After an initial reschedule on a very windy day, we ended up with the most beautiful weather for our session!  Not only that, but I picked up a cool new prop earlier in the day that I decided I couldn’t wait to try out … I’m sure you’ll notice it’s brief debut below!    Christine (and Mom) were such good sports – this particular location is HUGE and I dragged them all over the place, and well off the beaten path.  Christine has the sweetest laugh and the most awesome serious face (yes, it looks like she is channeling Natalie Portman in some shots) - it is a killer combination, I tell ya.  Put that together with her awesome wardrobe, and I knew this session wouldn’t disappoint.  Thank you for being so willing to go along with all of the crazy ideas I had for you, I hope you’ll think it was as worth it as I do!  Enjoy your sneak peek!

I love Morgan of Morgan Dawson Photography’s take on how all of the guys (or the women dressing them) can build on their basics to create some great portrait outfits!  Here’s what she has to say:

In my last Wardrobe Wednesday post I talked to women about building your outfit around two closet staples - a white tank and jeans. But what about the guys? Let’s start with the same basic idea: start with what you already have and go from there. In this case, I chose jeans and a white dress shirt.

It can really work, too, without being even a bit boring!

First, the basics.

Let’s start with a pair of dark wash jeans that really fit well. Again, no saggy pants or faded dad jeans. If your man doesn’t have at least one pair of nice darker jeans, get thee to a store pronto and make him TRY THEM ON. I’ve absolutely made my husband try on jeans before buying them, only to have a few women critiquing his figure to make sure the fit works. Might he be embarrassed for a minute or two? Perhaps. Will he leave with a killer pair of jean? Absolutely. Totally worth it.

(Husband’s note: You get used to hearing your wife ask the other women to check out your butt.)

The white dress shirt. Again, this MUST fit well. The good thing is that no matter what his size, you can find a cut that works. I suggest going to a store like Men’s Wearhouse where they have a large selection of special cuts (like athletic or slim). My other suggestion – and this comes from the wife of someone who wears a white dress shirt five days a week – is to buy one that is wrinkle or iron free. These aren’t a myth or made of some weird material. I honestly haven’t ironed a dress shirt in YEARS. My newest favorite white shirt can be found below in the shopping guide.

Now, let’s jazz this up a bit.

Even if he only wears the jeans and white shirt, little things like great shoes, a belt and watch can make a huge difference. I almost always suggest rolling the sleeves. Not only will this make the look a little more lived-in and real, but it will also make him feel a little more relaxed. Show even more style with a pair of geek chic glasses or a light scarf.

Consider taking the outfit one step further by adding a loose tie (or bow tie for the adventurous). Again, you can make it more casual by keeping the top few buttons undone on the dress shirt. Keep in mind that this is a great opportunity to show a little color, or compliment something that another person is wearing. The trend in ties now is skinny, skinny, skinny.

Don’t be afraid to layer things over the shirt. Vests look cool and can be worn with or without a tie. If the example below is a little too modern, consider a basic sleeveless golf sweater vest like this from Nike Golf. Button-down and full-zip cardigans are hot now, but you can’t go wrong with a zip-neck mock sweater as well. And finally, jackets. These can look super cool and casual with a slightly unbuttoned dress shirt and jeans. Depending on the material, you may even be able to roll up the sleeves a little. Go with a more formal look by  adding a simple tie and maybe even cufflinks.

SHOPPING GUIDE

TOPS:

Buckle Pop Icon Edify Vest - $39.95

Zara Cotton/Metal Cardigan – $39.90

Macy’s INC Core Two Button Blazer – $69.98

J.Crew Sun-Faded Fleece Crewneck Sweatshirt – $49.50

Express Full-Zip Mock-Neck Cardigan – $41.94

 WHITE DRESS SHIRTS:

Zara Structured Shirt – $59.90

Mens Wearhouse Joseph & Feiss Slim Fit Dress Shirt – $39.99

SHOES:

Buckle District 3 Latitude Shoes - $49.95

J.Crew Sperry Top-Sider Leather Chukka Boots – $125.00

ACCESSORIES:

Macy’s Kenneth Cole NY Watch – $95.00

Banana Republic Madras Scarf - $49.50

Buckle ReClaim Textured Belt – $19.95

Forever 21 Vintage Leatherette Belt – $7.90

Express Narrow Silk Tie – $39.90

J.Crew Brisband Madras Tie – $59.50

Amazon.com Wayfarer Clear Fashion Glasses – $25.00

I so enjoyed working with this fabulous family – my family clients have been spoiling me lately!  It’s so nice to work with loving families who get along and truly enjoy spending time together.  It really makes family portraits so much more fun, and much easier on me too!  This awesome family was no exception, and their wardrobe was pretty awesome too!  We got some fun family shots, but focused on the two kiddos (Allen and Anna) who are both high school baseball/softball players (as you can see).  We also spent some time taking some senior portraits for Allen – isn’t he so photogenic?  While the day ended up being fairly windy, they went along without complaint.  Thank you so much for letting me spend the evening with you (on Spring Break nonetheless), and enjoy your sneak peek!

You would be hard-pressed to find a more laid-back, up-for-whatever girl than Kirby.  She really didn’t have a strong peference about a location or her wardrobe – she just wanted some great images documenting this time in her life and left the rest up to me (and Mom)!  Love it!   I had such a great time dragging them ALL over this very spacious park – I hope it will have been worth it for them too.  As you can see from these images, Kirby has a super-fun personality – thanks for indulging me on our “goofy” shots!  I hope you are enjoying your spring break, now enjoy your sneak peek!

When I saw this style request come through our email, I just couldn’t resist.  Mom has a “rustic country” session scheduled this spring and was a little overwhelmed at the idea of coordinating outfits for her three girls (ages 6, 4, and 2).  Since we recently found out that we will be adding another little girl to our family, let’s just say that I have coordinating girls’ outfits on the brain!  Not to mention, being a native Texan and lover of all things country, I thought this would be a fun challenge. 

 I opted to go with more of a “country chic” vibe for a couple of reasons.  First, here in Dallas (where the request came from) we tend to throw in a little fashion and shabby chic appeal to our version of country, and secondly, I think these outfits will have a wider appeal beyond a country theme as well.  Simply switch up some accessories, and you could take this wardrobe in a completely different direction. 

 I first found the adorable plaid dress at Tea Collection and decided to use that as my base color palette.  You can find so many options right now in these colors, and that’s always important when you are trying to pull together outfits.  I liked the idea of throwing in a layer with the denim jacket – it lends a little country credibility and helps to break up the pattern amidst the other outfits.  If it’s warm when the session rolls around, one or two rolls on the cuffs can let a little air through and look really cute. 

 I pulled colors from the plaid dress to put together the other two outfits.  I didn’t want to put all three girls in dresses – I think mixing it up with a skirt and top looks more natural and adds some depth and texture to the entire ensemble.  Then I went to Etsy to find some adorable hair accessories to finish everything off. 

 Footwear is the place where you can really cement these outfits as all-out country or modernize them a little bit to fit almost any backdrop.  I’ve shown a few options here.  First, you can go for a truly authentic country look and get the real deal kid’s cowboy boots.  I actually have the boots shown below for my daughter, which she wore in our family portraits last spring along with a cute dress and denim jacket. J  They were a little pricey for me, but worth the splurge to really make a statement.  You can also “glam” the boots up a little bit too.  I’ve shown some boots with embellishments and sequins from Target as a possible option.  These aren’t going to be authentic boots, so they are a little more affordable.  Lastly, if you want to stay away from boots, look for something like these tan gladiator sandals.  They still have an organic feel to them, which fits well with the outfits as a whole, without screaming cowgirl. 

 Of course, we would love to hear more ideas on how we can help you style your next session.  Shoot us an email at info@stylishcamerajunkies.com and you might just see YOUR family dressed on our next post! 

Shopping List

Big Sis
Taupe Playa Dress $35 Tea Collection
Cream Bolero  $26.95 Gap Kids
Pink and Rust Rolled Rose Hair Clip $13.50 Ruby Blue Inc. (Etsy)

 Middle Sis
Dusty Coral Ruffle Sleeve Top $29 Tea Collection
Tiered Denim Skirt $29.95 Gap Kids
Beige Chiffon Rosettes Headband $6.95 The Fairy Factory (Etsy)

 Baby Sis
Playa Plaid Dress $49 Tea Collection
Denim Jacket $27 Gap Baby
Cream Lace Vintage Headband $10 BuggaBugga Boutique (Etsy)

 Shoes
Authentic: Old West Children’s Cowboy Boots $41.99 Shepler’s
Glam: Brown and Pink Deloria Boots $19.99 Target
Sandals: Suede Gladiators $24.95 Gap Kids

Spring is in the air!  Jennifer of Minor Impressions Photography has put together some great outfits for Easter portraits, whether casual or dressy!  Here’s what she has to say:

This is one of my most favorite times of the year! It’s getting a little bit warmer, the grass is turning green again, and you start to see a few flowers bloom. The other reason I love it is that the stores start putting out all of their Easter outfits. 

I don’t usually suggest that kids (especially toddlers) wear something dressy to take pictures in, but Easter pictures are definitely an exception. So many times I catch myself purchasing the perfect dress for my girls to wear, and they end up only wearing it once or twice. You might as well attempt a third time and have some portraits made of your little darling looking perfect, even if he/she isn’t!  

Many Easter outfits are your basic pastel colors. Most of the time, the lighter colors can look very washed out in pictures. I suggest mixing some pastels and darker shades of color to make your outfits stand out more. You’ll see that there are various colors in both of the girls’ dresses, which also makes it easier to find something which coordinates for the boy to wear. If you tend to steer away from the dressier outfits because you know you won’t get as much use out of them as you’d like, you can still have the great colors with something more casual. Just follow the same guidelines of the dark and light colors mixed together! 

Now that you have some great wardrobe choices, be sure to talk with your photographer about the location you’d like to use. For Easter pictures, some great choices are a local park, somewhere with a pond, or even an arboretum if you have one nearby.

Shopping List

Girl’s Dressy Outfit – Crazy 8
Dress – $34.95
Cardigan – $26.95
Shoes – $22.75
Necklace – $12.95
Bracelet – $8.95
Headband – $5.00

Boy’s Dressy Outfit – Crazy 8
Pants – $24.95
Shirt – $16.95
Sweater Vest – $22.95
Shoes – $16.99

Girl’s Casual Outfit – Hanna Andersson
Dress – $19.00
Shoes – $74.00
Necklace – $10.00
Bracelet – $8.00
Headband – $8.00

Boy’s Casual Outfit – Gap
Shorts – $26.36
Shirt – $16.50
Shoes – $19.50

It’s time for another fabulous installment on how to best dress for your shape from Kelly of Kelly V. Photography!  Here’s what she has to say for hourglass figures:

I ADORE sun flare and all things sun, so I was so excited to see that the theme for this week’s IHF contest was Sun Flare.  What makes me laugh now is that I used to be horrified of the sun, I would cross my fingers that it would be cloudy whenever I had sessions scheduled.  Then I took a fabulous workshop called Finding the Light in 2009 (linked on my Favorites page) that taught me to embrace the sun, and I’ve never looked back.  I love backlighting and killer sun flare is now my best friend.  Honestly, I’m kinda bummed when the sun doesn’t peek out at least a bit during a session.  I had such a hard time choosing which image to submit {my great sun flare shots are some of my all-time favs}, but for me, this image has the perfect combination of flare, haze, and contrast – it just fits so perfectly with my gorgeous senior subject and her expression. 

To see more great sun flare shots, head on over to I Heart Faces!

UPDATE: Voting is now open, so YOU can go vote for this image by heading over to the I Heart Faces page and finding me – #274!  You aren’t required to enter any information, just click vote!   Thanks! 

This week’s theme over at I Heart Faces was favorite February faces.  Now there is NO way I could pick a favorite face image from February, there are way too many gorgeous faces in there.  I decided to submit this one because it was a little different.  Carly was kind enough to indulge me a little in playing with her scarf, and I think the result is jaw-dropping gorgeous.  I love the way her face is framed so perfectly and you are drawn straight to her eyes! 

Make sure to head on over to IHF to see more beautiful faces!

First, let me just say that I’m completely humbled and blown away by the amazingly kind and gracious things that were said in your reviews.  I’m not sure if it’s the pregnancy or just me, but reading them brought tears to my eyes.  After all of the time and energy spent planning your sessions, spending time with you, and staring at your beautiful faces for hours while I edit, it means so much to hear that the experience itself was as meaningful for you as it always is for me.  You guys are the greatest!    Just another fabulous reminder that I have the best job on the planet, and that I’m blessed to work with such wonderful people. 

So, now for the fun part!  We had 12 total participants, so I drew two names from a hat (literally!) where I had put in an entry for every review left on either site.  And the winners are ….

Shannon P. and Stacy S. ! 

I’ll be contacting you shortly so that you can redeem your free gift prints!  I want to again thank everyone who entered, and remind you that any referral you send my way earns you a $50 print credit as well, so keeping spreading the word!  If anyone out there reading is considering entrusting me with your families memories, I hope you’ll take a minute or two to check out these reviews, both on my Facebook Page and on Google. 

And in hopes that we have said “bye bye” to all of our cold winter days, I’ll leave you with a parting shot of everyone during the great Ice/Snow storm of 2011.