Family Portrait Guide

My goal is to photograph you and your family at your best. For that to happen I want you to feel relaxed, happy and confident. I will go over a few topics here
and if you still have further questions feel free to contact me.

Location

We can discuss this on the phone. There are many places in the area we can shoot. Downtown, by the river or a field? If you have a specific location in mind that
works for me too. I usually shoot one location per hour.

Kids

Make sure everyone has eaten and is content. You might want to bring snacks and/or have a drink on hand just in case for the little ones. Days in advance build
up the photo-shoot to be a fun event that they look forward to followed by a treat like ice cream or lunch. It might be a good idea to for kids to bring a backup
outfit in case there is a spill from their sippy cup etc.

Dress

The one thing I would recommend is for everyone to wear something that is comfortable. Below are some suggestions but this is your family portrait and
ultimately any colors and styles you pick will be right for you. Please iron the clothes so they don’t have wrinkles. Do not wear a shirt that has a print on it so it
doesn’t distract from you unless the printed shirt is what you really want to be photographed in. If you are a sports family you are welcome to bring a second set of shirts, I have photographed sportswear for the whole family (Seahawks, Gonzaga, WSU, Eagles etc) if that is something you want. For kids, make sure their
socks are solid or match their outfit, I had one child dress nicely but when he sat to do the family picture it exposed these green hulk socks he had on that didn’t
match anything he was wearing.

Keep your clothing simple and coordinating. Avoid loud or busy patterns and large logos. Solid colors are great. First, decide whether the basic tone of the
clothing will be warm-toned (browns, etc.) or cool-toned (blues/grays/blacks, etc.) Then, make sure to follow all of the above instructions. Keeping a group in
similar colors focuses the attention of the portrait to the faces and individuals that make up the portrait. Dissimilar colors in groups tend to be more distracting.
White tops with khakis or jeans can look very nice and casual, but if anyone in your family is super light skinned, white can make pale skin look paler. Jeans are
the timeless choice and they’re great for fun, casual pictures because they are flattering and don’t show wrinkles or panty lines. Lighter shirts on top give the
pictures a more casual and bright look. Pastels are also usually appealing because they enhance natural skin tones. Black or other dark shirts on top give the
portraits a more serious and thoughtful feel (not to mention that black is slimming). Everyone should have color-coordinated outfits (Not a uniform necessarily,
but there should be a theme).

Props/Accessories

You are encouraged to wear/bring accessories such as rings, necklaces, scarfs, hats and sunglasses.

You are welcome to bring props to photograph with the family. This could be something as big as a Christmas tree or Santa hats at Christmas time.

Images

I deliver the images to you by emailing a link that includes a photo gallery where you can view the images and select the ones that you would like to download,
once you have selected the images you want I will edit the images further if needed then I will email you another link with the images you have selected and
you will have the ability to download them.

Final Payment

The balance of the family portraits is due the day of the shoot. Please bring check or cash, thank you!