Fall Family Session | Madison Wisconsin

This was my favorite image from the whole session! I loved how the brother and sisters were playing around together, teasing like they normally would.

I feel honored that I have been able to photograph Melanie's family several times, including when their youngest was a newborn. This session was fun with the antique sofa. I hadn't realized it was an antique when I bought it, so I felt a little guilty taking it out into the park!

Clothing "Do" and "Don't"

Combining colors for a family portrait takes a bit of deliberate effort. You want to make sure that everyone coordinates, yet shows their own style. The key to making it look good and on purpose is to use the same colors multiple times within the family outfits.

Using one color and varying the shades is easy. Choosing blues, and having your family wear different shades and styles works. But when you pull in another color, like the red sweater, below, the person in that red sweater suddenly becomes the focus of the portrait. When you have a beautiful close-up of everyone together, this family's outfits scream "Look at Mom, look at Mom!" Now, if that is what you are going for, great. But, most families want everyone in the portrait to be noticed. This becomes an even bigger problem when we work with smaller groupings within the family.

A better way to combine colors is to have multiple people in the family use those colors. In this example, pinks and browns are repeated throughout the outfits, both separately and together. When doing smaller groupings, such as the kids alone, parents with kids and parents alone, the extra effort in planning the clothing will really pay off.

If you are still in doubt, stick with one color and work with the different shades of that color. If you have any questions, let me know!

Maria & Matthew | Family

These are a few of the two-page spreads from their family album:

We were delighted to photograph Maria and Matthew's blended family. It was fun to capture the different combinations of family groupings and to show the new relationships within their family. They had such a hard time choosing from all of the great images that after we figured out the wall portrait arrangements for the different rooms in their home, we also did an album, so they could show off and enjoy all of their favorites.

Clothes for Christmas

I admit it. I coordinate my kids' outfits for Christmas so they will look good for photographs. Do you need ideas for cute clothes for the holidays? Check out these great options!

How To Dress Your Family

Buying clothes should be easy. You just go into a store, try on a few things in your size, decide what you like and check out.

It is NEVER that easy.

Then you add buying clothes for your WHOLE family. Plus you want them to look good together. You may find one or two great outfits for yourself or a couple of the kids, but then it gets complicated. Let the headaches begin.

As I had planned my family's portrait session in October, it really hit home how much it helps to see other families with their complete outfits. As you select clothes, you really have to keep in mind how all the outfits with work with each other. Any colors that you introduce have to be used more than once (but limit it to two) and any patterns have to be balanced- competing patterns can ruin all your efforts!

When in doubt- stick to solids, pick one color and vary the shades and styles, and keep the bottoms the same.

Family Session | Madison

Our fall was busy with weddings and family sessions. We had great weather for a lot of them. And having a beautiful location like downtown Madison and the lake doesn't hurt. Here is one to show off: Nikole and Mike's family. They even sacrificed Green Bay Packers kick off for this session. Luckily, we know the Packers won, so it all turned out okay.

Pinks and Browns | Styles for Family Sessions

Are you still looking for outfits for your family portraits? Why not try pinks and browns together for your family's fall session? The warm earth-tones with the surprising vibrant pinks will be sure to look great for any outdoor session location!

Check out Gap, Old Navy and Piperlime for styles.

Why I love fall...

I used to think that spring was my favorite time of year. The warm weather after a winter of muck, the fresh green buds that promise a lush backyard, sweet dots of colorful delicate blooms and the chance to finally open windows to reconnect with the outside.

But I have learned that the promise of spring is often over-hyped and under-delivered. Winter clings on too long to fully enjoy the short season of spring.

Fall, on the other hand, starts to wink at us before the kids even go back to school and tries to hint that this could be a long relationship. The cool days court us, encouraging us to think of sweaters and pumpkins. Before we know it, the vibrant maples dazzle us with colors that rival spring, but in a more warm, cozy way. The last days of gentle, warm sunlight as you crunch through crisp brown leaves on the sidewalk almost convince you that winter couldn't possibly be around the corner. And for that, I love fall.