Good morning! I’m so excited to show you our family photos today! I knew I wanted to do a Christmas card this year, but I decided last minute that I wanted to do an actual family session with lots of photos. The moment I decided we were doing “official” family pictures, I became stressed about making our first family pictures perfect. I tried to keep in mind all of the tips that I often tell my friends when they are planning for family pictures!
Although the pictures turned out amazing, we (especially Brett) were all glad when the photos were over! (Dear Brett, I’m sorry for being mean to you when we were choosing our outfits. Haha. But really. XOXO) I hope you enjoy our family pictures and my tips to help improve your family photo experience!
See those adorable shoes Michael was wearing? They wouldn’t stay on his darn feet and I almost threw them half way across the desert after the 7th time they fell off of him. Tip #1 is to test things out before your photos! Whether it’s new shoes, new lipstick, or a new dress, wear it before the pictures. Find out if there is anything you need to adjust before you’re in the middle of the shoot. Anything you can do to make your day less hectic is key.
We took our photos at a dry lake bed and went with a neutral color scheme. I love choosing colors that will always match my house no matter what season it is.
I just love this little family of mine! During the photos I felt like so many things were happening. Michael was squirming, the wind was blowing my dress up in the air, the shoe situation, and I was so excited when we ended up having tons of family pictures to choose from. Tip #2: make sure you have more than enough time for your everything. Add in extra time for hair and makeup, more than enough time for the drive, extra time once you’re there, and even if you want to shoot as the sun is going down, get there with plenty of time to spare.
This is my favorite photo from our session. I can’t wait to print it out and put it in our photo gallery!
I always love a good shoe picture. We have one from our wedding day, and I think it will be fun to take more as our family grows and line them up next to each other in frames. Tip #3: Do you research before hand so that your photographer knows what type of shots you like. They can’t read your mind, so share your ideas with them!
Tip # 4: Trust your photographer. Certain poses might feel awkward, but it doesn’t hurt to try. Some of my favorite photos are the ones where I was laughing assuming the position. The best part about cameras these days is that you can be open to trying new things and if it looks bad, no biggie! Thanks, Brionne for making us look good!
During my time at Nordstrom, I helped a lot of clients put outfits together for their entire family. One of my number one tips (Tip #5) is to add texture to your outfits. Whether you’re adding lace, fur, velvet, suede, the bottom line is texture photographs very well. (You can find our outfit details linked at the bottom of this post.)
The Outfits
Dress (Runs slightly small) | Heels (sale, 4 colors)
Baby Suspenders | Baby Shirt | Baby Shoes
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Photography: PhotoGraff Design
Location: El Dorado Dry Lake Bed, Nevada
