Sneak preview of the sweet Nolan family + the best colors for family pictures outside.
Introducing last weekend's natural light family session
Good morning, friends! Happy Friday to you! Please allow me to introduce one of the sweetest families I've ever had the honor of photographing. They are also the perfect example of how to coordinate your outfits for a natural light, outdoor family session.
When Mom first contacted me in October of 2017, my calendar was full as I was pregnant with Jack, my fourth baby, and was squeezing everyone in before he arrived. Mom and I selected a January date for their session. I assumed we would shoot on our session date, but Houston weather had other plans for us! Thunderstorms arrived and it seemed like the weather was always bad on a weekend, which is when most families are available for a session.
We had several reschedules due to heavy rain and thunderstorms. The morning of their session, it was dark and cloudy, I could even hear some raindrops, though thankfully the sun came out and we had great light! Finally, we were able to shoot in mid-March. While the original session was supposed to occur during cooler months, their outfits displayed are an amazing sample of how to coordinate colors.
Many thanks to this awesome family: nobody complained once about being warm and they had very happy spirits the entire time!
As you can see, Mom selected a gorgeous color scheme featuring taupes, blush, cream, ivory and a navy accent color. When they arrived, I could not help but swoon over their beautiful outfits.
It can be challenging dressing several people so that you look cohesive but you're not "matchy-matchy", as that is no longer the trend. Here are some tips for perfectly coordinating your family. Mom did an excellent job encompassing these traits:
Choose colors that are coordinating but not the same. She breaks the color scheme up to where everyone has a cream or ivory clothing item, yet there are soft blushes and taupe and tans. Neutrals are truly awesome for the spring months, too, but look nice year around since Houston is so warm. We don't really have a "winter" here.
Be inspired by your home decor. Your photos are meant to be hung. If your home has neutrals, this is the type of color scheme that will look fantastic as the images grace your walls.
Limit patterns that are distracting to the eye.
Say no to logos and characters. For example, there is no need to have Paw Patrol on your child's shirt. Of course, my own kiddos love characters so I know this can often require a little negotiating when you have toddlers, ha!
Avoid all white, black or red. See how mom chose a soft ivory? It removes starkness from the images and yet everyone is perfectly coordinated.
Textures are amazing! I love how mom pulled inspiration from cable knit. It is soft, inviting, cozy and really timeless yet classic.
Think timeless. Your photos will be hanging on the walls forever. You will eventually pass these images down to your children. 50 years from now you want the images to look as if they were taken yesterday. The photos are meant to preserve this incredibly special time in your life as your children grow and hit new milestones.
Sneak Preview of the Nolan Family
I would like to begin by stating this family is beyond gracious, kind, sweet and so much fun! Their children were an absolute dream to photograph and I cannot wait to finish up their gallery and send Mom her selections.
For their session, we chose a location that is rustic, natural and rural. This adds a timeless aspect to your final gallery. We started with the classic posed look so that there are options for perfectly posed images on their walls in which everyone is beautifully showcased.
I always bring a vintage or antique quilt to my sessions so we also pose you in positions such as sitting down, all cuddled and snuggled up together. :-) I know I love holding my own children and they will not be small forever!
After family photos, we always include images of the children as individuals. Little one, Si, brought her precious teddy bear for part of the images. This truly made my heart melt because the bear is obviously very special to her. When she's older, having photos of her fur friend will be such a joy to look back on and treausre.
Little sister, pictured above, has 4 older siblings who were so sweet and easy going! Here is a quick headshot of each little one. :-)
Thanks for stopping by to see the Nolan family's sneak preview + also to receive tips on how to coordinate your outfits perfectly. If you enjoyed reading about these topics you may like reading others such as the following:
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