I will work with natural light and I love capturing your family in the natural light in your home. I usually shoot in the master bedroom and nursery, if available. We will be embracing your home’s natural light (open up those window blinds!), turning off the overhead lights (they love to cast an orange glow on people it seems) and taking advantage of the natural brightness as much as possible. I’ll pop you all next to windows as much as possible for those pics — we will take full advantage of the light coming into your house.
I will shoot some candids as well as some posed setups. Good photos start with a semi posed setup and develop into those candids, unposed, documentary moments that are naturally happening.
Baby outfit:
- I recommend an outfit with soft fabrics and colours. Stay away from pattern or stripes.
- I will bring a few wraps and bonnets that we can add to the session
How to prepare your house:
- In-home sessions DO NOT need to include your entire home! We do not have to take pictures everywhere, so please don’t feel like this needs to be a ‘whole home’ showcase for photos.
- Photos in your home are done best in areas that have light – If there’s one window we will often stick close to that for the best light. Most often I do sessions in the main living space (living room) and the master bedroom. Occasionally then the nursery or other places. I will ask to look around and see what areas would be best. It can be surprising sometimes what little corners can make a perfect area for photos
- You don’t have to rearrange your house, but decluttering side tables in the master bedroom and keeping the nursery free of clutter really helps to create nice images.
What to wear:
- Here is a great styling guide, try it out!
- Check out my what to wear section (however it is a general guide), but my biggest advice is to be comfortable! These are pictures in your home so you want to make sure your outfits feel right. I also tell families to make sure the outfits they select go well with the aesthetic of their home — coordinating is key! You want your outfits to complement each other and your home well.
- Again, my biggest piece of ‘what to wear’ advice: coordinating is good, matching is not so good. You do not want to all be wearing the same color or print (or outfit!!) — it does NOT photograph well and looks flat.
- When you’re figuring out what to wear, start with mom. Yep, mom should pick her outfit first then work everyone else’s’ around her’s. Mom should feel confident in her outfit choice and that sometimes doesn’t happen when she saves her outfit choice for last.
- Neutral /earth tone colors are a great place to start (gray, cream, brown, khaki, denim/chambray) and to build off of. These tend to photograph well in any setting .
- Coordinating colors/patterns really work the best: try to stick with 2-3 complimenting colors, then add a ‘pop’ of color to really accentuate your outfit choices. This ‘pop’ of color adds umph to your photo. As much as I love earth tones and those organic colors, adding a little pop of color can really add an extra something to your photo session!
- Patterns, textures and layers add dimension.