Family Photography Archives – Jen Scott Photography

Category: Family Photography

Feb

What to wear to a family photoshoot?

What should you wear to a family photoshoot?

Choosing what to wear to a family photoshoot will either fill you with dread, or spark you inner Gok Wan and you’ll be all over it like a total fashionista! If you’re the former, don’t panic, I’m here to help! Here are a few top tips to help you make your choices!

No 1 – Be comfortable and be YOU!

If you’re a jeans & jumper type of gal/guy, wear jeans and a jumper! Don’t squeeze yourself into a dress because you feel you should! You need to be comfortable and most importantly, you need to feel at your best!

If someone is happy in jeans, let them wear jeans. If your daughter is crazy about skirts, don’t force her to wear something different because you’ll just end up with a grumpy child who will glare at my camera!! It’s really important that everyong feels happy & comfortable! If it makes your life easier & you want to remember their little foibles…let them bring that spiderman outfit and promise some photos with it! Same goes for dads…if they want to bring their poncho & cowboys hat…PLEASE let them, I can’t even tell you how much I love caputuring these things!

I have 3 daughters….I know how children are….make sure they feel awesome too. If that means using the old ‘I’m giving you choices but really I’m bending your mind to my way of thinking’ trick, then go for it! Pick out 2 outfits that will work, and let them mix and match. As long as they’re reasonably coordinated, we’re good! Failing that…use bribery!

No 2 – Think colour & coordination

Coordinating your outfits shows that you are a group, a family, and that you belong together! It also looks great! This doesn’t mean that everyone should wear matching shirts & ties, instead, think about the style of the clothes. Do you want to look relaxed, or do you want to look smart & sharp!?

Choose a colour palette that is complimentary – pick similar tones and colours – for example, denims, white and a splash of blue. Again, think about where in your home you might put your photographs! If your decor is simple and monotone, you may want to choose white clothing with a pop of colour. If your home is bright and bold, then perhaps think about wearing clothing that will compliment this. These prints will be on your walls for years to come (hopefully!) so keep this in mind!

Think about the season and the colours of nature! In this photograph, all the boys are wearing different coloured jackets, but they all match the autumnal backdrop – this is perfect!

If it’s winter and cold, try to coordinate jackets if you can, or layer with coordinated hats and scarfs! If that’s not possible, we can ditch the jackets for 2 minutes while we get the shot.

3…What should you avoid?!

There a few things that don’t work well in photos and would advise avoiding!

Avoid black – it can make you look pale and is just a bit blah in photos!
Avoid tops with large logos or crazy prints on them, as they will draw the eye to the top, rather than the photo.
Avoid vivid ‘unnatural’ bright colours that will draw the eye to the colour, rather than the beautiful subjects.
Try to stay away from bold, eye-catching patterns. Instead, keep it simple.
Finally, I know black is a very popular colour, but…. it can be a little dull!

Hopefully these tips & tricks might help you if you’re in a fankle! If you need any help or advice, just pick up the phone!

Examples of perfect styling…

Below are some examples of excellent wardrobe choices for a photoshoot. You don’t need to spend money (if you don’t want to!) on outfits for everyone – just find something that everyone has in one colour – maybe everyone has to wear a base of demin and something blue, or something mustard! You get the jist!

Mar

Mother’s Day – Get in the frame!

When was the last time you were in the frame with your children?!

If you’re anything like me, the answer is probably ‘I can’t remember’! As mums, we’re always making sure we capture our children growing, and it’s so easy these days with the camera’s on phones. But if we want in on the action, we need to do a selfie (and end up looking like a potato!) or we rely on someone else to do it, which usually means asking, rather than it just happening!

Why is it SO important?

The answer is simple. It’s important to our children to have tangible memories that will literally never fade. Their childhoods are so shortlived, and although they will have memories, they will be few and far between as new ones are made growing up. I look back at the small amount of photos I have of my childhood, and they spark memories, which in turn sparks joy! But do I have any WITH my mum?! Not enough, and that’s sad.

My mum sadly, and very suddenly, passed away 17 years ago when I was pregnant with my 1st daughter, and there are simply not enough photographs left behind. I want to be able to sit for hours and pour through photos of her so I can remember her. I want to be taken back to a time when she was here so I can ‘feel’ her again, but there’s not enough. And photos are incredibly powerful beasts. They are windows to the past, that may not seem important while we’re here, but when someone is gone, they are everything.

I know, I know…..I HATE having my photo taken too. I don’t have a good side, my figure isn’t ‘perfect’ and I often look like a man….but my children see NONE of that! What they’ll see when I’m long gone is just their mum. Someone who they loved, who made them feel safe, probably lost her s**t too much, and hopefully made them laugh! And one day, it will be all they have left and they’ll whisper a silent ‘thank you’ to heaven for all the times I forced them into a photograph.

So although you may hate having your photo taken, your children literally don’t care!! To have beautiful memories, for them , is priceless, and the best gift you could ever give them!

It’s never too late to start capturing memories with your children! Whether you’re a mum, a dad, granny, grandpa, aunty, great granny (you get the jist!), start capturing those connections now! Bring the whole family and give your children (and your walls!) the most precious gift there is!

20% off all digitals, packages and framed wall art for sessions booked for March & April*

* Sessions MUST be booked for a date in March or April and discount only applies to products (min spend £125)

Sep

What to wear for your Autumn Photo Shoot

Eeeeeek....what do I wear?!!

This will be running through all the ladies minds right now!

No offence gentlemen, but you’re just more laid back about these things than us women! (for the most part!)

There are 3 main things to consider when choosing what you and the family wear to one of my autumnal sessions:

1) Be comfortable and be yourself.

Don’t dress yourself in a style that’s not ‘you’ – you must feel beautiful!

If you’re a jeans & jumper type of gal, wear jeans and a jumper! Don’t squeeze yourself into a dress because you feel you should! You need to be comfortable and most importantly, you need to feel at your best!

If the kids are happy in jeans, let them wear jeans. If your daughter is crazy about skirts, don’t force her to wear something different because you’ll just end up with a grumpy child who will glare at my camera!! It’s really important that the kids feel happy too. If it makes your life easier & you want to remember their little foibles…let them wear that spiderman outfit (just make sure you match!!)

I have 3 daughters….I know how children are….make sure they feel awesome too. If that means using the old ‘I’m giving you choices but really I’m bending your mind to my way of thinking‘ trick, then go for it! Pick out 2 outfits that will work, and let them mix and match. As long as they’re reasonably coordinated, we’re good! Failing that…use bribery!

Bear in mind that it might be quite cold/drizzly, so your jacket and accessories are important too! Scarf’s work really well, especially knitted ones, and who doesn’t love a chunky knit hat!

2) Co-ordinate with the family.

Choose a colour palette, and stick with it!

These images will hopefully grace the walls of your home for years to come, so consider that when choosing what you wear. Choose a colour palette and stick to it. Maybe you all wear jeans/denims with a mix of creams and blues. Or have everyone wear a mustard coloured item.

Chunky kits and layers look amazing in the autumnal scenery! If you only have mis-matched coloured jackets, choose warm (coordinated!) clothing underneath that means you can ditch the jackets for 10 minutes.

The more coordinated you are, the more amazing your photos will look!

3) Don't clash with nature.

Be at one with it!

The backdrop is supremely autumnal, so be at one with the colours! Colour palettes of denim/creams/greys/oranges/mustards and plums look amazing! Choose a base colour (say demin and cream) and an ‘accent’ colour, maybe mustard like my little model below!

Their combination of layers, chunky knits, denim, & that little pop of colour, made for the most wall worthy photos! In fact…this very image graces the wall of this clients new kitchen, as a massive canvas!

What to avoid.

and what NOT to wear!

Avoid vivid ‘unnatural’ bright colours that will draw the eye to the colour, rather than the beautiful subjects.

Definitely avoid bright pinks as they will clash with Autumn itself. Dusky pinks would be better.

Try to stay away from bold, eye-catching patterns. Instead, keep it simple.

Please (pretty please!) avoid clothing with large lettering or logos, as again, these will just distract from the photo!

Finally, I know black is a very popular colour, but for the scenery in Autumn… it can be a little dull!

The most important thing is that you are comfortable and that you have fun! These sessions are quick & cheerful, but the results may well go on your walls, so thinking about what you’ll all wear is worth the effort!

I hope this has helped, if you have any questions or would like some advice, please just holler, I’m always happy to help!

HOLLER FOR HELP!

A little inspiration for you!

Just call me Gok!

May

The MacLeod Family

The lovely MacLeod Family consist of Jan & Norman, the heads of the clan, their children/children in law & 8 beautiful grand-children.

In their words “Jan and Norman are always trying to get some nice group shots of their grandkids and they often don’t achieve great results. The kids are either not in the same place, or not prepared to play ball.”

Sound familiar?!

Enter moi!

The week leading up to the shoot was glorious. ON the day…not so much! The rain was pounding the ground and getting 8 children corralled (and more importantly happy!) in Scottish rain was just not happening! The entire shoot ended up being indoors, but after some rearranging of furniture, bribing of children and some [JSP] charm….each child was photographed within an inch of their life, and I even got some grown ups!!

Jan & Norman’s home is so full of love, and so full of memories for both the children and grand-children, that I wanted to get some more natural, story-telling shots that the family can enjoy for years to come. All those little details that seem insignificant just now, become so important as time goes on, and a simple photograph can induce so many memories and feelings, that it becomes absolutely priceless.

Thank you for having me in your wonderful, warm & welcoming home!

If you’d like to capture your amazing family, use the button below to get in touch!

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Oct

Autumn Mini Sessions 2016

I decided in 2016 to do Autumn Mini Sessions, and they were a roaring success!

The weather was perfect, the leaf colours were spectacular, and honestly….every single family were amazing! It’s kinda tricky to get children to warm to you in short a short space of time, but thankfully I know a few tricks of the trade being a mum of 3!

The results were more autumnal than I could have dreamed of, and I truly enjoyed every minute, even though it was thoroughly exhausting!

Watch this space….I may even do them in 2017!