Right now I’m getting lots of inquiries from senior clients who want one last family portrait before they head off to college.  Dressing families with older children isn’t much different from dressing families with small children, but I it is definitnely time for another post to help give all of these more “mature” families a visual.  I started with a fun print for the daughter’s dress that gave me a lot of good color options and built the rest from there.  This is a more casual look, and I think the families I’ve photographed around this age range have just felt and acted more like themselves and more relaxed in casual rather than formal outfits, and it’s something I generally recommend.  All of the outfits from head to toe were found at Old Navy – I know moms of kids everywhere can appreciate one stop shopping!

MOM

Capri Pants – $25.00 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=8976980020008&cid=5456

Tank Top – $10.00 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=72244&vid=1&pid=706081&scid=706081702

Sweater – $22.99 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=59093&vid=1&pid=898026

Necklace – $14.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=9198&vid=1&pid=174530&scid=174530002

Sandals – $19.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=55151&vid=1&pid=897799&scid=897799002

DAUGHTER

Dress – $27.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=50186&vid=1&pid=898301&scid=898301012

Sweater – $20.00 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=60783&vid=1&pid=122726&scid=122726042

Earrings – $8.94 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=9201&vid=1&pid=158844&scid=158844002

Wedges – $25.00 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=55150&vid=1&pid=897791&scid=897791012

SON

Shirt – $19.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=64803&vid=1&pid=897967&scid=897967022

Shorts – $19.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=34053&vid=1&pid=289066&scid=289066022

Sneakers – $24.94 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=37844&vid=1&pid=104503&scid=104503012

DAD

Shirt – $12.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6985&vid=1&pid=898372&scid=898372042

Jeans – $29.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5209&vid=1&pid=574143&scid=574143022

Sandals – $19.94 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=16727&vid=1&pid=104482&scid=104482012

I absolutely adore this post that Kelly put together, especially with my own little one’s birthday only a few months away!  Here’s what she has to say:

My little guy recently turned one, and I couldn’t wait to take his birthday portraits, complete with a cake smash. For those of you who are unfamiliar with the concept, you plunk the birthday boy or girl down for some instant photo fun — just add cake! The results are always messy and memorable once they dig in.

In addition to capturing my son covered in frosting, I also wanted some images of him outside — exploring, reacting to his surroundings for those natural expressions I know and love.

First birthdays are a major milestone and a popular reason for booking a portrait session. But rather than just picking outfits and props randomly, if you give it just a little extra thought, you can plan and style an amazing first birthday session so all of your images (although very different) are coordinated and look amazing when paired together for an album, wall display or however you choose to enjoy them. And because I just went through it myself, I have real examples to illustrate — which always helps, right?

Need another reason to read to the very end? I lined up some awesome deals for you from some very incredible vendors.

Okay, for Evan’s portraits I opted to go with the colors of his nursery because I know I’ll display some of the photos there. (For more on matching your outfits to a room in your home, see this Wardrobe Wednesday post.) Evan’s nursery is filled with light blue, navy and red, so I knew I’d have a ton of options. If you’re interested, check out his room here.

I did a little shopping and came up with a few great outfits and props for outdoor portraits as well as his cake smash in my chosen color palate.

Okay, so how awesome is that giant cupcake cake? Well guess what? I made it! That’s a photo I took in my studio. And you can make one too!

Wait. Just wait. Before you get all, “Yeah, but you’re super creative … I can’t do that” on me, I am the World’s Worst Baker. I ruin just-add-water brownies. (Just ask my family.) But I really, really, really wanted one for Evan’s cake smash photos, so I did a little research online and decided to give it a try.

Here’s what I purchased:

Yes, you could certainly use your own cake batter recipe, but being the World’s Worst Baker, I decided to keep it simple and leave it to the expert Duncan Heinz. You could keep it even simpler and apply the frosting with a spatula, but I was feeling adventurous, so I went for it. The decorating tools were fairly simple to use, and the little turntable was a minimal investment and really saved the day when it came time to add frosting. My 4-year-old spun it while I applied the vanilla.

In my research process, I checked out a lot of photos of other people’s cupcake cakes and decided I didn’t really care for the bottom half when it was unfrosted or frosted. I thought it either looked unfinished or weird. Then I found this incredible tutorial on how to make a giant cupcake liner using chocolate melts! Brilliant!

I followed the directions exactly and nailed it on the first try. It was super easy and slid right out of the pan. I didn’t even have to trim the sides of the cake for it to fit, just a little off the top. Easy, peasy.

The last tip I found that really made things simple was how much batter to put in each side of the pan. After you’ve coated both sides with cooking spray and lightly dusted them with flour, fill the portion that will become the top half of the cake with 2½ cups of batter. Fill the bottom half with 3½ cups of batter. No more, no less and both sides will bake evenly. Bake at 225 degrees for one hour.

Let your cake cool, trim, place inside your kickin’ chocolate liner and decorate!

* * * * *

And here are a few of the final results with my birthday boy. Even though the images are very different, they still coordinate! Can’t wait to design his mini albums to pass out to family.

Where to shop

OUTDOOR PORTRAITS

Tie: $17.95, Trendy Ties

White button down: $14.94, Old Navy

Jeans: $16.94, Old Navy

Plaid hat: $6.99 (on sale), Gymboree

Headphones T-shirt: $12.99, Old Navy

Navy pants: $14.94 Old Navy

INDOOR PORTRAITS

Pennant: $32, Blue Moon Studios on Etsy

Personalized name shirt: $18, Three Lulus on Etsy

Diaper cover: $5.99, Amazon

Tie and jeans (see above)

CAKE SMASH GOODIES*

Wilton cake pan: $22.94, Amazon

Jumbo confetti sprinkles: $0.99 per ounce (I purchased 2 ounces) Shop Bakers Nook

#1 candle: $1.29, Amazon

Two boxes of store-bought cake mix, two containers of store-bought vanilla frosting

One package of chocolate melts, $2.99 at craft stores

Cake decorating turntable: $14.99, Shop Bakers Nook

18-inch decorating bag: $8.14, Amazon

Large cake decorating tip coupler: $4.56, Amazon

Large decorating tip: $3, Amazon 

* If you’d prefer to avoid shipping fees, I purchased all of the cake-decorating items — including the pan — at Michael’s Craft Store

What’s that? You need one more great reason to shop? Done. Here is a discount code from a few vendors featured in this post exclusively for my clients and Wardrobe Wednesday fans! Enjoy!

We had a post on our Wardrobe Wednesday Facebook page last week asking for advice on creating a wardrobe to go with Army Combat Uniforms.  We always appreciate requests for help, and we thought that this would make for a wonderful post!  We recruited the fabulous Rachel of Rachel Brenke Photography to help us out.  As a photographer and military wife, she has a very unique perspective.  Thank you Rachel for helping us out and sharing your thoughts with us!  Here’s what she has to say:

As a military spouse working intimately with clients who are going through deployments/homecomings is really emotion invoking.  The mindset getting ready for a homecoming or deployment session is completely different than one of family portraits that are done yearly.  There’s always the real possibility this may be their last, or at the very least is one of the things that will help the family get through the rough separation.  Being in a military community the majority of my clients are military, even if they prefer to shoot not in uniform.  My biggest goal with getting ready for a session, especially one that is during or before a deployment is to ensure that they have FUN because you are essentially taking up their limited together and want to make it more than a session. Make it a memory.  Of course the goal is for ALL Clients to feel this, but with military it just seems to have that air of privilege that you get to be the one to document.

I chose the colors for the styled outfits because they are reminiscent of the yellow and blues that are often associated with the united states military and flag.  I avoided red’s as red is not flattering on most individuals. The use of cooler tones tied in this patriotic theme but also lent to be flattering for most body types and skin tones.

Army Couple:

I absolutely love this post from Shannon, she details how to choose your outfits based on where you want to hang your images in your home — complete with visuals. And if you’re thinking, “Oh, great! Now I have to match my clothes AND my home decor?” Don’t sweat it. It’s easier than you think! And perhaps a great jumping-off point if you’re not sure where to start.

Here’s what she has to say:

When planning your shoot, whether you are the photographer or the client, you likely discuss the following: prices, products, location and wardrobe. Am I right? Shake your head yes, please.    Location and wardrobe are SO important to a photoshoot. They are both essentially what MAKES the shoot. I don’t care whether the location is a bedroom, the beach or a downtown area … I bet most clients have a specific “look” in mind when booking their session. But sometimes it’s difficult to actually coordinate all of that. Enter Wardrobe Wednesday.

3. Get those gorgeous photos ON YOUR WALLS! You’ve invested time and money in the photoshoot. What good is it doing you to keep them on a disc? 

This week I decided to focus on an often overlooked group: the senior guys. Just because killer senior portraits aren’t always on the top of their to-do list doesn’t mean that they don’t want to look great too. I’ve pulled a few different looks together for guys of all types using many of our tried and true guidelines – textures, layers, and of course, an accessory too. 

The first look is a classic casual outfit – jeans with a plaid button up, with either a cool jacket or sweater layered over top.  I think an outfit like this would suit almost anyone and almost any location too, it’s very versatile. The second outfit is the GQ look. J  I’m still waiting for a senior to come with a GQ wardrobe (hint, hint, guys!), but for the right guy it would really make the images stand out.  I can easily see a look like this paired in a modern or more industrial urban environment. The last look is for all of the hipsters out there.  I fell in love with the varsity-style cardigan, but really liked the look of the whole outfit.  Add a fedora for an extra touch!  I think this outfit would look great in an older vintage downtown area or a great coffee shop or cozy book store.  SHOPPING TIP: If you find an article of clothing that you love online, make sure to check out the different images available – retailers often show a full ensemble using the piece (like the cardigan) and it may give you ideas on putting together the rest of your outfit. 

Shopping List

CLASSIC CASUAL

Red Plaid Shirt – Old Navy $24.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=78228&vid=1&pid=897953&scid=897953062
Tan Jacket – Old Navy $65 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5286&vid=1&pid=897399&scid=897399012
Tan Sweater – Gap $59.99 http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5180&vid=1&pid=869698&scid=869698022&ssiteID=ON
Jeans – Old Navy $29.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5209&vid=1&pid=574143&scid=574143022
Shoes – Piperlime $64.99 http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=21406&vid=1&pid=872954&scid=872954012

“GQ”
Suit – Express (although any tailored suit will do) http://www.express.com/suits-1420/control/page/2/show/3/index.ens
Striped Tie – Express $39.90 http://www.express.com/silk-tie-stripe-37742-825/control/page/20/show/3/index.pro
Solid Tie – Express $39 http://www.express.com/silk-tie-solid-36503-825/control/page/22/show/3/index.pro#jsLink

HIPSTER
Cardigan – Urban Outfitters $39 http://www.urbanoutfitters.com/urban/catalog/productdetail.jsp?id=22563860&color=061&itemdescription=true&navAction=jump&search=true&isProduct=true&parentid=M_APP_SWEATERS
Chambray Shirt – Old Navy $24.50 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=6921&vid=1&pid=897375&scid=897375022
Khakis – Old Navy $27.00 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=67525&vid=1&pid=776056&scid=776056002
Sperrys – Piperlime $85 http://piperlime.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=23881&vid=1&pid=833803&scid=833803002
Fedora – Old Navy $14.94 http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5314&vid=1&pid=896360&scid=896360012

Loving this week’s compilation from Erica of Erica May Photography!  I must admit, I’m a bit of a neutrals girl myself.  Check it out:

I love compilations with lots of color but I know that is not always for everyone. Lately, I have been loving photoshoots with lots of texture and layers and more of a monochromatic theme. No, I don’t mean everyone wears a tan t-shirt but monochromatic can be done and done right! This week I chose brown as my starting color. Brown is probably one of the easiest colors to go monochromatic. All of the shades of brown look wonderful together and different textures are easy to find.  This toned down outfit scheme would have the viewer oohing and awwing over the “soft”, “vintage” and “muted” feel. Also, this would be a great staring point if you did want to add in a little color. A few pops of a burgundy in there would spice up the whole feel. A few accessories like these awesome hand-made leather headpieces or a vintage newsboy hat (there are a ton of these listed on Etsy) will give the kids an individualized look for their solo portraits. Enjoy!

Aren’t those leather headpieces gorgeous?? Julia over at Leather Blossoms has graciously offered a 5% discount off anything in her shop for our readers! I absolutely love her beautiful headpieces! Go check her out!

Shopping Guide:

Woman:

Leather Headpiece – Etsy – $48.00
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55501045/cream-flower-headband-leather-cream?ref=sr_gallery_6&sref=&ga_search_query=cream+flower+headband&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_ship_to=US&ga_search_type=handmade&ga_facet=handmade

ELLE Embellished Halter Top – Kohls – $18.00
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/womens/tops_shirts/halter_tops/PRD~948844/ELLE+Embellished+Halter+Top.jsp

Dana Buchman Open-Front Crochet Cardigan – Kohls – $44.99
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/womens/sweaters/view_allsweaters/PRD~931325/Dana+Buchman+OpenFront+Crochet+Cardigan.jsp

LC Lauren Conrad Slim Bootcut Jeans – Kohls – $31.99
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/womens/jeans/bootcut/PRD~902871/LC+Lauren+Conrad+Slim+Bootcut+Jeans.jsp

Jellypop Preston Flat – DSW – $39.95
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/jellypop+preston+flat?prodId=236523&category=cat20068
Man:

SONOMAlife + style® Plaid Flannel Casual Button-Front Shirt – Kohls – $22.99
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/mens/shirts_polos/flannels_shirt_jackets/PRD~834105/SONOMA+life+++style+Plaid+Flannel+Casual+ButtonFront+Shirt.jsp

SONOMA life + style Bootcut Jeans – Kohls – $54.00
http://www.kohls.com/kohlsStore/mens/jeans/bootcut/PRD~334188/SONOMA+life+++style+Bootcut+Jeans.jsp

Timberland Men’s Earthkeepers Chukka Boot – DSW – $79.95
http://www.dsw.com/shoe/timberland+men%27s+earthkeepers+chukka+boot?prodId=208664&category=cat20236

Little Girl:
Robeez Kendall Mini Shoez (Infant/Toddler)    $30.99
http://www.zappos.com/robeez-kendall-mini-shoez-infant-toddler-espresso

Cecilia Crinkle Dress – Tea Collection – $24.50
http://www.teacollection.com/product/1F13204/girls-dresses-cecilia-crinkle-dress.html#mushroom

Flores Pequeñas Leggings – Tea Collection – $17.50
http://www.teacollection.com/product/1F12305/girls-leggings-flores-peque-as-leggings.html#mole

Long Sleeve Purity Tee – Tea Collection – $22.50
http://www.teacollection.com/product/1F32001/boys-and-girls-t-shirts-long-sleeve-purity-tee.html#oatmeal heather

Cream flower hair clip  – Etsy – $28.00
http://www.etsy.com/listing/55720848/cream-flower-hair-clip-fascinator

Boy:

Ernesto Stripe Tee – Tea Collection – $24.50
http://www.teacollection.com/product/1F22002/boys-t-shirts-ernesto-stripe-tee.html#moss

Daytripper Jeans – Tea Collection – $34.50
http://www.teacollection.com/product/1F23301/boys-pants-daytripper-jeans.html#bio-stone wash

Herringbone slip-ons – GapKids – $9.99

http://www.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=74351&vid=1&pid=850384&scid=850384002

Vintage Page Boy Hat – Etsy Vintage Listings -  $20

http://www.etsy.com/listing/90301909/dorfman-pacific-tweed-paper-boy-or-page?ref=sr_gallery_1&sref=&ga_search_submit=&ga_search_query=boys+hat&ga_order=most_relevant&ga_ship_to=US&ga_view_type=gallery&ga_page=1&ga_search