I’m so excited to photography your sweet family! I love being able to make time stop - if only for a moment and give you the best memories of this time in your life. I am continually inspired by families like you and do my best to portray the beauty and uniqueness that makes your children yours. I love what I do, and am honored to have you share such special milestones with me! Follow this style guide to help you with the hardest part of family photos, and I’ll do the rest!
Jessica Valentine
Session Success I encourage you NOT to bribe your children or promise a special treat prior to your session. Instead, I’ll save that for during the session if we need them. It usually works wonders if I “sneak” a treat or two during the session if needed, and also get pure emotions we would have missed otherwise. Don’t worry about cranky kids believe it or not, but I have my fair share of grumpy kids. You worry about getting everyone there and prepping before hand, and I’ll take over once we’re there. I have a few tricks up my sleeve.
Of course you want beautiful smiling pictures of your family the “hang on the wall” photos and I’ll will make sure to get you some of those, but photographs with other personalities are wonderful too. Children will tell you how they feel, and that can be very rewarding during a photoshoot. “Leave the Cheese at home” and I’ll be sure to get genuine shots of your children. Please feel free to giggle, and tickle, and interact with your family even when the camera is out!
For the Men: Long fitted pants or jeans and closed toed shoes are the most sophisticated and masculine looks. They draw attention away from his face. So, for your session, its best to leave the shorts and sandals at home, as well as any pants that are loose or baggy. Fitted dress pants, jeans, or fitted skinny colored pants work best on camera. Layers on men look great! Blazers, vests, and coats up the level of any look. If the temperature permits, he cold even consider adding a v-neck sweater with a pop of color with a long sleeved collared shirt and tie underneath. Don’t be afraid to get a little creative with laters!
Choosing Colors: When choosing colors for your outfits, I recommend selecting softer, lighter tones and more muted shades. By avoiding ultrabright, bold colors, it will help bring all the attention to your faces and let the eye focus on the way you fell about each other. The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown, and white. Also try to stay away from logos, words, and characters. Lets keep the focus on the person instead of the clothes!
Moms:
Yes! I’m talking to you! Your photos are going to be amazing, but you won’t want to hang them up if you don’t feel your best, and as a mom, I know that putting together family photos is the most stressful on you. So instead of worrying about everyone else first, lets make you feel your best first, and worry about everyone else second for once! Start with your outfit! Go out and buy something you’ve been wanting that looks great on you! Wear attire that is flattering to your figure and your skin tone. We all know that everyone has certain things that look great on them and certain things that aren’t really made for them. The truth is, if you don’t like the way you look in stripes on a normal day, you’re not going to love the way you look in stripes in your images. Bottom line, make sure you wear something that you’re comfortable in. Sure, I’m going to teach you how to pose in flattering ways, but you’ll love your images even more if you wear an outfit your confident in!
Pamper yourself a bit! Wear shoes you love (with an extra pair incase the ones you love aren’t very comfortable for walking around in) and get your nails done! Its the little details that count! Get your makeup and/or hair professionally done. They’ll help you feel like a million bucks. Believe me, it makes a big difference. I have some fabulous girls who I work closely with. Let me know if you’re interested. You won’t regret it! If you want extra romantic photos, consider wearing something long and flowy! I absolutely love photographing fabric that flows with the wind and moves with you!
Extra Tips: 1. Coordinating doesn’t mean matching. Wearing the same color in a different shade is more ideal than trying to find the exact same color to wear. It can be tempting to match everyone in identical outfits, but I discourage this because it can make the final images look a little “stiff” 2. Adding layering pieces sweaters, scarves, jewelry, and flower crowns (my favorite accessory!) can be an easy way to add interest to your portraits. 3. Don’t be afraid to dress it up! There is no such thing ad “too dressed up” when it comes to portraits. If you don’t want to add a permanent piece to your wardrobe, a lot of clients love Rent The Runway because it is an affordable way to feel amazing. I have a lot of local connections as well from dress rental shops to second hand sellers. Utah is also a prime location for small boutique shops (some of my favorite styles). Just ask and I’ll give you the help you need to find the perfect outfits!
Locations: Utah has the best locations! I’ve compiled a few of my favorites so that you can easily decide what backdrop you’d like to your family photos. I’ve included some photos from other photographers to show you what the locations look like for a session. Hopefully you find something you love! If you have any other ideas, please let me know. I always love exploring and getting creative.
Photography Studios: There is a small fee for each studio, (differing per studio) however they create beautiful pictures and have a lot of flexibility. The best way to decide which one is best for you, is to look them up on instagram. They all have example of their studios on social media. Don’t worry about contacting them, though, I’ll take care of that for you! • Be More Creative Studio (Provo, Utah) • Studio 1918 (Salt Lake City, Utah) • The Ogden Click (Ogden, Utah) • The Studio Room (Salt Lake City, Utah) • Wild Willow Studio (Salt Lake City. Utah)
Cactus and Tropicals Salt Lake City and Draper Another “schedule ahead� but its a perfect location to get away from the norm!
Little Sahara Nephi, Utah
Salt Air Salt Flats Magna, Utah
Antelope Island Great Salt Lake
Albion Basin Little Cottonwood Canyon
Tunnel Springs Park North Salt Lake, Utah
Tony Grove Silver Lake Cache Valley, Utah Big Cottonwood Canyon
Tibble Fork Jordan Pines Lehi, Utah Big Cottonwood Canyon