Top Three Tips on What to Wear to Your Next Photo Session | Sarasota Family PhotographerThe goal when deciding what to wear to your session is to ensure the clothing doesn't overpower the faces and emotional connection of your family. Follow these three simple tips to easily create your family's wardrobe that will show off your personalities and that will stay classic for years to come. Begin with choosing ONE or TWO base colors. The base colors are usually solid neutral colors, such as: white, tan, black, navy, gray and denim. These base colors could be pants, jackets, shorts or dresses throughout the grouping in order to build cohesion. Keep in mind, when deciding on your clothes, short dresses or skirts can be hard to move around in during the session, as we will be walking around, sitting down, laying down, etc. Therefore, wearing a longer dress/skirt or pants will work the best. With this in mind, I suggest Mom chooses her clothes first and then coordinate the rest of your family around that. Choose two to three colors to coordinate throughout the family. The colors you choose should appear a minimum of three times on three different people. Think of accessories you could add that would bring in a balance of your colors. Choosing multiple shades of the same color can be a well-balanced and easy combination. Clothes to avoid. It is best to stay away from red and busy patterns. Think coordinating, not matching. Bold, bright or heavily patterned clothes will "date" an image and cause your portraits to feel out of style after the fads have changed. Also, avoid logos, thick stripes, loud plaids or large bright flowers for maximum emotional impact in your portrait. Shoes matter, too. No athletic shoes for portraits. No need to break the budget. Pull some basics from your closet and add a few new pieces. Need some ideas and inspiration? Here are some favorite stores where you can find clothes (budget friendly and a little splurge) that will photograph beautifully. Old Navy - you'll find something for the whole family Zara - perfect for children (my daughter loves them for her children) Anthropologie - for moms Madewell - another good one for moms Feel free to ask me questions when planning what to wear for your next photoshoot. I'd love to help.
How to Look More Natural in Front of the CameraLOOSEN UP Simply relax your face and stay peaceful. MOVEMENT Just keep walking and moving. SMILE AND HAVE FUN! Enough said. Ready to relax and have fun in front of the camera? Reserve a family fun photo shoot here. I would love the opportunity to showcase your family, capture your story and create your legacy.
Outdoor Family Session | Sarasota Family Photographer | Celery Fields, Sarasota | FloridaA friend of mine had contacted me at the last minute when her daughter's original photographer cancelled on her. They only had a small window of time to get family photos taken as their eldest son was only home for the Thanksgiving weekend as he would be heading back to college shortly thereafter. This couple is engaged and will be blending their families to become one big, happy family soon. Fortunately, I was able to squeeze them in and am so glad I did. This is a beautiful family and they were so fun to work with. They pretty much went along with the different options I suggested for capturing great family photos - memories to last a lifetime. The grandmother, my friend who contacted me, even joined in for some of the shots. I absolutely loved working with this family. Enjoy some of my favorites. Is your family next? Get in touch with Patti to schedule your outdoor family session. Click on the button below.
My Ideal Family Client | Sarasota Family PhotographerFamily | OutdoorOne of the benefits of living on the west central coast of Florida is we have an abundance of outdoor locations perfect for family photos. When I first began, I only specialized in photographing newborns indoors because I thought that was the only place that would be best for them as well as my style at that time was only posed photography. After a couple of years, I found I really preferred more of a lifestyle approach where I capture natural and raw emotions, real connection between family members and just fun moments. As I started photographing more lifestyle images, I found there are certain things that attract my ideal client for these type of photo sessions. I have outlined them below to see if we would be a good fit for your next family session.
If you have been yearning for photos showing true emotion, love and connection, let's have a quick chat to see if we are a good fit.
Back to School Outdoor Portraits - Sarasota School PhotographerAre you worried you may not be able to have school portraits taken of your children this year because you may be doing hybrid or full blown homeschooling?
Worry, no more. In light of the current Covid-19 situation, I am now offering my boutique school portraits this year for individual families. I will take photos of your student(s) outside at a local outdoor site. Your student(s) will now have a natural outdoor background instead of the standard black background. It will be the same style as my indoor school portraits capturing children in a very relaxed, natural way. No awkward, stiff, or boring poses. This will be a FREE 10-minute session with the option to purchase various packages, digitals and a la carte items. All proofing, ordering and payment are completed online. Within two weeks of photo day you will be sent an e-mail with a link to your private gallery. Sounds like a win-win situation to me. September 12 & 19 by appointment only Click the button below to contact me to schedule your session now. Baby Planning Timeline
It has been awhile since I have taken photos because of the Covid-19 situation, so I was very happy to get back behind the camera again. I had the pleasure of documenting this little guy's 9th birthday by capturing this special day for him in photos. I was excited to do these photos at the Celery Fields in Sarasota. As the name implies, this was a former celery field consisting of 360+ acres. It is a wetlands site on the Great Florida Birding Trail. It is dog-friendly. You can fish, have a picnic, walk various trails and view plenty of wildlife. It is also a popular site for photographers. I had never been there before and had been wanting to visit and shoot there for quite awhile. It did not disappoint. We didn't even get to cover half the area. I definitely want to go back and explore it more. It was the perfect place to take these photos. I'm ready to take your photos here or any local outdoor area to capture you and your family enjoying the beauty of Florida's natural environments. Patti specializes in lifestyle Maternity, Fresh 48, Newborn and family photography. If you are ready to book or chat about your photo session with Patti at DreamWorld Photography, click the "Inquire Now" button below or call Patti directly at 941.405.3309. We only take a limited number of clients each month. Will you be one of them? We hope so. We look forward to hearing from you soon.
Worried Your Toddler Won't Sit Still? | Sarasota Family PhotographerConcerned about your photo session with your toddler(s)? You might be thinking:
As a Sarasota family photographer, I can understand your concerns with having family photos taken with toddlers. As a young grandmother of six grandchildren (with the seventh on the way), four of them being 3 years old and younger, I know exactly how you feel. You might be stressing that we won't get any great images with your toddler staying still or smiling at all. If this will be your first time working with me, you may be wondering exactly what to expect. Since I am a lifestyle photographer, it won't bother me one bit if your toddler just wants to be a toddler. Whether that's running around, digging in the dirt, or playing in the water. They are being who they are at that moment, and that is what is important to capture and you will treasure forever. It does not make sense to me to EVER try and make a child be anything other than themselves, except how they are feeling at the moment I am capturing them. I don't photograph with everyone stiffly posed, forcing smiles looking at the camera. I may get one or two of those shots, but it will mostly be capturing emotions, connection and true life. I love candid moments. By hiring me as your photographer, this is what you want captured for you and your family. Capturing those genuine, raw, authentic emotions are what you are after. This may mean running around with your children, playing games or snuggling up on a blanket. I always strive to keep your toddler interacting and happy. This will, of course, mean you'll be happy which, in turn, will result in incredible images and a memorable photo session. I will let the toddler sort of and/or let them think they are in charge of the session. If they want to sit down and play, we'll do that. If they want to run, we'll run. If they want to be all lovey and snuggly, we'll do that. May I suggest you not say, "no" or offer bribes? This may actually spoil the session. If you truly want authentic emotion and connection, this probably won't be the best way. I just try to keep it fun and laid back. I just want you to be with your children as if you are on an outing and I'm not even there, at least, for the most part. :-) I absolutely want to finish the session seeing how much you and your children had fun. Excited to experience a relaxed, fun lifestyle photography session? Contact me. I'm ready to have fun. Are you? What Time of Day is Best for Outdoor Family Photo Sessions?Many Bradenton/Sarasota, Florida families wonder when is the most opportune time to take family photos outdoors. We are so fortunate to live on the West Coast of Florida where there are beaches, parks, trails, you name it, in which to choose the best location for an outdoor family photoshoot. All these places and more are so photogenic. However, since this is Florida, the time of day does matter when you want to capture the best and the most flattering natural light, as well as not get too roasted in the heat. Golden Hour is Our Friend for Being the Best Time of Day When is golden hour? It is the time of day about an hour before sunset where the light is absolutely gorgeous and "golden." This type of light ensures everyone will look fantastic! I LOVE scheduling outdoor family sessions during the golden hour. If your family session will include little ones (two months and older), I highly recommend they take a late afternoon nap, if at all possible, and feed them snacks or dinner prior to the session. This will help them be in their best mood possible. However, you may ask, "What if I can't be out that late with my little ones?" No problem. I will be happy to accommodate you in whatever way is necessary. If We Can't Do Golden Hour, Morning Time Comes in Second for the Best Time I can certainly serve your family and still capture beautiful images no matter the time of day. So, if golden hour won't work for you, we can schedule your session during the morning hours, usually around 10 a.m. when the sun isn't up too high yet and the light isn't too harsh. The morning hours actually work best for newborns and toddlers. Let me know when you are ready to capture your lifestyle outdoor family session. I would love to see you at the golden hour. Patti specializes in lifestyle Maternity, Fresh 48, Newborn and family photography. If you are ready to book or chat about your photo session with Patti at DreamWorld Photography, click the button above or call Patti directly at 941.405.3309. We only take a limited number of clients each month. Will you be one of them? We hope so. We look forward to hearing from you soon
What to Wear to Your Family Outdoor Photo Session | Sarasota Family Photographer Next week, I’ll be able to photograph again. Yay! Outdoors only for now. So, you may be wondering what you should wear to your outdoor photoshoot. There is no absolute right or wrong answer to what to wear. However, there are certain choices that will allow your images to look fabulous! Read on for my suggestions: With this time of year in our Florida weather, you want to keep your clothes simple, relaxing and comfortable. I highly recommend solid neutral colors. It is best to stay away from red, neon and busy patterns. Earthtones – muted, not bright, will look very good in photographs. Think coordinating, not matching. Wear you. If that’s jeans and a t-shirt, wear it. If it’s shorts and a polo, wear that. If it’s a skirt or a lightweight, long flowing dress, wear it. You do you. I just want you to be relaxed and comfortable. Remember. These photos are for you, not me. So, it really only matters what YOU like. Looking like yourself is the greatest way to get fantastic photos that you and your family will appreciate and cherish forever! |