If you’re anything like me, scheduling photo sessions can be tough. From a natural-born procrastinator, I get it. It’s always one of those things I mean to get around to and keep finding reasons to put off until another day. And there can be so many things to think about. Finding the right day and location is the easy part. Then there’s trying to get everyone on board. And the outfits. Geez, trying to figure out the outfits.

Of all the questions I get from you guys, trying to figure out what to wear is probably the one I hear the most. Which is great, because I love to help! I won’t pretend to be a fashionista, but after doing this several years, I have spent a lot of time figuring out what type of outfits work best on camera, and which ones don’t. If there’s one thing you retain from this blog post, this is what I hope it will be: if you ever feel uncertain about what to wear, please take a moment to get in touch with me and just ask. That simple. Super easy.

I actually did this sweet girl’s first birthday photo session last fall, and I had so much fun putting it together. Her mom knew she did not want to do a cake smash, but she had several visions in mind of what she was wanting. A pretty white lace romper that would show off her daughter’s thighs, a floral crown and a bit of a boho vibe to pull it all together. She had picked out a couple of outfits on Etsy that she was interested in, but there were a couple of issues–on one of them, she wasn’t in love with the top of the bodice, and the other one came with a price tag just shy of $100. I’m so glad she took the time to mention all of this to me, because I had a great solution: to actually custom make the outfit that she was hoping for.

Before I stepped into doing photography full-time, I owned a small online boutique where I custom made heirloom-quality clothing for children. I loved sewing for my little shop, but eventually had to choose between running the shop and pursuing photography. I chose photography, but I still love to sew a little bit here and there on the side. One of the ways I love to incorporate this skill into my photography is to offer the option of having something custom-designed and made just for my clients.

So here’s how it works: if you have a child or children aged newborn – 4 years old and you are having trouble finding just what you are looking for in the stores, we can get together and design something special just for you. Each outfit is tailor-made to your specifications and your child’s sizing and can either be rented for just your session, or purchased for you to keep. By offering this option, hopefully this helps take off some of the pressure of either purchasing something that may only be worn once (less waste! less cost!), or ensures that you end up with a quality piece of clothing that will be worn and loved many times over. This can especially be nice for boy moms, as I hear so many times how hard it is to find outfits that they love in the stores.

In the end, we ended up with this sweet little cotton lace romper. We photographed her first birthday photo session in late-October, so just as the temperature was starting to drop a tiny bit. One of the nice things about having it custom made was that I was able to line the inside with a soft cotton flannel to help provide a little bit of extra coziness to the outfit. I also added ruffles to the straps and the back, as well as making this sweet little floral crown with fresh flowers that were in-season.

Love this look and have a first birthday photo session to plan? Be sure to ask about my custom outfits and client wardrobes, as well as the option to have your own floral crowns made and designed just for you!

Christina Freeman is an on-location lifestyle photographer based in Anna, TX and serving McKinney, Plano, Frisco, Wylie, Lucas, Celina and other Collin County communities. She seeks to photograph the fun and messy moments that connect us all in our ordinary lives, from the very beginning to the very end. Please get in touch if you have loved everything you have seen so far and would love to start a conversation.

The post First Birthday Photo Session | McKinney TX Photographer appeared first on Christina Freeman Photography.

Welcome to Week 2 in my What to Wear series! This week, we will be diving into the ins and outs of color palettes and how to create them from scratch. If you missed last week’s overview, I recommend hopping over and checking that out here. If you’re good and caught up, let’s go ahead and get started!

When I was first starting off in my photography journey, I never gave color much thought. Actually, I never gave my clients’ wardrobes much thought, period. I simply would show up to the session, cross my fingers that my clients had better taste in clothing than I did, and go from there. Looking through my portfolio, I never could figure out why some sessions naturally seemed to look better on film than others, or why certain ones seemed to fall short of creating the mood I had been going for. Some families looked cohesive and well put together, and other ones…didn’t. I couldn’t put my finger on what was missing; I just knew that something wasn’t there.

The more I studied, the more I learned the importance that color can play in a photography session. Color can help trigger very particular moods and associations. Don’t believe me? Let’s try it. What emotions do you typically associate with the color red? Love? Sexiness?  What about black? Did you think power? Mysteriousness? Formality? And finally, how about the color yellow? Happiness? Friendliness? Laying it out like this, it may seem obvious, but the colors you select help convey the message you want to portray.

Finding Your Best Colors

While certain colors may be universal in conveying particular moods, not all tones are flattering to an individuals’ skin, hair or eye color. If you have ever had trouble finding colors that flatter you individually, I recommend trying a few of the following techniques (taken from David Zyla’s approach, “Color Your Style.” You can read more here).

To find your most flattering version of white, inspect the palm of your hand and choose the color that best harmonizes those tones
To find your most flattering version of red, check for the darkest tone present when you pinch the tip of your finger; also the color present in your cheeks when you blush or are flushed
To find your most flattering pop of bright color, inspect the tones in the veins of your wrist
To find your most flattering version of black, inspect the color of the dark ring around the iris of your eye
To find your most flattering version of brown, select the darkest tone found in your natural hair color
To find your most flattering version of khaki, select the lightest tone found in the highlights of your natural hair color

The following is a chart that I made from my own personal colors–The funny thing that I found by putting this together is that many of these colors are ones that I have always been naturally drawn to.

Once you have found your own flattering tones, you can start to put together your own personal palette for particular events (ie. your best formal color for a corporate headshot, or your best pop of color to convey a sense of playfulness). One last note on this topic: I have personally found that once I discovered my best shades, complimentary tones that hold many of the same characteristics have been equally flattering on me.

Developing a Color Palette For Your Family

Creating color palettes is one of my favorite approaches to selecting the perfect outfits for your family. To create a palette, select anywhere from 6-12 shades that work well together and reflect the style and mood you are going for.

Main Colors: I always recommend starting by deciding what your 2-3 main shades of color will be. These colors should always signify the concept you are going for. For example, if a high school senior wants a boho session inspired by the 1970s, I would recommend selecting shades of dark orange or mustard yellow to begin with. If an expecting momma wants a peaceful, serene feel to her photo shoot, I would recommend selecting light shades of blues, purples or pinks with gray undertones. The possibilities are endless–the important thing is selecting the perfect foundational colors that will convey the message you want to portray in your images, but are also tones that you feel confident wearing.

Accent Colors: These are tones included that will help add variety to your outfit without taking over. I always recommend selecting between 2-4 accent colors that can be included in accessories, smaller articles of clothing (like sweaters) or in small prints on the clothing.

Neutral Colors: These colors help support and balance out the other shades. Choose these tones last, as it often helps to see your overall palette first to know whether to include warm or cool neutrals. These are great filler pieces that round out the overall look. Please note that generally all shades of denim tend to act as a neutral, although certain shades can really come out as a strong blue on camera. In these instances, be sure to include the denim as a color rather than a neutral.

The following are just a few random sample palettes I put together. Please note that while I included lots of color options within each palette, I would not feel obligated to utilize every single color. These are mostly used as as starting point for inspiration, and are especially useful to draw from for extended family sessions:

Putting it All Together

Once you have selected your favorite color palette to work with, the fun begins. Many clients will use this opportunity to go shopping for the perfect outfits, although we can nearly always find things that are already in your wardrobe that will work. Keeping your color palette in mind, start by selecting your main pieces. For family wardrobes, I typically will start with the mother’s outfit. One of my favorite techniques is finding a beautiful dress for Mom to wear–this achieves several things: the style of dress can set the mood, lay a strong foundation of color to build off of, and provide an anchor for the other outfits to balance off of. However, if the mother would prefer to wear a blouse, I make sure to select a top in one of the main colors, and usually balance it out with a neutral on bottom. If she is wearing a dark top, I make sure to pair it with a light neutral; if it’s a light top, I will tend to stick with mid to darker neutral.

Next, I like to style Dad’s outfit. Most dads feel comfortable wearing button down shirts or nice t-shirts, so typically those are my go to’s. These shirts are easy to find in solid colors, so I will often choose a top in another main color, paired with a pair of neutral pants or shorts. As I am formulating these outfits, I always try to keep balance in mind. I always avoid having a solid block of similar tones on either the top or bottom. If the mother is wearing dark on bottom, I will be sure to break up that line of dark tones by placing dad in a lighter color of pants. The same holds true for tops. I am always looking for ways to provide balance to the overall image, to keep the viewer’s eye wandering around the entire photograph for as long as possible.

Finally, I balance out the look by choosing the children’s outfits. If the kids are small, I love to incorporate light patterns into their clothing. Discreet stripes and floral patterns are beautiful on small pieces of clothing, and it’s a nice way to incorporate pops of accent colors without going overboard. It’s also nice to incorporate cute onesies in soft neutrals to balance out some of the main colors. The same rules apply to selecting children’s outfits: always seek balance with the established outfits and colors.

A Few Last Things to Consider

One last tip from a photographer’s perspective: please note that if you are wearing a bold color close to your face, especially one in the neon family, these shades have a tendency of reflecting back up onto your skin and causing a color cast. Just know that when you wear some of these colors, it may add additional time to when you receive your images, as I will be busy editing those out, haha!

And that’s it for colors! I hope this has given you a little food for thought when selecting your outfits. For further reading on this topic, I recommend checking out David Zyla’s Book “Color Your Style.” Also, if you would like inspiration for sample color palettes, I have created a board with some of my own personal favorites here, or check out some of these pretty compilations to fit a wide variety of moods! Join me next week as we dive into the next round of this series!

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When planning a session with clients, I always ask if there is anything they are feeling nervous or unconfident about. 9 times out of 10, I will hear something along the following lines: “I really would love to have some help planning our wardrobes. I am so lost when it comes to this sort of thing.” Let me say right off the bat, I am NOT a trendy person. This is a topic I have struggled with myself. When I started photographing families, I found I actually had to study the art of what to wear.

(Side tangent: My parents always dressed me in those floral dresses from the late 80s/early 90s with the huge puffed sleeves and big square collars. By fourth grade, I was slowly becoming aware that those were decidedly NOT cool to wear anymore. While the cool kids were wearing baja hoodies or neon Umbro shorts, I was still in my big dresses and lacy socks. Finally I begged my mom to get me a ‘cooler’ shirt from Wal-Mart. It was a bright blue hoodie shirt with graphic shapes doodled all over it. I can still remember Stephanie B. shouting, “Hey look! Christina finally got some cool clothes!” as I walked into my classroom the first day of school. Apparently that moment was seared into my brain for all of eternity, as I am still thinking about it as I write this blog about what to wear–ha!)

I have poured a ton of trial and error into this topic over the past few years, and here are the three main questions that I want you as my clients to ask yourselves as you plan out your family’s wardrobe for your session:

Do your outfits:

A. match the location we will be shooting at?
B. match your personalities?
C. help tell your personal story?

If any of these elements are off, the entire session will feel inauthentic. If we are shooting in an open field, there’s nothing worse than worrying about scuffing the leather on expensive shoes. Or if you have wild kiddos, stuffing them into itchy wool pants and bowties will just be asking for trouble. I want you to walk away feeling great about your session. I don’t want the memories that you make be stressful ones because your family felt uncomfortable with their outfits.

That being said, what you wear IS important. It helps set the mood for your session and can make or break the overall cohesiveness within your images. This is where I come in. Over the course of the next few weeks I will be diving deep into the topic of what to wear. We will start with the topic of choosing a color palette for yourself and your family. We will look into different colors and which ones tend to photograph the best. After that, we will delve deeper into choosing outfits: what fabrics, patterns and textures photograph well, considerations to make for each season, finding balance amongst the different outfits. And finally, we will take a look into dressing for special sessions.

And as a final note, I want you to always ask if you have any questions or uncertainties. As we plan your session together, I want you to feel confident every step of the way. If you feel unsure, just ask–that’s what I’m here for.

I’m excited to delve into this topic a little deeper with you in the weeks ahead. If you haven’t already, be sure to sign up for email updates at the bottom of my homepage. I look forward to joining you in the weeks ahead as we discuss more on the topic of what to wear!

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Christina Freeman is a McKinney family photographer and serves Collin County communities including Anna, Melissa, Van Alstyne, Celina, Plano, Frisco, Little Elm, Wylie, Lucas and the greater DFW area.

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I don’t know about you, but I am loving the romantic lacy looks that you can find in the stores right now. If I were to style myself for a family photo shoot, this would be the theme I personally would go with. It must appeal to the little girl within. If you find yourself also drawn to lightweight laces and creamy tones, but are not sure how to put them into an outfit that will photograph well, this post is for you. Below, I have compiled a list of links to three stores for one look that would work well. (Lacy shift dress + lightweight cardigan + long beaded necklace + heeled sandals)

Lacy Shift Dresses:
1. Long Sleeve Lace Tunic Dress from Target
2. Crochet Sleeveless Shift Dress from Nordstrom
3. Ornate Crochet Tunic Dress from Forever 21

Lightweight Cardigans:
1. Organic Linen & Cotton Shawl Cardigan from Nordstrom
2. Open-Stitch Layering Cardigan from Target
3. Classic Knit Cardigan from Forever 21

Beaded Necklaces:
1. Long Multistrand Logo Station Necklace from Nordstrom
2. Beaded Necklace in Gold and Ivory from Target
3. Layered Charm Necklace from Forever 21

Heeled Sandals:
1. Sam & Libby Sawyer Wedge from Target
2. ‘Phiona’ Leather Ankle Wrap Strap Wedge Sandal from Nordstrom
3. Crisscross Ankle Strip Heel from Forever 21

I would love to hear from you and start planning your family’s photo session today!

Christina Freeman Photography specializes in family, newborn, children and maternity portraits in Glenview, IL and surrounding areas including Evanston, Wilmette, Northbrook, Des Plaines, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Lake Bluff, Highland Park, Skokie, Northfield and other North Shore Chicago suburbs.

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Last week, I posted about how to dress for your upcoming spring photographs. (See that post here). This week I wanted to address a few of the concerns I hear from clients when I tell them that I would love for them to dress in neutrals.

I think somewhere along the way, we have had it engrained in our minds that we need to wear solid bold colors when we get our pictures taken. Maybe that comes from all those years of having school photographs taken when we were little, and that was the advice given to us every single year. Okay…in those circumstances, it made sense; you needed to wear a bold choice of clothing in order to compete with the extremely loud backgrounds that would be placed behind your head. Let me try to erase those circumstances from your mind now. We won’t be having neon streaks shooting across a black background in these photographs. The look that we are trying to achieve for your family’s portraits is one that will be timeless. “In” colors come and go, but neutrals will always look classic. If we can get you and your family into outfits that won’t date themselves, we will have timeless portraits that you can be proud to pass down to future generations, which is a pretty great thing.

A lot of people feel nervous that wearing neutral colors will wash out their complexion completely. This is not the case…not if you wear the right colors for your hair and complexion. I’ve compiled a starting point to get you thinking about what shades may work for you and your hair color. (For example, pure whites generally look best on brunettes and those with silver or dirty blonde hair, less well on redheads and blondes.) Like I said, this is just a starting point; I’ve included some of the colors from last week’s post as well as neutrals. Ultimately, if you try on a color and just feel “blah,” that probably is not the best shade for you. The right shades should make your eyes and complexion really pop.

A few things to keep in mind: don’t go matchy-matchy with your family’s outfits. If you look great in white, your entire family doesn’t need to be wearing matching white button-down shirts and blue jeans. That’s not the look we’re going for. Check out more ideas on how to coordinate your family’s outfits in my What to Wear series, or check out my pinterest idea board here. If you are scheduling a session with me, no worries, we will go over lots of ideas in our pre-session discussions to help you feel nice and confident.

Christina Freeman Photography specializes in family, newborn, children and maternity portraits in Glenview, IL and surrounding areas including Evanston, Wilmette, Northbrook, Des Plaines, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Lake Bluff, Highland Park, Northfield and other North Shore Chicago suburbs.

I would love to hear from you and start planning a your family’s session today. Call me at 940.453.4962 or send me an email at info@christinafreemanphotography.com

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I don’t know about you, but the slightly elevated temperatures around the North Shore area lately have put me into a frenzy. I have been busy rotating my closet in anticipation, putting away my heavy sweaters and replacing them (maybe a bit preemptively) with lighter shirts and dresses. Instead of blacks and navys, now my closet is starting to hint that warmer weather is just around the corner with creamy pastels and little bits of lace popping up here and there.

All this spring cleaning has also got the wheels in my head turning as I plan upcoming photo shoots. I am so excited at the prospect of getting back into it after my maternity leave, and I can’t wait to get some sessions going outdoors again. If you are planning your photo shoot and are looking for a few ideas for what to wear, here are some of my favorite colors for clients to wear.

I feel that wearing neutral tones not only places the emphasis on your beautiful face, but will also help achieve a timeless look in your photographs so that you can be proud of them for years to come. The great news is that these colors are super easy to find in stores right now, and the heavy emphasis on pastels with subtle gray and neutral undertones means that they coordinate well with each other. If you are taking family portraits, my advice is to mostly plan your around the neutral tones, then throw in pops of these color here and there. Top it off with a few hints of accents (silver, gold or both work as they are both neutral and eye-catching) and interesting textures (lightweight knits and laces work great in spring), and you are on your way to having a look that will be sure to photograph well.

As always, please contact me if you have any questions or want a little advice during the planning process. I can’t emphasize enough that what you wear really can make or break the feel of a photograph. We want the emphasis to be on you and your beautiful family, and we want the outfits you choose to compliment and not take away from that focus. Happy planning!

Christina Freeman is a McKinney family photographer based in Anna, TX. She specializes in photographing families, newborns and children in Collin County including Melissa, Van Alstyne, McKinney, Plano, Princeton, Farmersville, Prosper, Frisco, Wylie, Celina, Little Elm and other Dallas suburbs.

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I can very vividly remember the anticipation of school picture day, and the mild sense of panic that always seemed to accompany it. Some kids seemed to have gotten it down; somehow they always managed to put together the coolest looking outfits, their hair was perfect, and the photographer managed to capture them looking their very best. Alas, I never was one of those kids.

Sometimes when I talk to clients I get the feeling that they have the same sense of taking a shot in the dark when it comes to planning for upcoming photo shoots. I certainly can relate; outfit planning and posing myself for pictures has never been one of my fortes. Let me try to ease a bit of concern, though, by laying out a few things to consider when planning for your photo shoot.

1. Don’t worry about looking perfect for the pictures. I said it. Obviously, you want to feel presentable and confident, but it’s not your job to be picture perfect. That would be my job-the photographer’s. The reason you hire me is to make you look good in these pictures; otherwise, I would be unnecessary. So it’s my problem to worry about lighting, poses, flyaway hairs, awkward hands and closed eyes. If you receive your pictures and don’t feel good about them, that would be on me. So that should be one thing off your shoulders. I say all this because I have been on photo shoots where parents can’t stop worrying about how they and their children look. Sometimes, I can be in the midst of capturing a kid in their element, but miss the shot as Mom rushes in to fix a hair that is out of place. There’s certainly a time and place to look completely put together, but there is something even more beautiful about capturing your family being yourselves. If you look through my pictures, you’ll notice that I take a lot of candid shots. Expect a large part of your session to be spent playing. If that’s not what you are looking for, consider hiring a strictly studio photographer. However, if you have ideas for certain shots you want to get, definitely let me know! I love hearing client’s ideas and visions for the photo shoot, but preferably through correspondence prior to your actual photo shoot. If we brainstorm before, it will take another thing off your shoulders and give you more of a sense of being prepared.

2. Planning a location: There is a reason I love to push to try to get clients to schedule fall photo sessions. It is such a great time of year! I love that first crisp Autumn day when there is a slight chill in the air, but is not yet too cold. It takes me back to days of football and concession stands, Homecoming mums and cowbells (you might only get that reference if you’re from Texas), hot chocolate and frito pies. Autumn to me brings a sense of comfort; warm sweaters, chunky knits, leaves of warm and vibrant shades. This is the essence I hope to evoke in photo shoots this time of year. When choosing a location, look for places that show off this season’s strong imagery. For example, I know of a few disc golf courses in the area that have gorgeous trails where the trees and colors are absolutely beautiful. Things to be on the lookout for include: lots of traditional fall colors, golden grasses, last bits of wildflowers, hay bales, pumpkins, barns or trails, etc. I also love to take pictures at places where families love hanging out; parks are great for catching kids being themselves, petting zoos, bike trails, etc. If your family loves a place, there’s a great chance we’re going to get some natural and great shots, as well. Sometimes, simplicity works great, too. My last photo shoot was shot in the family’s backyard, right in their comfort zone. And the picture at the top was taken under a tree right outside our local library; it was the only colorful tree we could find in the immediate area that day, but it still worked great. Basically, moral of the story: brainstorm what images you hope to evoke, and plan out 2 or 3 possibilities. Sometimes weather and life just don’t work in our favor on the day of the shoot, so having backup locations is always a good idea.

2. Planning a time: If you’ve ever hired a photographer who shoots outdoors before, you’ve probably already heard it. There is a magical hour that exists for photographers about an just before sunset. If the sun is out, it casts a gorgeous golden light and is just perfect for portrait photography. Usually, I try to schedule for this hour if we are doing outdoor shoots. It really is best on sunny days; cloudy days leave it open where anytime will work. I understand that flexibility is not always an option, especially if you have small children where naps and bedtimes come into play. I will certainly do my best to be flexible, but I highly recommend trying to reserve the hour or two before sunset if possible. The bonus of scheduling fall sessions is this hour does not fall too late in the day this time of year!

3. Planning your outfits : I’ve addressed portions of this topic in similar posts, so if you haven’t already checked out my general guidelines for planning a family shoot, take a look on my family pricing page. Now to talk the specifics of autumn. First of all, make sure to dress appropriately for the weather. Temperatures at this time of year can be unpredictable at best. If it’s a chilly day, make sure you wear the layers necessary to keep you warm for an hour or two outdoors. Bundling up in the Chicago area does not always evoke images of beautiful outfits, so here are a few suggestions.

Start with your base layer (the layer above long underwear, if you’re wearing it :-). This can be your typical outfit: jeans, long sleeve t-shirt or sweaters. This is the layer where you want to coordinate the dark/light, patterns/neutrals, complimentary colors that I’ve talked about in some of my other posts. By itself, this layer can be pretty boring. So we add a second layer. This consists of cardigans, sweater vests for guys, etc. You still want that first layer to be visible; this just adds a bit of warmth and interest. Finally, the third layer is piled on. This is where you can think about adding complimentary scarves, hats, gloves, boots, open jackets…whatever appeals to you and is appropriate with the weather. I do a lot of snooping around the internet for ideas on putting together family outfits, and I notice that the ones that seem the coziest and hold the most interest seem to follow this pattern of 3 layered outfits. To go along with the autumn theme, think chunky knits and warm tones as well.

I hope this guide helps to get your creativity juices flowing. These are not always the most natural things to consider, but a little bit of planning can go a long way to making a polished finished product. For some additional ideas, please check out my pinterest page (link at the top of the page); I have compiled some What to Wear boards that might be of some help. Finally, check out design-seeds.com for ideas on nice color combos that will hopefully work with colors you already have in your wardrobes. As always, if you ever need help planning, please don’t hesitate to contact me.

Christina Freeman Photography specializes in family, newborn, children and maternity portraits in Glenview, IL and surrounding areas including Evanston, Wilmette, Northbrook, Des Plaines, Lake Forest, Winnetka, Lake Bluff, Highland Park, Skokie, Northfield and other North Shore Chicago suburbs.

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