✨ Portrait Session✨
Style Guide
Hey love!
I’m SO excited for your session! Whatever the occasion I’m honored to be your photographer. My goal? To keep things stress-free, fun, and full of joy while we capture magic together. This guide will help you feel prepped, confident, and ready to rock it in front of the camera. Let’s do this! 💫
Prep + Timing Tips
Plan to be early.
Hair and makeup always take longer than expected — plus traffic, parking, and outfit wrangling. Plan ahead so you can arrive 10–15 minutes early and feel calm and confident when we start.
Outfit Changes:
Changing takes time and cuts into shooting. To get the most out of your session:
-
Full Sessions:
-
Families: 1 outfit
-
Couples: 1–2 outfits
-
Individuals: up to 3 outfits
-
-
Mini Sessions: 1 outfit (2 max for individuals)
Style Tips for Her
Go glam. You deserve it.
Whether you rent something fabulous or finally wear that dress you’ve been eyeing, now’s your time to shine. Treat yourself!
Long + flowy dresses = photo magic. They flatter every body type, photograph beautifully, and create gorgeous movement. Midi and cocktail-length dresses are great too.
Shorts and pants? Yes please — if styled with intention. Jeans or shorts with a statement top can look stunning.
The only thing I recommend avoiding: leggings — they tend to look too casual for portraits.
Skip strapless and skinny straps. They often make arms appear wider on camera. Opt for sleeves, layers, or wraps to flatter and add variety.
Shoes matter. Heels elongate legs and polish your look. If your feet will show, a pedi is a great idea. Pack some comfy shoes for walking between spots.
Accessories add pop. Think hats, florals, jewelry — just don’t go overboard. One or two statement pieces are perfect.
SKIP THE SPRAY TAN. Even professionally done ones can show up orange on camera. Your natural skin tone is beautiful!
Hair + Makeup
Professional hair and makeup = confidence booster and photo magic.
Ask your artist to work in natural light so your look matches the lighting we’ll shoot in. It may feel like “a lot” at first, but it’ll photograph perfectly. Lash extensions, a soft blowout, or a bold lip can add just the right amount of pop!
Color Tips
Stick to:
-
Soft pastels
-
Warm neutrals (camel, cream, taupe, blush, sage, dusty blue)
-
Jewel tones (emerald, navy, mustard, burgundy)
These colors work beautifully with almost any setting and keep the focus on YOU.
Save Neons for Studio Sessions
Neons and bold brights tend to reflect strangely outdoors. If you love a bold color moment, let’s plan an indoor session with a clean white backdrop — they look amazing in that setting.
Style Tips for Him
Layers are your friend. A blazer, jacket, or vest adds depth and polish. Long sleeves are more flattering than short ones — and you can roll them for a casual vibe.
Stick to solid neutrals. Muted tones photograph best. Avoid strong patterns, logos, and anything oversized. Fit is everything!
Dress pants, chinos, or dark jeans + leather shoes = classic.
Closed-toed shoes look sharp and elevate your entire look. Skip the athletic sneakers for this one — trust me.
Bonus tip:
If your beau isn't hyped for this photo session, tell him why this session matters to you. Show him a few of your fave photos from my instagram. When he knows how important this is, he’ll show up ready to make it great — and I promise he’ll have more fun than he expected.
Tips for Kids + Families
Pack the essentials:
-
Non-sticky snacks
-
Water
-
Small toys or attention-grabbers
Prep them (but don’t pressure them).
Talk to your kids beforehand. Let them know what we’re doing and how special it is to you. A post-session reward (ice cream, anyone?) is a great motivator.
Connection over correction.
If your child is shy, wild, or just not in the mood — that’s okay. Please don’t scold or threaten them. It doesn’t help, and I do not allow negative talk at my sessions. What does help? Love, play, laughter, and cuddles.
Kids need to feel safe and loved to shine. So kiss them, tickle them, make silly faces — and trust that I’ll guide us through. I’ve worked with every kind of mood and meltdown, and we’ll still make magic.
Cold Weather Style Tips
Chilly weather? Cozy can still be classy.
Stick with:
-
Jewel tones
-
Warm neutrals
-
Soft pastels
Think cozy layers: oversized sweaters, statement coats, tights, scarves, boots, beanies — bring the warmth and the vibe.
Final Thoughts
You don’t need to be a model. You don’t need to know how to pose. You just need to show up with love, a smile, and trust in the process. The rest? That’s on me.
We’re capturing connection — real, joyful, beautiful you.
Session Checklist
Let’s keep it easy — here’s what to double-check:
☐ Booked your session: date, time, location
☐ Hair & makeup scheduled
☐ Outfits chosen, steamed, ready
☐ Nails done
☐ Packed:
-
Comfy shoes
-
Extra outfits (if applicable)
-
Makeup touch-ups
-
Accessories
-
Props (optional)
-
Water bottle
-
Layers (if needed)
-
Non-sticky snacks + small toys (for kids)