welcome to your family experience
I am so excited to be working with you and to be trusted with the task of creating gorgeous images for your family! My goal is for you to feel excited throughout this process, as well as prepared. I hope you will find this guide helpful to answer a lot of your questions. Of course, if anything else comes up, don’t hesitate to reach out!
I can’t wait to work with you!
"I cannot recommend Stephanie enough! She was a joy to work with. Her ability to capture the light during our sunrise session was unbelievable. She was reliable, great with communication, and extremely professional. We couldn’t be happier with how our family photos turned out!"
-T.B.
Session Prep
Styling
Styling for yourself can be hard, but coordinating the whole family? Well, that can be downright stressful! I have you covered! Before our session, I will be sending you a link to access Style and Select- your personal styling tool. This service is easy and fun. All done from the comfort of your home, you will fill out a short questionnaire, and from there a list of stylist approved pieces will be given to you. Links for purchase are also provided.
I also have attached some tips here to help make the process easy. Be sure to check out my Pinterest page for style inspiration and ideas (I’m a visual person, so if you are too, check out this page!)
Choosing Colors
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I recommend that mom plans her outfit first and styles the family around her choice.
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Choose 2-3 colors as a starting point. Then, choose your tone family (pastel, earth tone, blues, neutrals, etc). Each family member can maintain individual and diverse outfits while still coordinating by staying within the same colors and tone family.
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It’s important to coordinate, without overly matching. You don’t want everyone looking and dressing the same but rather allowing personalities and individuality shine through by your outfits. Coordinating based on colors and tones will ensure a cohesive look.
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For a classic look, monochromatic schemes are great. Red flowers in your shoot? Adding red to your wardrobe is a classic and timeless statement.
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Neutrals always work. Layering creams, greys, and taupes are classic. Bringing in texture to neutrals is a great way to make them stand out as well.
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Choose muted colors over bright colors. Muted colors are simple, clean, and classic. I also recommend avoiding any logos and busy prints. You want the focus to be on you, your family, and your connection.
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Patterns are great, when used in the right way. Best to keep them simple. Coordinate with one pattern to avoid confusion




CHOOSING OUTFITS
Fit your style to your location. If you are in your home, and your home is bright and airy, choose an outfit scheme that complements your home decor. If you have darker, richer tones in your home, coordinating that with your outfits is a great way for a cohesive style. Same with outdoor locations- choose outfits that fit the style and feel of your chosen location.
Women and girls- dresses with movement always photograph beautifully. Since we will be moving around during our shoot, a good flowy maxi dress or skirt is a great choice. Want to see your little girl twirling? There are some great shops below that carry awesome twirling dresses!
Overall, you want to feel comfortable and yourselves during your photos. These are all guidelines that I like to share to help you choose the best outfits for a cohesive look for your family, but ultimately you should dress and feel true to yourself. Wardrobe is a great opportunity to let personalities and individuality shine through.
Below are are some shops that I can recommend, with a variety of price points.
Women
- Amazon- $
- Vici Collection- $$
- Piper and Scoot $$-$$$
- Baltic Born- $$-$$$
- Wren and Ivory $$-$$$
- Joyfolie- $$-$$$
- Free People $$$$
- Altar’d State $$-$$$$
Children
- Amazon- $
- Pebble and Pebble- $
- H&M- $-$$
- Gap Baby/ Kids/ Old Navy- $- $$
- Alice and Ames- $$-$$$
- Rylee & Cru- $$$
- Lulu & Roo- $$
- Zara.com- $$-$$$$
- Joyfolie.com- $$- $$$
- Hannah Anderson- $$$
- Wild Wawa- $$$-$$$
TIPS & INFO
Offering Both Hair and Makeup Services:
- Leah Evans (preferred)- local to Rhinebeck, NY (will travel to you): 518-926-0082
- One on One Salon- Rhinebeck, NY. 845-544-4136
- Riley Kiggins- local to Rhinebeck, NY: 845-802-3985
Hair Only:
- La Tua Bella Beauty Bar- Rhinebeck, NY. 845-876-2826
- Kelsey Finch- Prismatic Hair Studio-Poughkeepsie, NY. 845-337-7106
Makeup Only:
- Amanda Mauro “Makeup Over The Hudson”- based out of Hopewell Jct, NY but will travel. makeupoverthehudson@gmail.com or 845-721-0941
- Nhuy Tran- local to Rhinebeck NY: 845-943-8451
*If you are interested in booking hair/ makeup services, it is best to plan in advance! Especially during the summer/fall months and wedding season, these vendors are booked sometimes months in advance.
I will be watching the weather leading up until our session together. If it looks like there will be rain, I will reschedule our session. I will connect with you the week of your session to go over weather concerns, if there are any.
Cloudy and foggy sunrises and sunsets make for some beautiful photographs! Light is even, soft, and dreamy! If you have your heart set on the sun, I offer one allowance to re-schedule your session per our agreement.
At the first sign that someone is not well, please call or text!
Being a natural light photographer, it is so important to be on time for your session. We have scheduled that time for a reason- beautiful light! I would recommend getting to the specified location ten minutes ahead of time so you can settle in and relax. If you do run late, the shoot will still end at the same time, so please be prompt!
Please remember to always be prepared for the elements! The spots that I shoot in are natural and you can expect things like tall grasses, bugs (ticks and mosquitoes.), etc. So please plan accordingly. Please also bring snacks and drinks for the kiddos so they stay happy and not hangry! If needed, we can take a break if the kids need to regroup and hydrate.
Final galleries are delivered in 2-3 weeks. You will receive your high resolution, professionally edited images via a downloadable online gallery.
It’s important to note that we won’t be using the entire home for photographs, but we will focus on 1-2 rooms where the light is best. There isn’t a lot to do for prep, but just basic tidying in the areas we will focus on. I will provide more info on this upon booking! Read more about a session with me here.
If you would like to purchase prints or canvas, you can order directly from your gallery! If you would like to purchase a customized album of our time together, please contact me directly after receiving your gallery. I create the album for you, with images you select. I use a high quality professional lab for all of my printing products, in which I guarantee color accuracy and calibration, and heirloom quality photographic materials. If you would like a preview of what I offer, click here for access to all of the info you need for printing!
FINAL THOUGHT
Portraits are best when you are being yourself! It is important to remember that just because there is a camera pointing at you, it doesn't necessarily mean you need to be looking at the camera. Sometimes the strongest images are created when you are interacting with each other and enjoying a moment as opposed to posing. Stay patient and positive! I promise that even if it feels like a crazy zoo, it is going to turn out way better than you could have thought. Accept the unpredictable. Embrace the chaos of the moment and this season of life. Honest connections and candid moments create real and specific memories. I will direct you when needed to create the magic, so embrace the moment, relax, and HAVE FUN!