Let's NOT Wear This, Please | Birmingham Family Photographer

Birmingham Family Photographer

a sweet new family of three in birmingham family photographer Virginia Schultz's studio

If you’ve hired a Birmingham Family photographer, you are probably aware of how many details go into planning an amazing session. Whether you are taking photographs to hang on the wall or create a photo album to treasure for years to come, you want to make sure that everyone looks their best. One of the most important aspects of looking great in family photos is choosing the right clothing. Unfortunately, it’s easy to get it wrong when it comes to what to wear to your family session. This is one of the biggest reasons I’ve decided to provide a studio wardrobe for my clients. It really is that big of a deal! However, if you’re not one of my clients and you’ve hired a Birmingham Family photographer that does not provide wardrobe for your whole family, I’ve got you. I’m going to share my thoughts and “secrets” behind what makes or breaks a family photo when it comes to your outfits. Specifically, I’m going to discuss what not to wear to your family session.

Bright, loud colors are a common mistake people make when choosing clothing for their family photo sessions. Now, take this with a grain of salt. If you love color and you’re like “hey, lady, the more color the better!”, then you do you. Personally, my philosophy when approaching family images is that you and your babies are the focus. So anything I can do to minimize the details to really bring the focus onto the people, is a game changer. Neutral and light clothing does this for me. Additionally, bright colors can sometimes cast a colored hue on the skin, which can be unflattering. This can be really challenging to edit, so be kind to your photographer and if you’re going to wear some color, make sure it’s a complimentary color for your skin tone! Light colors also help bounce and reflect light. Photographers are forever chasing light and light colors are something I’ll never tire of.

Big patterns can be a disaster in family photos. While patterns can add interest and depth to your clothing choices, large or bold patterns can be overpowering and take away from the focus of the image. Big patterns can be a great way to add some texture to your images. I have 6 daughters and it’s always a challenge to make sure I haven’t created an 90’s matchy-matchy image disaster. So I often play with texture and some pattern with their dresses. When I’m looking at patterns, I’m always opting for very subtle colors that won’t overpower the people in the image. Think very soft grey check, a gorgeous watercolor pastel floral, or even a small ditsy floral pattern in complimentary colors. Also keep in mind if you are outdoors to make sure you don’t blend into the background! We don’t want to completely camouflage your family!

Moire. Have you heard of that term before? I hadn’t heard of it before I was a photographer. But it’s a really obnoxious phenomenon that can happen when you are photographing little stripes and repetitive patterns. More specifically, moiré happens the thing that is being photographed contains repetitive details (such as lines, dots, etc) that exceed the sensors resolution. As a result, the camera produces strange-looking wavy patterns. Here is a great article that explains and can also cause this effect in your family photos. This can especially happen if you are wearing clothes with thin, parallel stripes or patterns that are too closely spaced. Moire is caused by the interaction between the stripes on your clothing and the pixels in the camera sensor, and it can be very difficult for a Birmingham family photgrapher to correct in post-processing. So, if you want to avoid this effect, stick to solid colors or patterns that have larger spaces between them.

Finally, this is mostly selfish advice because for whatever reason, I truly despise this color. It’s important to avoid red when it comes to your family photo session. Now, muted, earthy red tones are fine. When I’m referring to red I’m talking primary red. Bright red. Obnoxious red. Stop light red. Some people think red is a beautiful color, and that’s totally fine, but it can be a nightmare for Birmingham family photographers. Either because of personal preference but beyond that it is one of those colors that can cast onto all the surfaces around you making post-processing a challenge. The color red is notorious for bleeding and creating color casts on the skin, which can make you look like you have a sunburn or a red rash. Additionally, I think red can also be very distracting in a family photo, taking away from the focus of the image. Ultimately, if you have your heart set on red, I’m sure there are many photographers that will be ok with that. But for this photographer, it’s a strong pass on red.

Overall, choosing the right clothing for your family photo session is an essential part of creating beautiful, timeless photos that you’ll cherish for years to come. By following these tips, you’ll be well on your way to create stunning family photos that you’ll be proud to display in your home.

Birmingham Family Photographer

I find it an absolute joy to photograph families during some of their most precious memories. As a Birmingham family photographer I get to see the most wonderful families at all stages of their parenting journey. Providing

If you are looking for Birmingham family photography I would absolutely love to have a chat with you about an experience with me. I am so very passionate about not only getting your memories printed for your home but also serving you. You have enough on your plate right now. Lets not let those images sit unseen on a USB drive, but lets also not add another thing to your to-do list. From the details of picking outfits to designing to delivery, I will handle it all so you don’t have to. In order to give my clients this luxury service, I only take a limited number of clients per month so contact me as soon as possible to get on my calendar.

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Virginia Schultz is a published Birmingham newborn photographer specializing in motherhood storytelling and custom heirloom artwork for busy and stylish moms in central Alabama and the River Region. From handmade albums to exquisite, museum-worthy frames, her passion is to serve clients by designing artwork for them that will last generations. From handmade albums to exquisite, museum-worthy frames your memories deserve to be seen.

You can see my work featured on the cover of the August 2022 magazine and the September 2022 magazine.

Let’s NOT Wear This, Please | Birmingham Family Photographer

Birmingham Family Photographer

Birmingham Family Photographer

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