clothes. Accessories are good, though – little hats, dainty headbands, boys in crocheted hats, etc. Bring sentimental items like the quilt that Grandma made for the baby, a baby blanket from your own childhood – they’re great for the youngster to lay on.r baby takes a pacifier, bring it – if they’re bottle fed, bring an extra bottle to help put the baby to sleep.
Children
The best advice I have for getting great photos of your kids is... relax! If you are stressed out you kids will feel it and get stressed out too! Have fun, relax, and be yourself. I love the photos when you can see your personality shining through! Never make them say “Cheese” it is actually makes for awkward faces! I will have them jump, dance, or spin! We will find a way to get a smile! I like imperfections, they make a photo real, so don’t worry too much about the little things.
Bring a favourite toy, book, or doll. This is a great way to document who they are now. We don’t have to use the items in all of the photos, but it is a great ice breaker as well. Bring snacks! If they are hungry or thirsty we won’t get very far. Also, a change of clothes for them and maybe an extra sweater for you just in case. Even if you do not want to do an outfit change bring something because accidents happen! Lastly, bring ideas and thoughts on what your hoping to achieve, but don’t be too rigid! If you go in with relaxed expectations we will have a great time! I like to roll with the punches and see what we can create together!! Clean, clean, clean – clean nails, clean hair, wipe away eye boogers, clean feet (sandals on kids = black feet!), wipe snotty noses, fresh-scrub teeth. The cleaner the kid, the better their photos will turn out.
If your child is still in diapers or pull-ups, tuck’ em in or wear bloomers.
If your child is still of napping age, make sure they nap before the shoot.
It is perfectly okay to bring bribes to a photo shoot – given a stage and being the centre of attention, it’s like our kids know exactly when to act their worst. Some cereal, smarties or other candy that won’t stain teeth can help a short photo shoot go by smoothly. Avoid colourful drinks or lollypops within 24 hours of your shoot, don’t let them eat or drink anything that will stain their face, teeth or mouths.
Wardrobe - For girls, you can’t go wrong with cute dresses, rompers, and dainty hats or headbands. For boys, jeans and polo’s or a button-up shirt, or a T-shirt with a button-up over it can be very cute, as well as overalls on the right age and personality. For siblings, the children don’t have to match perfectly, just coordinate. You can’t go wrong with dark, rich monotones, which drive the attention in photos to sweet faces and darling expressions instead of loud prints or colours. If nothing else, pick a colour that compliments your child’s eye colour.
Dad – Have a fresh shave or trim, and use a new razor with shaving cream and a moisturizing after-shave lotion to limit bumps and redness. Make sure nails are clean and trimmed. Wash your hands. Clean up your shoes. Moisturize and scrub away flaky facial skin. When you wash your face, pay attention to eye boogers and sleep crusties. For wardrobe, go for jeans or pants, tucked polo or dress shirt with a belt, or go casual with just a T-shirt or untucked polo, button-up short sleeve, etc. In general, whatever your wife tells you to wear. Again you don’t have to perfectly match the rest of the family, just wear something that coordinates.
Mom – Women know what to wear, but in general, unless you are extremely thin you may want to wear something that covers your upper-arms. Long- or 3/4-sleeve tops are very flattering. If you wear jewellery, aim for subtlety, and be aware of it twisting or turning.
Kids – Same advice as above, but again, everything needn’t match; simply coordinate with the parents’ outfits. If Dad’s in a T-shirt don’t put the kids in dress shirts – make it make sense.
The biggest tips for seniors are to have an even tan, don’t get sunburned, clean and freshly-paint those nails, and moisturize and scrub away dry skin.
Bring a variety of outfits – cap and gown, something casual, something stylish, ladies slip a dress in there to throw folks off, fellas try a formal look to impress. Wear what you think you look best in, but take the opportunity to also try a new look, just to surprise folks.
Bring props that recall your high school years – band instrument, sports gear like a volleyball or baseball bat, your beloved (or cursed) high school car, letter jacket, sunglasses. Most of all, rep your style, whatever that may be. Your senior photo should be unique to your life and personality.
Couples
Arrive happy and ready to be photographed. Wear clothes that compliment each other. Make sure they are not wrinkled and that your hair is tidy. I will ask that you be close to each other, holding hands, kissing, hugging and laughing. Have fun with the session and each other.
