Now that we’re busy booking our Beach Mini Sessions I’m already getting questions about what to wear to your family portraits at the beach! So I thought I’d put together a handy little guide on how to prepare for your summer beach portraits!
How to Prepare for your Beach Session
I know that preparing for family portraits can be a little stressful, so to help you reduce that stress a bit, I’ve put together some of my best tips for preparing for your family portrait session as well as a couple looks to give you some inspiration while you’re deciding what your family will wear!
What to Wear
1. Make sure that your outfits don’t distract from your faces – You want your faces to be the star of the image. So choose tops that are either solid or have a small pattern, and anything with texture looks great! Large prints and patterns can be distracting in photos, even when they look great in person. If you love pattern and details, keep them small or below the waist. A cute patterned skirt looks fantastic with a solid top.
2. Please don’t wear the exact same outfits – You don’t want to look like the wait staff at your favorite family restaurant! In the 90s the “white shirts and khakis or black shirts and jeans” look became very popular. You saw it in everyone’s family portraits. But it’s 2014 and you can do better than that! You can still go well together without matching exactly. Try to complement each other without being identical. Choose three to four complementary colors and then wear different combinations of those colors, with each person wearing one or two of the colors to tie them in with the rest of the group.
3. Reflect your personal style – Don’t go out and buy outfits that you would never otherwise wear. Match your outfits with the style and personality of your family. You want your portraits to reflect who you really are as a family. I like to tell my clients to go with a slightly prettier, slightly dressier version of their everyday style.
I’ve put together a few outfit ideas to inspire you as you choose your own family’s outfits. Because the beach is a completely neutral backdrop you have a lot of flexibility in your color pallets.
4. Don’t forget about yourself Mom! – Lastly, I’ve got a few tips just for mom. If you’re not great at styling your own hair and makeup, go and have both done just before your session. And if you’d like to book our makeup artist for your session, please email us for her rates and availability. And if you color your hair, remember to have it touched up. You don’t want to have to ask me to retouch your roots on all of your images!
What to Bring
Here’s a quick list of stuff you’ll want to remember to bring with you to your beach session.
1. Sunblock – Don’t forget to protect the kiddos skin!
2. Towels – We will be going in the water!!
3. A change of clothes – Although we’ll just be getting our feet wet, inevitably a big wave will surprise us all.
4. Water & Snacks – But keep them hidden until after your session, the kiddos will no doubt work up an appetite while they run and play with me!
5. Baby Powder – the quickest easiest way to get sand off of everyone’s feet before you get in the car!
Preparing the Kids (and the Parents)
When it comes to kids it is important for parents to downplay the photo session and the need to cooperate so that I am able to interact with with them to give them the opportunity to reflect their unique personalities for a natural and candid effect. Just tell them you’re going to see your friend Maggie at the beach, and she’s going to take some photos with her camera while we play! My sessions are very casual and rarely posed. I’ll just be directing you in some actions and capturing you as your family plays together in the waves.
See You Soon!
I look forward to seeing you for your summer beach session! I absolutely love shooting at the beach!
Oh, and remember, having your photo taken is fun! So, please don’t stress too much. Do your best to get everyone ready and then be ready to have some fun with me! Even when it seems like things aren’t going as you’d hoped, I promise I’ll be getting great images for you! Trust me, you are in good hands!
