Summer Family Pictures

Spring and summer is a perfect time of year to schedule those family portraits. Personally,  for outdoor sessions we aim for dreamy evening light, green fields (or lush foliage), and colorful southwest accents for your sessions ideal natural backdrop. 

I have had several inquiries for dressing the family for professional photos recently,  so what better time to educate, then now! We’ve had our family portraits taken a few times and one of the hardest parts is trying to figure out what everyone is going to wear. Most times (because, like you, I’m an over scheduled busy mom) I wake up the morning of the session and scramble to throw something together, which never leaves me overly impressed. I’ve learned over time that you need to have a plan IN ADVANCE! The most successful sessions, are the prepared ones! We can help assist you in making ideal clothing, and palette suggestions for your session! Professional photos are not cheap. Wearing a TNMT shirt inside out because it’s the only plain white tee your son has is not going to cut it. These are photos that will adorn your walls and make you smile every single day. Let us shot it louder for everyone in the back... Yes, the outfits matter.

Example Only- Not Our Image⬆️ 

Here are a few do’s and don’ts for what to wear in a family photoshoot:

First and vitally important, do not dress everyone in the same exact outfit. The reason you are most likely having your family photographed is to hold on to the memories that you are creating at this time in your life. Having said that, wear clothing that reflects just a bit of your personality. It’s best to settlei on a color family and then choose your accent color(s). Incorporate different shades of these colors throughout everyone’s outfits. Mixing in patterns is a great way to keep the look casual and not too “matchy matchy”.

Example Only- Not Our Image⬆️ 

Clothing/fabric with texture(linen, denim, lace, etc.) photograph beautifully, especially if you are thinking of displaying these photos in black and white. Stay away from clothing with large logos, and pin stripes. Accessories are a super quick way to add personality to everyone’s overall look, or add that perfect pop of bolder color.

To recap/illustrate…..

Don’t…. dress everyone exactly the same way. Why? It’s boring, and you’ll all blend. Go for a cohesive look, not matchy-matchy. 

Do….. choose colors that compliment each other. Mixing shades of a certain color or prints in the same color family are easy ways to add more pizazz. See sample image of summer below. 

Don’t….forget about the shoes, and socks! Professional photographs are an investment and the details (like shoes AND socks) matter!

Do.….think about your home and where you’d like to hang your portraits. Use the color schemes in your home as inspiration and dress in classic tones that compliment accordingly.

With these tips in mind, I’ve come up with a few of my favorite summer combinations! See examples below! 

Panetone 

Being that Pantone’s color of the year is coral, I’d also maybe mention it as a notable pairing color as well in the palette above. 

Blue 

Blues and whites are all about being bold and crisp. With a slightly nautical vibe, blues and white (particularly navy) are the perfect canvas for adding in a 3rd pop of color – but greens/torquioise or bright colors like yellow and orange will add a sunnier disposition). Don’t go overboard if you decide to add in a 3rd color – do this in accessories.

 ⬇️ Example Only- Not Our Image

Plaid(s)

Going for a more casual, everyday vibe? Plaid is a timeless print that can surprisingly be mixed and matched very easily. Keep at least one common color to weave everything together and dressing one or two family members in a solid color is a good tip if you are afraid it’s too much. For example, enjoy my family Christmas card from 2018 below!

Hopefully this helped make what to wear in your summer family photoshoot a little less scary?? Family pictures are supposed to be memorable, and fun. Don’t take that experience away by worrying about wardrobe! If it’s too much to handle, send us a note! We are more than happy to make recommendations.

The best advice I can give is start with mom. Then piece together children, and finish planning dad’s wardrobe.. that’s the best place to consider starting! 

Again, don’t hesitate to ask any questions!!  

What to Wear for your Fall Portraits

Many have been reaching out to our studio inquiring what is recommended to wear this time of year! For our area (North Eastern Wyoming) we get a short window for the fall foliage to cooperate with those bright vivid colors. With this said, we recommended deep color tones! Not every individual in your group needs to match the exact same color. Choose an accent color, pattern or simply select a pallet. 

Really great colors for this fall are burgundy, plum wild berry, mocha, mustard, tangerine, and mauve! We are in love with these fall color picks!!  

Don't love this look for your family? No worries! Each individual has their own taste, and style. Taking time to curate your wardrobe will offer you the prime fall portraits your seeking to find. Not sure if what you have picked out goes together? No problem, message our studio with what you have picked out, and we are happy to assist with making suggestions. Most have items right in their own closet that would accent and work perfectly with what they have. Need something new? Our local stores are limited on what they can provide style wise last minute. We do have one Boutique in town that always has the latest fashion trends and color schemes in all sizes. Visit Tin Wagon Boutique for more information on how they can assist in styling your fall portraits. 

One helpful suggestion we offer, is start with moms wardrobe first. Nailing down what mom is comfortable in, and feels most confident in is a great starting point. Design the children, and dads outfit around moms to coordinate them together. More color pallet selections can be seen below:  

For The Mom....

​This is for the mom hiding in her bathroom, needing peace for just one minute, as the tears roll down her cheeks..spending a little extra time to regroup.

To the mom who is so tired she feels like she can't function anymore and would do just about anything to lay down and rest...

To the mom crying on the couch after she raising her voice at her kids for something little and is now feeling guilty and like she is unworthy…with such limited patience... 

To the mom that is trying desperately to put those old jeans on because all she wants is to look in the mirror and feel good about herself…

To the mom that doesn’t want to leave the house because life is just too much to handle...

To the mom that is calling out for pizza again because dinner just didn’t happen the way she wanted it to…

To the mom that feels alone, whether in a room by herself or standing in a crowd...

You are enough.

You are important.

You are worthy.

This is a phase of life for us. It may seem impossible, and that life is really really hard, challenging, & crazy!

In the end it will all be worth it. But for now it’s hard. It's hard for so many of us in many different ways. We don't always talk about it, but it's hard and it's not just you. You are NOT alone. 

You are enough.

You are doing the best you can. 

Those little eyes that look up at you - they think you are perfect. They think you are more than enough.

Those little hands that reach out to hold you - they think you are the strongest. They think you can conquer the world.

Those little mouths eating the food you gave them - they think that you are the best because their bellies are full.

Those little hearts that reach out to touch yours - they don’t want anything more. They just want you.

Because you are enough. You are more than enough, mama.

You. Are. A. Blessing.

You. Are. Amazing. ​

Chin up mom, tomorrow is a new day!

I Never Knew What Bravery Was....

"I never knew what bravery was... until I saw it in my mother" 

A picture with this very quote was sent to me shortly before Mother's Day, and I noticed that on it there was a white cancer ribbon. The family had contacted our studio to capture some special memories. Three siblings booked family sessions with us, and brought along Grandma and Grandpa. Grandma has a special story of her own, as she has been battling cancer. We were able to include Grandmas story into their session, through creative elements and posing. Belown is a few takes from my time with this beautiful family!

Maternity Session Tips

This post on maternity tips for our clients will help you prepare for your session!

Even though pregnancies are anything but easy, considering bed rest, ultra sounds, the works, when we think about each growing soul, I get a little lump in my throat and my heart soars a bit. The entire birthing process is nothing short of amazing which is why the maternal bond develops long before baby arrives. Photographing your baby bump is a special way to capture that pregnancy glow so that you can have something to reflect how you looked and felt being pregnant with the most precious gift!

NE Wyoming based photographer Deanna Phoenix knows a thing or two about capturing the joy of pregnancy. She has an eye for unique settings and uses light and creative posing to showcase the essence of her subjects. Deanna also specializes in child and family photography, to continue working with her clients as their families grow! Here is Deanna's favorite tips for a successful maternity photo shoot.

1. GOAL: Capture this special time in your life in a natural, fresh, comfortable and fun way. Family members are welcome to join in your session as well.

2. TIMING: I recommend scheduling your baby bump shoot sometime around 32-35 weeks – perfect timing to show off your belly before you won’t feel like showing it off anymore.

3. OUTFITS: Color & comfort is key. Pattern is also a good way to add an element of pop to a photo. I often tell families to pick 3-4 colors that tie everyone together and the same goes for a baby bump shoot – An example: navy, turquoise, yellow and lime green. Sometimes we even incorporate the colors of the nursery as a starting point. I also recommend wearing something more on the form-fitting side – a dress, a long skirt with a fitted tank, statement necklace, and a bright cardigan. We want to see the bump but also be comfortable doing it. Comfort translates through the camera, it's imperative you are not uncomfortable with your selected wardrobe. Although we love to feature bare skinned photos, it is never required if you are not interested! If you need help styling, we recommend a couple local boutiques that would be happy to assist in your wardrobe for your session.

4. LOCATION: I prefer to capture your beauty with natural light. Typically our sessions would be scheduled either early in the day or closer to sunset to capture the best light possible. Being a full service studio, we do offer our indoor sessions as well. Styling and scheduling is the same for indoor sessions.

Cundall Family

We had the pleasure or welcome the Cundall family to our studio this weekend. Come to find out, they are small business owners here in Campbell County as well. In an economy such as the one we are facing, it's important to develop and support relationships developed such as this. We are honored this sweet family came to us to capture their annual portraits. We also look forward to working with them again soon!