FAMILY SESSION WELCOME GUIDE

STUDIO

 

based in South Morang, North East Melbourne

 
 
 
 
 

Your Family Session Welcome Guide. You know what this means? It means you’ve booked in your own magical family portraits with The Fitzroys. 

So awesome! 

I adore these sessions. I love meeting new little faces but I also love love love having families come back year after year and watching those tiny little faces become bigger and seeing the little personalities morph into wonderful kids.

If you’ve had a session with me before then you know what to expect; but if you haven’t, then this is to help set you up.

 
 
 
 
 


HOW TO GET THE MOST OF YOUR SESSION + WHAT TO EXPECT ON THE DAY

Please only have with you those being photographed at the session. Your session allows just you guys: parents and kids. It does not include extended family beyond that (unless you made a Group Family Session Booking). Please don’t feel like you need to bring anyone else for moral support.

You are blessed to have this “not rushed, but not super long” session; one thing I’ve learned from photographing families is that time goes fast, usually because we are having a lot of fun and keeping busy. My #1 priority will be photographing you as a family, but majority of time will be spent on you together at play. I will be looking for the perfect light but other than that I don't have a set plan as each session is different. I will be looking to see both you and your partner lovingly embracing each other at times, with some subtle (at times) romantic moments if you wish, all that beside busy baby or kids! In another words – you will have the perfect opportunity to be yourselves, pause for a moment and enjoy the time out in studio. I will gently guide you or direct you to certain position based on the source of light too. But my aim is to photograph you in a most natural (and flattering) way.

Sometimes little ones take a few minutes to warm up to me. Don’t worry about this, it’s normal and they are usually holding my hand, cuddling me or beating me up by the end of it! I don’t put a camera in their face straight away. I usually find myself getting to know your kids (and you!) first to find what will work best for you guys.

Prepare your kids in the normal way you would before a shoot (bribes are generally mandatory) and I urge you to connect with them and play with them as much as you can. A lot of kisses and cuddles too please. Please don’t worry about your children’s behaviour, and try if you can to avoid scolding them too much unless whatever they are doing poses a safety risk to themselves! Silliness is good. All I ask is that you relax, enjoy the time together and leave the rest to me.

If you are going to try and help me get your child to smile, remember to stand right behind me so I get good eye contact. Otherwise if you allow me to entertain them, that’d be even better.

Any hints you can give me to help your child open up quickly would be appreciated (e.g. favourite Paw Patrol or Frozen character!) I’d love to know as much about you as you’re willing to share.

 
 
 

WHAT TO WEAR

The clothing your Family will wear will have an impact on the outcome of the photos so it is worth making sure this is not a rushed decision that you regret once you see the finished product.

Trends come and go. When choosing what you should wear, try for a style that is as timeless as possible. A good trick is to ask yourself, “If someone were to see this outfit in 100 years, would they know the year in which the photo was taken?” If the answer is no, you’re good to go! If the answer is yes, consider the next steps following.

Warning: I’m not a stylist – most of my clients do a better job at this than I’d do. Here you are also welcome to look through the links I have prepared for you to get inspired by.
There is a particular style that I adore – neutral tones, feminine for the girls and rich solid colours – I also put a Pinterest board together showcasing “stuff I love”. You can check it out here:
PINTEREST FAMILY INSPIRATION BOARD for studio sessions


However, this may not be for you. I also adore classic style, simple but beautiful tones with great fabrics. (It’s not unusual for people to spend more on their outfits than on their shoot by the way. Or maybe that’s just me when I get my family photos done…)

Want to text me your outfit choices? Go ahead, I’d love to see. 0451 442 710 or email them to me at studio@thefitzroys.com

NOTES

Dress the family as if you were dressing one person. The best bit of advice I can offer. Instead of dressing each individual person, coordinate colours within your family. You don’t have to be matched, just complimenting each other. Think of your family as one big piece of artwork, this way no one will clash and no one will stick out. Do you remember when everyone use to wear the exact same white or black t-shirt on the beach? Everyone looked exactly the same making the photo quite uninteresting - thankfully this is the thing of the past now.

Hair and makeup. It is important to have your hair styled and wear a little makeup, enough to feel beautiful. Because being yourself is the most beautiful thing you could wear so I always advise to try and not to over do it. 

Avoid big brands or logos on clothing. We don't want to be distracted by over the top patterns or logos that will very quickly date. AVOID dark colours, usually they will make us look much older on photographs.

BASIC TIPS:

  • Solid colours always photograph well. Patterns are totally okay as well. When choosing patterns, please see if patterns on chosen items do not clash but rather complement eachother

  • Neutrals such as soft pinks, cream, muted blues, soft greens (all pastels), burnt oranges, move etc + white all photograph extremely well, blending effortlessly with the studio colour scheme elements rather than competing with them

  • HANDY TIP - when in doubt select one patterned outfit for a single person in the family and then pull colours from that pattern to dress everyone else in solid colours or complementing patterns to coordinate. If you are a big group this will not always be possible but you guys can co-ordinate together using this advice

  • Ladies: if you can, look for soft, natural fabrics that drape and flow. These make for beautiful portraits and give a sense of motion

FOR DAD

Please just try and avoid black and dark colours (these create too much contrast against baby’s skin) and make person look older. Similarly solid bright colours tend to create colour-caste; for example if you wear a red t-shirt, the whole scene will look red including everyones skin (think of what happens when you put a red scarf over a lamp). Editing for a consistent tone across your gallery is impossible when people wear these colours in my natural light studio. So please, don’t wear solid bright colours like red, orange, green, bright pink, burgundy etc. Choose pastels and naturals instead. You might also want to take off your watch for the time we shoot, they usually compete too much with a brand new baby. Plain white or solid colours work really well on tops like linen blouses, loose shirts or simple t-shirts. Just a plain white or grey T-shirt looks great, but please avoid obvious logos on any of them.

FOR MUM

Again, please just try and avoid black and dark colours. If you have a dress or a top that you love and would like to wear, I encourage you to bring it, it is your session so you can wear what you like.

I personally love feminine, floaey and whimsy style of tops and dresses on a mum, as it seems to compliment my style and the mood of the images.

I love a bare shoulders as the skin on skin of mum and baby brings out the most incredible images of you bonding. For that, you can wear an off the should dress.

One thing to keep in mind is that I always shoot flattering angles and positions (for Mums AND Dads). In light of you just having had a baby, I will shoot from the chest up mostly. Having had babies myself, I remember the feeling of trying to look my best with a newborn.

Please do not adopt the “all in white t-shirt and blue jeans” wardrobe of the 1990’s era!

To see some ideas of styles see this INSTAGRAM BOARD for more inspiration.

CHILDREN

Neutral Colours? Yes, kids can go minimalist as well! Neutral colours suit everyone. Steer clear of big logos or pictures and themes.

Embellish your child’s hair to suit their outfit and accentuate their face with a headband or flowers. Some trends never die! Dress your child up in clothes inspired by vintage fashions for an effortlessly cool look. Consider the laidback vibe by styling your child in relaxed clothing such as a loose-fitting shirt or dress, flares, flower crowns and natural colours. Also flowers - whether it’s in their hair or on their clothes (or both!) floral is an elegant and timeless look that suits everyone. Boys and overalls – they go with everything! And can be styled with cardigans and shirts too for the cohesive look.

Please don’t bring outfit changes for yourself or your children (as in, having different clothing to be photographed in), as the session is mainly focused on the newborn baby and whilst it might not seem like it, its incredibly time consuming to change outfits and my energy is better focussed in keeping your bub settled for the images.

WHERE TO SHOP (just a narrow selection to get you started)

For mum: Auguste The Label, Opia, St Frock (online), Arizona Rose (online), Get frocked (online), Witchery, Seed, Zara

For dad: Zara, Gap, H&M, Target

For kids and baby: Auguste the label, Zara, Seed, Jamie Kay (online), Arabella & Rose (online), Hubble & Duke (online), Fawn & Finch (online)

What not to do

I’m pretty free range when it comes to what you wear.  We’re all different and have our own unique style so please wear what you like, but if you’d love some wisdom as to what NOT to do, I’ll happily share!

  1. Don’t have a drastic change in hair right before your session. No big chops or change of colour

  2. Try not to wear glittery or illuminating makeup as it reflects the light of your cheeks and actually makes you look older (nobody wants that). It is absolutely fine on kids :)

  3. If you like wearing spray tan, please consider preparing it some time before the shoot, otherwise a fresh tanned skin will look significantly darker than other family members. The skin colour difference between you and your children may not look so good on photographs. Also remember to use gloves when self tanning as your hands will be used holding children and tanning stains will be seen

  4. Try to avoid wearing tight underwear as it shows through your clothes and its impossible to Photoshop

  5. Don’t stress if you spend 3 times as much on your outfits as you do on your session. Everyone does it (including me). Keep the tags on and return what you dont use!

  6. Don’t wear black, navy or burgundy or other dark colours - generally no dark solid colours please. They will create too much contrast between you and children. No logos/themes on T-shirts either, just plain and simple to stand the test of time

 
 
 

WHAT TO BRING ON THE DAY

You! That’s mainly it. I don’t use many props or gimmicks – I am photographing you and your most favourite people in the entire world. I don’t have high expectations of you knowing what to do either; I’ll guide you and make it seem seamless. So other than yourself, you may want to bring a nice blanket, favourite toy (but please mind those that are brightly coloured - they will stand out on photographs the most. The wooden or natural fabric ones work really well). I also have a nice selection of toys that you might want to use so don’t worry about it too much.

What to bring notes relevant to your chosen session be sent to you on an email leading to your session, taking to consideration the character of your session and details we discussed.

My biggest aim is to evoke those emotions you have for your partner and child(ren) and capture it for you – almost like bottling it up, and giving it back to you to open up forever and a day. You may not even realise on the day what I’m getting – all I ask is that you trust and leave it to me and have a good time with your kids.

The images will be real, something you and your children and your children’s children will appreciate for many years to come.

Excited yet? Me too!



 
 
 
 
 

WHAT TO EXPECT AFTER THE SESSION

Please allow up to 60 days for processing and delivery. If I put up a sneak peek on Facebook/IG and you love it and would like it sooner for any particular reason then feel free to let me know and I can send it to you. I only put flattering ones up (promise).

I edit in the order that I shoot so all clients receive their parcels in the order booked.

If you have booked a Family Session, your chosen image will be sent to production and will be available for pickup from studio on mutually agreed day. Frame should arrive within 8 weeks after your favorite image has been shared with me.

That’s it for now.

I’ll be in touch a little closer :)

Take care and have a beautiful day x