Erica May Photography {the blog}

 This week was my week for Wardrobe Wednesday and I decided to got a little more simple this week. 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_type=vintage&ga_facet=vintage

This week’s awesome Wardrobe Wednesday is brought to us by Shannon of Shannon J. Dodge Photography. Check it out!

“Happy 2012 to everybody! The new year will bring fun and exciting things to Wardrobe Wednesday and we can’t wait to share them with you!

Not to rush things, but I’ve noticed a lot of photographers booking Valentine’s Day shoots.  And guess what? It’s really not that far away!  So when planning this week’s installment, I figured what the heck, why not compile some ideas for styling a cute Valentine’s session? And so I did.

Really popular and CUTE right now are ties and tie shirts for boys. LOVE LOVE them. You can find them a lot of different places, but I found the most variety on Etsy. Have I mentioned how much I love Etsy? It’s such a great one stop shopping place online, so you can shop in the comfort of your own home. Bonus. I actually found everything you see in this post on Etsy, so I could stick with my one stop shopping theme! You can thank me later.   Also somewhat popular for boys right now are suspenders. They are SO cute on little guys and add such an adorable touch to photos. LOVE THEM. Throw in a fedora, and you’ve got your look for your little guy.”

Tutus and petti skirts have been pretty fashionable for girls for a few years. They are just too cute, especially for a Valentine’s shoot. Again, very easy to find on Etsy. I found the “rag tutu” skirt and fell in love w/ it! I’ll be purchasing one of these for my little girl. I love the look of it! Throw in some cute hair accessories and/or some leg warmers, and there is your girl’s look.

The following are a few of my own photos I took almost three years ago when I was first starting out in photography, I had this vision to dress my little girl up, along with her little friend, and just snap away. They are still some of my favorite images today! I ran to Target, and picked up an adorable t shirt and some woman’s knee socks. I cut the knee socks off at the ankle to make some cute leg warmers for the girls! I special ordered my daughter’s shirt and tutu, and I had the other tutu as a photo prop. I found an adorable knit hat and bow and there you have it. One cute session!

There are SO many darling clothes out there for you to dress your kids in for a fun Valentine’s Day shoot…head on over to Etsy…I dare you not to get sucked in!

SHOPPING LIST – (all items found on ETSY.COM)

BOY

Petite Peanut on Etsy: Little Guy Necktie Tie-Heart Throb Valentine’s Collection (4-6 years) $15.95

Antsy Pants on Etsy: Valentine’s Day Boys Grey and Red Tie Onesie or Shirt with Suspenders (size NB to 12 years) $18.00

This week we are proud to welcome Leslie from Seniorologie as a guest contributor to Wardrobe Wednesday. If you have not checked out Seniorologie you must run over there right now and check it out! It is an awesome resource for the Senior photographer and our senior clients. It is packed with tons of tips, ideas, and inspiration. I was lucky enough to have some of my work featured over there last week and from talking with Leslie I knew she could put together an awesome Wardrobe Wednesday piece for us! Check it out:

Here are a few awesome sets Leslie put together and some helpful tips from her!

“Mountain Charm – This holiday season is the perfect time to cozy up with your family near a warm fireplace.  And what better way to hang out together, than in comfy, cozy clothes.  Family photos don’t always have to be dressy for those holiday photos.  Why not get your photos made in a casual wardrobe that is perfect for this chilly weather?

Cable knit sweaters, fur vests and boots all add texture and layers to your wardrobe for photos.  I picked these outfits based on the mom’s patterned sweater and colored blue jeans.  This set the tone for the others’ ensembles.  Once I had her outfit picked, it was easy to coordinate but not match the other outfits.  The little girl’s shirt picks up the rust color from the mom’s sweater and the blue from her jeans.  The little boy’s flannel shirt is a perfect mixture of the same colors without perfectly matching them.  Then to finish, I kept the Dad’s outfit simple and casual with beiges and browns.  All together they make the perfect family wardrobe.  And I can envision the perfect family photo on the porch of a beautiful mountain retreat!”

“For the past few years, I have sent out Christmas cards that are not your typical red and green!  I love the options out there now with fun colors such as yellow and turquoise.  They just happen to be two of my favorite colors so I love to incorporate them into mine and my families wardrobes whenever possible.

I know the holidays are upon us and most of you have already gotten your cards out.  But if there are a few still looking for inspiration (maybe even for a photo for a Happy New Year card), think about pairing non-traditional colors to make a fun wardrobe for your entire family.

For this grouping, I started with the little girl’s dress.  I loved that it was so bright and fun.  I used the colors in the dress to coordinate with the mom’s turquoise dress.  After that, I thought about the men and decided to go a little more muted on their color scheme.  The gray worked as a perfect accent to the bold colors from the girls outfits.  After this was all put together, I did a little card shopping and found these awesome cards that just so happen to go with this color scheme.  The best thing about them, is that they really could be sent out any time of the year!”

“Every New Year’s I have high hopes of going to a fancy, dressy New Year’s Eve party and I fantasize about the beautiful clothes I am going to wear to ring in the New Year.  However, I always end up in my jammies and asleep before the ball drops!  What a party pooper!

But don’t let my normal attire of jammies deter you from dressing up and going out on the town!  With the beautiful outfits I picked below, I almost want to throw my own party just to wear this sequin romper!!

The trick with dressing for New Year’s is to be festive but also comfortable.  Let’s face it…it is a long night!  So when I stumbled upon this sequin romper from French Connection, I knew it was the perfect thing!  I chose the black one but it also comes in a bronze color.  Both are fabulous.  Pair it with tights, booties and some fun earrings and you are set!

For your date, it is best that he coordinate but not match.  So I picked a purple check shirt to add some color to this duo and paired it with some charcoal pants and tie!  If it is cold, you can always add a blazer and scarf!

Happy New Year!”

Thank you so much Leslie! We were honored to have you! Make sure to run over and check out the Seniorologie page and like them on Facebook too!