North Texas portrait photographer

Wardrobe Wednesday {what to wear} | Military Session

March 21, 2012

A few weeks ago we had a request on our fan page to address outfits for a portrait session with a military uniform. Well we found the perfect person to do it! This week’s guest post is by the incredibly talented Rachel Brenke who is a soon-to-be mom of three, a military wife, a student finishing law school AND a photographer! Phew. I’m exhausted just typing all of that. I can’t imagine how she does it! And she still found time to put together these awesome ensembles.

Here’s what Rachel 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 the photographs will become 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 not to be photographed 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 time 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 families, it just seems to have that air of privilege that you get to be the one to document the moment.

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 reds as red is not flattering on everyone. The use of cooler tones tied in this patriotic theme and will be flattering for most body types and skin tones.

Army Couple:

Dress – Old Navy $35.00

http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?pid=898983&locale=en_US&kwid=1&sem=false&sdReferer=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.oldnavy.com%2Fproducts%2Fwomens-clothing.jsp

Shoes – Target $29.99
http://www.target.com/p/Women-s-Mossimo-Primrose-Espadrille-Wedge-Sandals-Taupe/-/A-13474053

Necklace – Old Navy $16.94
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=9198&vid=1&pid=174371&scid=174371002

Bracelet – Old Navy $10.94
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=9204&vid=1&pid=158831&scid=158831032

Army Family:

Mom top: Old Navy: $18
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=72298&vid=1&pid=897493&scid=897493012

Mom capris $29.94
http://oldnavy.gap.com/browse/product.do?cid=5456&vid=1&pid=115525&scid=115525012

Mom sandals – Target – $14.99
http://www.target.com/p/Women-s-Merona-Emeline-Braided-Flat-Sandals-Black/-/A-13140084

Boys shirt – Target – 10.99
http://www.target.com/p/Shaun-White-Boys-Short-Sleeve-Polo-Oxide-Green/-/A-13929730

Boys Jeans – Crazy 8 – $19.95
http://www.crazy8.com/shop/dept_item.jsp?PRODUCT%3C%3Eprd_id=845524445991083&FOLDER%3C%3Efolder_id=2534374306246574&ASSORTMENT%3C%3East_id=1408474395917465&bmUID=1331835763684&productSizeSelected=0&fit_type=

Boys shoes – Target $19.99
http://www.target.com/p/Toddler-Boy-s-Cherokee-Kalvin-Boat-Shoe-Brown/-/A-13758487

Girls Dress – Target $17.99
http://www.target.com/p/Cherokee-Girls-Eyelet-Dress-Navy/-/A-13923574

Girls sandals – Payless $9.99<
http://www.payless.com/store/product/detail.jsp?catId=cat10090&subCatId=cat10327&skuId=095250120&productId=67233&lotId=095250&category=&catdisplayName=Girls

Rachel Brenke is a Texas-based wedding and senior portrait photographer, as well as a business consultant for photographers. She offers online and in-person workshops for all levels of photographers to aid in establishing and growing their business.

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What to Wear {Wardrobe Wednesday} | A family of 8

March 14, 2012

It’s hard enough trying to figure out how to dress a family of four – but what about a family of eight?! The easy out would be to dress everyone in the same colors, but don’t worry – a coordinated clothing ensemble is easier to pull together than you think. Here, Jennifer shows just how to do it!

Here’s what she has to say:

Last week, we had a special request from a mom who has a photo session with FIVE boys, one girl, and a hubby to round out a happy family of eight. It’s not an easy task to put together a wardrobe with so many kiddos, so we thought we would try to help. As I commonly like to suggest, I started with the 11-year-old daughter, and gave her an outfit with multiple colors with which to coordinate. Following the blues and yellows scheme, I added in five boy shirts choosing a different color for each. With all of these shirts, the boys can wear either khakis or blue jeans. Mix in a couple of outfits for mom and dad, and you have a family that makes mom look like she has everything under control!

It’s not easy to always find everything in one store, so the best advice I can give in this situation is to go for colors that are trending for the season. Follow that rule, and you should have multiple choices at various stores.

SHOPPING LIST

Girl’s skinny jeans – $14 JCP
Girl’s Shirt – $22.80 (on sale) Kohls
Girl’s Shoe – $30 JCP

Boy’s 5 mos Striped Polo – $6 (on sale) The Children’s Place
Boy’s 5 yrs Navy Polo – $6 (on sale) The Children’s Place
Boy’s 6 yrs shirt – $14 JCP
Boy’s Navy Button-Up Shirt – $12 JCP
Boy’s 7 yrs Yellow Polo – $24 JCP
Boy’s 5 mos Jeans - $15 (on sale) The Children’s Place
Boy’s 5 yrs Khakis – $11.21 (on sale) The Children’s Place

Mom’s Shirt – $23.99 (on sale) Kohls
Mom’s Pants – $49.99 Kohls
Mom’s Shoe - $55.99 (on sale) Kohls

Dad’s Shirt - $25 JCP
Dad’s T-Shirt - $15 JCP
Dad’s Pants – $35 JCP

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Wardrobe Wednesday {what to wear} | Senior Fashion

March 7, 2012

A few weeks ago we featured some new senior fashions for guys so I decided we needed to highlight some of the new senior fashions for girls too! April is my busiest month for seniors and I love all the Spring looks! Whenever I need some new ideas for senior fashion I love browsing through the latest Lookbook from Ruche. Ruche is one of my favorite fashion stores for young women. They have so many awesome outfits, dresses, shoes, jewelry, and more! Their vintage style is so in right now and their patterns and textures are unique and fun. I am a fan of one-stop shopping so all of the outfits seen below come from Ruche. Don’t forget the accessories – they have some awesome headbands and jewelry too!

Shopping Guide:

All fashions from Ruche!

glowing sensation beaded necklace – $24.99

http://shopruche.com/glowing-sensation-beaded-necklace.html#NP=daa9867669d01a8859186a6bb12ff0a7

happiness is a virtue dress – $44.99

http://shopruche.com/happiness-is-a-virtue-dress.html#NP=daa9867669d01a8859186a6bb12ff0a7

shared moment floral dress – $44.99

http://shopruche.com/shared-moment-floral-dress.html#NP=ce59286ebcc2511c8c254f01a944b53c

fresh mint polka dot shorts – $32.99

http://shopruche.com/fresh-mint-polka-dot-shorts.html#NP=80695ba2db89b521208a01c23a0107fb

love bouquet tee – $32.99

http://shopruche.com/love-bouquet-tee.html#NP=4e11040b6cd3cfeddc671e00d9ac8306

hey there leather heels by Seychelles – $99.99

http://shopruche.com/hey-there-leather-heels.html#NP=72bf6f10de0f5880b5567b31c8389a37

sunshine stroll bow flats – $28.99

http://shopruche.com/sunshine-stroll-bow-flats.html#NP=72bf6f10de0f5880b5567b31c8389a37

hello dolly cowboy boots - $96.99

http://shopruche.com/hello-dolly-cowboy-boots.html#NP=13530cf01b4b0fa7e5bd60567cbcb67d

keely mint flower hair clip by Petit Plume – $19.99

http://shopruche.com/keely-mint-flower-hair-clip-by-petit-plume.html#NP=dfd35254564d4d50a1e008040f102d5b

sweet melodies leather ring by Nakamol – $17.99

http://shopruche.com/sweet-melodies-leather-ring.html#NP=8d25f1b4972d336a31edbde1075992ce

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Wardrobe Wednesday {what to wear} | Matching your wardrobe to your home

February 29, 2012

This week Shannon put together a different type of Wardrobe Wednesday post for us. This week’s post is all about how to take the colors and feel of your home and apply them to your wardrobe that way your finished wall products really mesh with your furnishings. Love all of these ideas. Check it out:

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.

I was thinking it was about time for something a bit different around here, so we Wardrobe Wednesday girls collaborated and came up with the following concept. Photographers, make sure you share this with your clients!

When planning your session, think about where you are going to display their photos. I am an advocate of getting your photos printed HUGE and hung on your wall. It’s all about the wall art, and what better wall art to hang than your beautiful family? I see far too many people purchasing the “disc” and doing nothing with it. Get those gorgeous photos printed and HANG THEM, mkay?!?!?

So now that we’ve got that settled, think about where you’d like to hang them. Would you prefer a display in your living room? Bedroom? Dining room? Wherever you choose, consider your decor and colors. Is your decor contemporary and colorful? Is it shabby chic? Traditional? You’ll want to take these things into account when planning your wardrobe. If your decor is traditional, you’ll likely enjoy a more traditional look to your shoot. Chances are you won’t choose a colorful and trendy look. Are you following me yet? Ok good.

I do best explaining things while using my hands, but since they are busy typing and you can’t see me, I will have to use examples. Here’s a personal story:

I was a client a year and a half ago, when I booked the lovely and talented Jean Smith of Jean Smith Photography. I was going to be on the other side of the lens and I was FREAKING.OUT. What should we wear? Where should we do our shoot? I decided to start with location first. I had seen Jean’s work time and time again, and I really enjoyed a combo of some urban/downtown shots and some grassy areas. So Jean suggested a downtown location. Phew. Now that was out of the way. Next up? Wardrobe of course!

I viewed some samples of where we’d be shooting and saw lots of greens, red brick, grays and blacks and other splashes of color. So…where to start? FIRST, I thought about where we’d proudly be displaying the art of US. We have high ceilings and lots of wall space so we would be hanging HUGE enlargements, of course. I looked around at my house. I LOVE lots of color and therefore have several different colors throughout my open floor plan. If you stand in the living room, you can see the kitchen, breakfast nook and dining room. One thing that is consistent is RED. I have pops of red everywhere. I heart it, as you can see.

I KNEW somewhere in our clothing choices for our shoot I would incorporate red. I always tell clients to start your choices with the girl in your family. IF you have a daughter, start with her outfit, then branch out from there (if not, start with the mom) . I decided to take my own advice. One day I walked past The Gap. I saw an adorable dress in the window. The colors were different shades of blue with a bit of rust in it. It totally reminded me of fireworks. Our session was in the summer, a few weeks before the 4th of July. How appropriate! I thought HEY, I can pair up something RED with this dress. And so I did. I found a red dress for myself but it was sleeveless. GASP! Did I really want to see my flabby arms in every photo? NOPE. So I thought and OOOH, solution! I had a jean jacket to go over the dress. I finished it off with a cute necklace with pops of color in it and neutral colored shoes. I dressed my little guy in red, blue and khaki and my big guy in blue and khaki. VOILA! We were coordinated, but not matchy-matchy. AND when I hung Jean’s art of US, it would coordinate with our home as well.

Here is the final wardrobe compilation!

Aaaaaand, the art on our walls!

Let’s review:

1. When booking your custom photography session, think about where you’d like your session to be held.

2. When compiling wardrobe ideas, make sure it goes with the location AND your home decor. If you are hanging your photos in your bedroom, perhaps you’d like a “soft” look? Light blues and whites at the beach perhaps?

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?

We’d love to hear from you…has this post helped you at all? Would you like to see more of this in the future? Please feel free to post on the Wardrobe Wednesday {where fashion meets photography} wall on Facebook!

SJDxo

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New Product Spotlight {Custom Wallet Boxes}

February 24, 2012

It has been a long time since I wrote a New Product Spotlight! I have released a ton of new products for my clients over the last 6 months so hopefully you will see quite a few of these posts over the next few weeks. The first product I want to share with you are these new wallet boxes. These wallet boxes have been super popular, especially with my senior clients! They are such a fun keepsake and they can be designed to fit your personality and session perfectly. They have a magnetic closure and when you have passed out all your wallets you can put little keepsakes in them like your class ring or tassel. Some people even use them to collect all the wallets from their friends. The small wallet boxes comes with 50 wallets in one pose and the large wallet box comes with 100 wallets in up to two poses. As always these are available to present and past clients so contact me if you want one!