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.