Preparing For Your Portrait Session
What to Expect
Every family is different, which means every session is a little different too. Whether we're photographing your family in the studio, at home, or outdoors, my goal is always the same: to create a relaxed experience where everyone can have fun and simply be themselves.
I want to capture your family as you naturally are together—the little interactions, personalities, and connections that make your family yours. There's no pressure for everyone (especially little ones!) to behave perfectly or know exactly what to do. I'll guide you along the way while still leaving plenty of room for genuine moments to unfold.
I try to keep things as low-stress as possible and will often bring a few treats for the kids, too. More than anything, I want your session to feel like time spent enjoying your family rather than worrying about getting the perfect photograph. The beautiful images tend to follow.
What to Wear
When planning outfits, the goal is to coordinate rather than match. I usually recommend starting with Mom—choose an outfit or dress that you absolutely love and, most importantly, feel beautiful and confident wearing. From there, we can build the rest of the family's wardrobe around it.
Consider the location of your session when choosing your color palette. Colors that complement the environment will help everything feel cohesive and intentional without looking overly styled.
It's completely fine for multiple family members to wear the same or similar colors. The key is incorporating different textures to create depth and visual interest. Think silk paired with a chunky knit, cashmere alongside linen, or other subtle combinations of materials. Even within a simple color palette, varying the textures keeps everyone from blending together and gives the photographs a beautiful, layered quality.
And please don't feel like you have to figure it all out on your own! You're always welcome to send me outfit ideas, photos, or options. I'm more than happy to help you put everything together. My personal cell: 310-890-9951
A Few Things to Avoid
The little details make a big difference in photographs, so please make sure everyone's clothing is clean, pressed, and wrinkle-free. Whenever possible, I recommend bringing your outfits to the session on hangers rather than wearing them in the car. This keeps everything freshly pressed and prevents those inevitable car-seat wrinkles before we even begin!
I also recommend avoiding large logos, graphic images, neon colors, or anything overly distracting. Patterns can be beautiful, but we want to be intentional with them—too many competing patterns within the family can quickly make an image feel busy.
Ultimately, we want the focus of your photographs to be on your family and your connection with one another, rather than on what you're wearing.
And when in doubt, text me! I'm always happy to look at an outfit, help you choose between a few options, or help pull everything together. I'd much rather you ask than feel unsure.
Hair, Makeup & Finishing Touches
I always encourage having your hair, makeup, and nails professionally done for your session when possible. These photographs are meant to be printed, displayed in your home, and enjoyed for generations, so it's worth taking a little extra time to feel your very best.
That said, professional makeup does not have to mean glamorous makeup. The most important thing is that you still look and feel like yourself. If you rarely wear makeup in your everyday life, your portrait session probably isn't the time to experiment with a dramatic glam look. Instead, ask your artist for something natural and timeless that simply enhances your features and photographs beautifully.
I've photographed sessions where Mom chose a much more glamorous look than she would normally wear and ultimately didn't feel like herself in the photographs. That's exactly what we want to avoid.
Choose hair and makeup that feels true to you—just a beautifully polished version. You should look at these photographs years from now and see yourself, not a trend or a version of yourself that doesn't feel familiar.
Preparing Your Kids
Whenever possible, I do my best to schedule sessions around your children's nap schedules. A well-rested little one is usually a happy little one! Of course, we know kids don't always follow the plan, and that's completely okay.
Feel free to bring along favorite snacks, a special toy, or anything else that helps your child feel comfortable. I'm also happy to play their favorite music during the session. My goal is to keep things fun, relaxed, and as familiar as possible.
Most importantly, don't worry if your child isn't smiling or cooperating exactly the way you hoped. Some of my favorite photographs happen in the moments between the "perfect" ones.
If your little one is having a moment, I always encourage parents to keep smiling, interacting, and enjoying themselves rather than looking frustrated or correcting them while we're shooting. Even while your child is wiggling, looking away, or being silly, I may be capturing a beautiful little in-between moment—and those photographs work best when Mom and Dad are still relaxed and smiling.
There is no expectation for your children to behave perfectly. Let them be kids, and we'll work with whatever they give us.
What to Bring
You don't need to bring much! I recommend having a few makeup products for any last-minute touch-ups, along with a hairbrush or comb to keep everyone looking polished throughout the session.
If you have little ones, feel free to bring their favorite snacks or a special toy that might help them feel comfortable.
Other than that, just come ready to relax and have a good time. I'll take care of the rest!
What About the Weather?
For outdoor sessions, I’ll keep an eye on the forecast as your session approaches. If the weather won’t allow us to comfortably photograph your session, I’ll reach out the day before so we can make a plan to reschedule.
There’s no need to stress about the forecast or make the call yourself—I’ll be watching it and will be in touch if we need to make any changes.
