How to prepare for your photo session:

Plan on a session lasting 1-2 hours. On location shoots must be within a 25 mile radius from the Fontana area. Anything beyond 25 miles is subject to additional travel fees.

The most important thing about clothing is to keep it simple. Busy clothes detract from your face. Solids with pops of color work best with no words or pictures on the front. Denim material also photographs well in black and white.

Senior Portrait Sessions:

Plan on what props you will want to include in your picture (ie. letterman jacket, musical instrument, sports equipment). I have a small selection of cap and gown colors.

Maternity Sessions:

This is a time to relax and focus on yourself. It is best to schedule your session on a day when you don't have other appointments and we can fully concentrate on you.

Eat a light snack before the session. (Pregnant Mamas need their nourishment)

Clothing is a personal choice, and is optional. I will provide a few selections of scarves and drapes. You can also have as many wardrobe changes as you want. Pick items that you feel especially beautiful in.

Newborn/Family Sessions:

Schedule your session at a time when your children are most likely to be rested and fed.

I suggest for newborns, to book your session within 10 days of their birth. They are only that small for a short period of time, and I love to capture them while they are still so tiny. I also suggest that you keep them awake as long as you can before our arrival, then feed them while I am setting up. This allows them to be sleepy around the time we start your session.

Call to reschedule if your child is sick. It's no fun for them, and you won't get the kind of images you would like.

If you need any advice on preparing for your session, please feel free to contact me!

1. When in doubt, start with mom.  I know from experience that it is by far more difficult for me to find something I feel that I look fabulous in than my kids (who look gorgeous in anything) or my husband (who looks amazing in just a pair of jeans and any shirt!) So mom, find something in your closet or purchase something you love and go from there.
2. Coordinate, don’t match. You know those pictures of a whole family wearing jeans and a white shirt (usually barefoot on a beach?) Yeah, we don’t want that. Pick a color scheme featuring one primary color, one secondary color and have all the outfits draw from those colors but in differing ways. Don’t shy away from mixing in patterns and stripes. As long as there is a color scheme, it will look wonderful! The only thing to be conscious of using this method is that there is a balance among family members- you don’t want one person’s outfit to be exponentially bolder than another.
3. Keep it simple. Please avoid logos, characters and anything else that will date your images. Our goal is to create timeless images, ones that you will be proud to have hanging on your walls for generations!
4. Details Details Details… PLEASE don’t spend your hard earned money and precious time putting together the perfect outfit and then show up on picture day with the children in light-up sneakers or something similarly incongruous with the timeless look we are trying to achieve. It’s happened more times than I can count and I promise you they will stick out like a sore thumb in the images.
5. Accessorize! It’s hard to overstate how the simple addition of necklace for mom, a hairbow for girls, or a cute hat or suspenders for boys can take an image from ho-hum to sublime!
6. Start with the goal in mind.  If you are having a hard time narrowing down a color scheme, think of the room that you eventually wish to hang your portraits in and what would complement the decor in that room. If you have all neautrals that could go with anything, take a look in your closet: Chances are you already gravitate towards certain colors but just don’t know it!
7. Use one source.  If you are starting from scratch and going shopping, it can really help to choose a store that carries men’s, women’s and children’s clothes such as Zara, H&M (my personal favorite), Gap or Old Navy. Every brand has a color story that it works with each season and your chances of finding outfits that coordinate with each other will greatly increase by shopping in the same store.
8. When in doubt bring it all! I once had a dad show up with a whole suitcase of outfits for his twins. I loved it! It gave us the chance to go through everything together and we came up with several great looks.