After photographing children and families here in Houston for 14 years I think it’s time to share my biggest tips for styling your family for portrait sessions.
1. Trust your photographer
I do this every day, I know what looks good on camera and what works on every body type. I know what styles work with every location and I know how to coordinate a family of 3 all the way to a family of 8+! So the first thing I am going to say is trust your photographer. While I do have some options for my clients to choose from, the majority of my clients have unique styles. So they want their images to represent their own family, not a client wardrobe that 20 other families have worn.
With this in mind I personally custom style each family whether you book a mini session or a full session. I send you a custom budget conscious clothing board with hand selected items for your family and the links to go with it! So you can purchase everything from the comfort of your own home! If you struggle with clothing for your sessions, shoot me an inquiry today. Let’s get to work styling your family so we can capture your story before the Texas heat gets too hot!
2. Consider your home decor
One of the first questions I ask before styling a family is what colors do you use to decorate your home. You see, the goal isn’t to get one quick Holiday pic! The goal is to capture your family’s moments in a way that your babies can see themselves on your walls. It has been proven that seeing images of themselves in their homes boosts children self esteem. I, for one don’t need a scientific study to prove to me that my coffee tastes better when I’m snuggling on my couch staring at our family’s Italian vacation pics. It’s easy for us to coordinate your images to your home and gives us a starting color palette that you obviously like.
3. Start with the queen
I always say start the styling with mom! Us mom’s are the hardest to please and we are hard on ourselves. Therefore, we must be comfortable and feel good in our clothes, period. If you feel beautiful it shows so I want you to feel beautiful! I always ask if there are any things that make you feel uncomfortable so that I can make suggestions of how to minimize their visual prominence in your image. If you are self conscience about your upper arms I can suggest clothing options to minimize them. So don’t be afraid to be open with your photographer about these little insecurities. For my clients, them simply knowing that I understand and am aware is a huge relief!
4. Stick to 2-3 colors for everyone
I usually start with one pattern and then start to pull various colors for the rest of the family. You can even use various shades of one color, sort of like a paint swatch. It’s also okay to mix multiple patterns such as stripes and florals but I would recommend staying away from large logos. Your location needs to be considered when choosing colors! For example, if you are shooting in a gorgeous green Katy field, choosing a green dress might not be the best option. In fact using a little bit of color psychology or a technique called color theory is perfect! So using a complimentary color or color across from tree on the color wheel will give you the most pop, like a shade of pink or red! Color theory too much for your mind? Don’t worry I’ve got your covered! This is exactly why I take the resigns and style each client personally.
5. Comfort equals smiles
Most importantly everyone needs to be comfortable and be able to have fun! As you know every family photoshoot with me is jam packed full of games and giggles so if dads pants are a little too tight it will show! I want your family to BE YOU but with a little oomph! I want your family to have fun and look beautiful doing it!
So if you are looking for a family photographer who knows the best spots in The Woodlands, Magnolia, The Heights and everywhere in between, then you found her! If you want one that brings F-U-N, then shoot me a message. Let’s have a quick chat to see if we are a fabulous fit! Chubby Cheek Photography not only serves families here in Houston but also Austin, Galveston, Prosper and even Round Rock, Texas!