How to capture your children’s milestones with photography…

I have always been a strong advocate for getting pictures made, especially of my children. While I’m not huge into the posed newborn shots, especially since mama likes her sleep and I don’t want to deal with spending hours possibly making my new baby upset – I just use my SLR to take some shots and call it a day… I AM big on capturing all the rest. When Jude was 6 months old, we took family pictures for our Christmas cards. As he’s grown up, we are sure to get pictures every Christmas, and almost always every birthday too! I like to see the changes every 6 months to a year, or even more. Great photography is expensive. I truly understand that. Sometimes you don’t have the money to splurge so you get a friend (or you do it yourself) to take some photos with their nice camera. And while that is fine for a few occasions, don’t make it a habit! INVEST in photography. And once you get those images INVEST in prints to decorate your walls. These babies will only be babies once. These toddlers will only be toddlers once. You get it. Capture these milestones.

*Please note this post contains affiliate links. While I do make a small portion from sales, this money goes towards maintaining this blog.*

How do you dress the family?

Wear what you love. Find a cute out for your kiddos and then plan around that. For our most recent shoot, I found two adorable rompers for Hattie and two long maxis for myself. Then I found complementing colors for the boys to wear.

I am a BIG fan of shopping on Amazon. While sometimes the clothes come from China and are totally the wrong sizes, you can also score some really cheap clothing that doesn’t LOOK cheap.

In these gorgeous photos that Kayla Jean Photo took above, Hattie is wearing this beautiful yellow romper that I scored for only $11.99. I’m seriously OBSESSED with it. I also love my rusty orange dress from Amazon. Check it our here – there’s other prints too! Jordan already had this solid blue button down and I found this plaid shirt for Jude in his closet. I was actually going to have Jude wear a dark blue tee but it was too big! I’m kind of glad he didn’t though as it would have darkened the photos too much.

[photo of 2nd outfit]

In this amazing shot from Kayla Jean Photo, I’m wearing another Amazon steal. This green dress is SO SO SO soft and comfy. I’m going to wear it allllll the time now. GO get yourself one! Hattie’s romper was another cute Amazon purchase. The floral print was so cute. It came with a matching headband like the yellow romper above but to change things up, I instead used a different flower headband and some soft cowgirl boots but she kicked the boots off in most pics. Jordan already had his plaid shirt – oldie but goodie! Jude also already had this light blue polo. The green/blue/purple scheme flowed nicely. You want colors to complement each other, but not be super matchy.

Other favorite outfits?

This gorgeous photo by Eliza Jane Photography showcases this beautiful lace get up in all its glory. I got this super cheap on Amazon and got SO many compliments on it. Buy it here: https://amzn.to/2JTIpG4

I also love Hattie’s outfit in this photo by Stephanie Rose Photography. You can purchase her dress for your little one here!

How do I find a great photographer?

I’m a picky person when it comes to photography. I know this. It’s a flaw and a strength. When people recommend their cousin’s momma’s sister’s baby daddy’s aunt to me for photos, I look at them like they have three heads. I am a huge fan of photographers who can manipulate light. I want my photos to look like art, not just posed and stiff. I want them to be able to elicit genuine smiles from myself, my kids, and my fiance. They need to be just as comfortable with new people as they are with their camera. Photographers who can prompt but also take a step back and find the magic in your family are the BEST. I’ve found a few who can do this and I will continue to use them. To find a talented photographer like the kind I love you need to do the following:

1. Ask local community or mom Facebook groups for recommendations. Tell them the style you love (natural light photography!). You’ll have to weed out A LOT but hopefully 1-2 will meet the qualifications.
2. Talk to them. Are they warm and friendly? It’s important that YOU feel comfortable with them. If you don’t, you’re going to be stiff in front of the camera.
3. Google! Google things like “natural light photography in YOUR CITY” and check out their websites.
4. If you see a friend with photos that you love, ask them for a referral!
5. When you’re looking at their photos, try to see how they’re using light. Do they have awesome flares in the photos? Do they have more posed or candid photos? Are the shots framed in an aesthetically pleasing way?

Hopefully using these tips, you’ll find the perfect photographer for you! If you decide to use Liza, Stephanie, or Kayla, please let them know I sent you! 🙂