Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah family photographer

I know, I'm such a slacker. It's been ages since I remembered to do this, but at least I remembered this time!

This week's was a fun one because a friend on 2 Peas asked if anyone had suggestions for their family pictures, so I decided to give it a go. She wanted to use a blue/brown color combo with jeans and she needed outfit suggestions for 2 boys (ages 5 years and 12 months), one girl (6 months) and 2 men (her husband and brother).

So I guess this week can also be a "non-traditional" family picture. After all, families with 2 daddies need pictures too! :c) (All clothes are from Gap and Old Navy, except the little girl's dress which is from Kohls.)

Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah family photographer

I am so tired today and have been editing angels for what seems like FOREVER tonight, so I'm just going to pretty much let this Wednesday's Wardrobe speak for itself.

Goodnight!

Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah maternity photographer

I've had a great response to the free maternity, newborn and birth sessions! But if you are still interested, let me know and I will fit you in! I ♥ me some babies!!!! One of the questions that I got regarding a maternity session was about clothing choices, so I thought I would use this "Wednesday's Wardrobe" to talk about clothes for a maternity session. With a maternity session, it's always fun to switch things up a bit and do some shots with various outfits. So don't be afraid to bring a few clothing changes!

One really nice, easy suggestion is a "Basic & Relaxed" look. Think yoga pants and a fitted t-shirt. Remember, the point of a maternity session is to show off your beautiful belly. Years ago (even just a few years ago) the style for maternity clothing was to try and conceal a woman's pregnant belly. But recently the style has become more comfortable with showing off the belly, and I love it! You don't have to actually SHOW the belly, but wear clothing that doesn't purposely hide it. Wearing a classic fitted tee will look great in pictures, to accentuate your baby bump!

Another really fun combination is a cute tank top or fun camisole, to add just a bit of sexiness without making you feel uncomfortable. Pair that with a low-waist blue jeans worn under your belly, and you'll look super sexy but still comfortable.


If you want a bit dressier look for your pictures, there are lots of fun and beautiful maternity dresses and skirts out there. I tend to prefer solid colors for maternity photos so that the focus is on the belly, but you could of course wear a funky patterned dress as well. But if you do choose a solid top and a skirt or a solid dress, you can always add a pattern or a punch with some fun accessories, like a scarf.



This is one of my favorite looks for maternity pictures.....a classic button-down shirt and jeans. But the trick to this combination is that the shirt is only buttoned about halfway down, leaving the rest open to reveal your baby bump! And don't worry about finding maternity jeans, just throw on your pre-pregnancy jeans and leave them unbuttoned below your belly. Even those women who are very modest in their everyday clothing choices should not feel uncomfortable showing their belly in their portraits.


For several of these outfits, bare feet will be perfect. (If your session is outdoors you can always wear some flip-flops or sandals and then take them off for the pictures.)

So there are some ideas for maternity session clothing! I hope that helps someone, and remember to contact me if you are interested in one of the FREE maternity, newborn or birth sessions.

(all of these items were found at Old Navy)

Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah family photographer

This week I just dressed Mom and Daughter......what little girl wouldn't love to get dressed up and get her pictures taken with Mommy???

Red, white and black are a classic look, that I don't think will ever go out of style. My favorite combination is mostly black/white with just a hint of red, using accessories. A big chunky red bracelet, a thin red belt, or (as seen in this example) a fun red hat and shoes.

Mom's outfit is very simple but has gives a great statement with her stylish shoes, and Daughter's dress is more bold and looks really cute paired with a funky over-sized hat. So fun!!!

But the other thing I love about this kind of combination is that your accent color doesn't HAVE to be red! It would look just as cute with a bright blue, or a hot pink, or even a warm yellow. It's so versatile!!!


(Mom's outfit and Daughter's dress are from Old Navy, Mom's shoes are from Piperlime and Daughter's hat is from Baby Marmalade.)

Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah family photographer

Ok, so no one took me up on the challenge, so here's another group of outfits that I chose on my own. Have I ever mentioned how much I **ADORE** Shabby Apple's Shabby Baby clothing? Seriously, these dresses are to die for!

(Anyone who knows my kids' Grandmas.....pass the word along that my girls would look super duper cute in these dresses....hint, hint!)

So today's outfits are for Mom, Dad and 2 little girls (in my head I was thinking twins, but then again it could just be like my girls who aren't twins but are super close in age). This print dress is one of my very favorites from Shabby Baby, and I just love the simplicity of the turquoise one too. Of course you can spruce Mom's outfit up just a tad with some fun, funky jewelry or even a scarf (I'm thinking browns and turquoise) and you've got a great group photo!!!

Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah family photographer

I'm late again, I know. We got back from the cabin yesterday, so I technically could have posted in time, but I was so tired I figured it could wait until today.

So, on to the clothes! Navy and gray are 2 of my very favorite colors together. I think they look so polished and so classic. So when I saw this cute dress at Old Navy, I knew I wanted to use it for Wednesday's Wardrobe. It might not look cute on everyone (me included!) but like everything I post, you can use it as an idea to find something for your body type.

Usually I use a pattern or the more busy piece for one of the kids, but this time I thought Dad needed to be the center of attention a little bit. Then for the little girl I kept it very basic with a cute navy shirt and denim skirt. So I hope you enjoy this combination!

Also, I'd like to maybe try something different for next week's Wednesday's Wardrobe. I want to try and dress your family!!! If you have a piece of clothing at home or something you've found online that you would like me to try and include, or if you just want to give me a color combination, email me at jami@lifeinmomentsphotography.com . Take a picture of the item, or send me a link to it, or tell me what color combination you want used in your family's wardrobe, and I'll try to put together a wardrobe for your family. Fun!!!!

Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah family photographer

Okay, so I'm 40 minutes late with this, but I have a good excuse! I went to see Harry Potter!!! (and I loved it, by the way)

So this week is just the kids, and I did 2 boys and 2 girls again (gee, I wonder why that seems so familiar to me!). And just look how lovely these outfits look with my new logo!

The thing I love most about this selection is the textures and layers. Add a cardigan to one of the dresses, some cute (and oh so stylin') leg warmers to the other little girl, a hat to one of the boys.....an awesome way to add textures and layers.

Notice that I put the hat with the plain shirt, rather than the boy's shirt with stripes. The striped shirt not only has a pattern, but it is also the brightest color. That little guy doesn't really need anything else. Whereas the brown shirt is a little more boring on it's own and the hat can jazz it up just a tad.

All of these clothes can be found at The Gap and Old Navy! (and I couldn't find a good picture to use, but how cute would the brown dress look with cowboy boots!!!!) LOVE IT!

Wednesday's Wardrobe | Utah family photographer

"Do you have any suggestions for what we should wear for our pictures?"

This is a question that nearly every client asks me when scheduling their portrait session.

Believe me, having just gone through family pictures with my own family, I know the stress of trying to figure out what we would wear. I knew that I wanted lots of color, and I found these super cute plaid shorts for my oldest son, so I based all of our outfits around those shorts.

I also wanted to use as much from our own closets or thrift stores that I could, so I started with a plan and then was open to changes depending on what I could find.

So here is what I started out with......


I ended up hating how I looked in a jean jacket, so I nixed that idea. I was able to find quite a bit of what I had been looking for for the kids in their own closets, so I mostly just had to make a few color changes. But because my son's shorts have so many colors, this wasn't too big of an issue.

So here's what we ended up with......


In most cases, I tell my clients 4 main things to remember when picking their outfits:

1) Stay away from logos and lots of patterns. There are, of course, exceptions to this rule, such as limiting the pattern to one family member and then coordinate everyone else based on that --- An example of this is what I did with my son's shorts. This is definitely one of my favorite coordinating techniques.

2) Try to add some interest to your outfits with textures, layers and accessories --- Some examples of this would be adding a jacket, a ruffled skirt, chunky bracelets, leggings or a fun hat.

3) Avoid wearing lots of white, if possible --- White is not always flattering on everyone and also has a tendency to take on the colors of your surroundings.

4) Wear clothing and colors that you will be comfortable in --- This is the most important of all. If you or your children are uncomfortable and fidgeting with their clothing, it will show in your pictures.

So I thought I would try to put together some ideas that might help you pick your outfits for your portraits. Another photographer and I are working together to post some cute clothing options and I will (hopefully!) post a new idea each Wednesday.

Remember that I am not telling you to go out and buy all new clothes, unless you really want to, and in that case I'm certainly not going to stop you! But these posts will give you suggestions on color combinations, adding layers and textures, and ideas for using your existing pieces.

So today's collection is for a family of 6: Mom, Dad, 2 girls and 2 boys. Here is one time where patterns work together, and compliment each other nicely. Mom could also add fun earrings or even a scarf for some great texture. These pieces were found at Gymboree, Old Navy and The Gap.