Happy Holidays Friends!! My family humors me every year, when it is time to take family photos. I am determined to document this memories, while I am still giving the opportunity to be endured. I do know that this process can be overwhelming for some moms whom would like to document this milestones with their families. Today I will be sharing some of the essential styling tips I have acquired along the way. Some are from my research on what works and most are from trial and error from my personal experience.
If you have a toddler, this post will also be beneficial to you. Amir who is my 6 year old, was easy going as a toddler when it came to taking pictures. I did not know how easy I had until my now two year old came into the picture. With Khalid, I have learnt to be more creative and intentional when planning this shoots. He is energetic, wants to play and he has no interest in the camera.
Styling Family Pictures: 6 Essential Tips
Color Scheme
Picking out a color or colors scheme is usually my starting point. For reference for our most recent shoot the primary color was emerald green and white. Selecting a color is important because it gives you starting point when shopping. I like to simplify the process as much as possible so that I do not get overwhelmed. After selecting your focal colors, the next step will be to choose the primary outfit. For this shoot it was my dress. I found this dress while in Spain. I fell in love with the color and style immediately. After finding my dress now it was time to shop for the boys. Another thing to keep in mind is that the goal is to be coordinated but not matching. So when shopping for the boys, I was looking for clothing in the green hue. That was complementary to the focal clothing item/color.
Time
When taking pictures with kids, the time of the scheduled shoot is vital. For this shoot, it was scheduled for 10am in the morning. So the kids had a good breakfast and were welcome rested prior to the shoot. I will also consider after nap time and lunch. The goal here is have well rested kids whom are not cranky. Also, when scheduling shoots keeping it between 30mins to 1hr is the sweet spot. Anything over that time is often disastrous from my personal experience.
Photographer
You want to use or book a photographer that one is familiar to your kids. My youngest is in the stage when he gets anxious around people he is unfamiliar with. Secondly you want a photographer that is experienced and enjoys taking pictures with kids. During our shoot Khalid was often distracted and was ready to call the shoot off if it was up to him. Our photographer Jan found ways to distract him, at one point she was holding my husbands phone so that he could watch coco melon. While she simultaneously tried to get the best shot of us.
Accessories
With accessories I will suggest you keep nice and simple. You don’t to use accessories that will serve as a distraction in your shot. I also like to style my makeup and hair similarly as well. Especially for family portraits, I like to keep my make simple and classic. I posted on my instagram the products I used to achieve this makeup look. For the kids and my husband they all wanted to war tennis shoes. So I selected one that the primary design color was white.
Location
Some thoughts when it comes to closing a location. My preferences is working in a studio when planning shoots with toddlers and little ones. For me this is a contained environment and I don’t have to worry about chasing little fast legs in heels in a park or worst on the streets. While I love doing this shoots in a studio it is also important to choose a space that is kid friendly. As we know toddlers are prone to accidents .
Positive Reinforcements
Lastly offer positive reinforcements. If all else fails, rewards for good behavior during the shoot. A promised of an Ice-cream date, lollipops or a kidney. Jokes aside, you know your children and what they love. A promise of things they like will mostly result in somewhat cooperative behaviors.