The STYLE GUIDE

For Mini Sessions

WELCOME

I’m so thrilled to be documenting some of your life’s milestones, with a mini session. My goal is to tell your story without words, in a true and authentic way. This means more than just showing up, taking some photos, and calling it a day. I strive to document your connection, the depth of the moment, and to be intentional with our time.

This guide will assist you with outfit choices and any additional questions you may have to guarantee that your session will be an incredible experience and a full gallery that you will truly love.

BEST TIME FOR PHOTOS in california

spring/summer
6am-8am or 6pm-8pm

fall/winter
8am-10am or 3pm-5pm

These times reflect the best suggestions for sunlight. However, part of having years of experience is that I am able to schedule sessions throughout the day and still provide you beautiful images. The location also plays a huge role in the best time to schedule your session, which is unique for each person or family.

LOCATIONS

The locations that I choose for these mini sessions I have photographed at many times and know first hand how beautiful they are! You are guaranteed to have a beautiful background and light.

OUTFITS

So the real question, what should I wear? I always suggest arriving to your session wearing an outfit that you truly love and feel confident in. I always recommend either a casual or more dressy-casual look. Even just coordinating outfits you already own with some new accessories will make a nice impact.

Option #1

Option #2

CASUAL

DRESSY-CASUAL

Shirts, jeans, cardigans, sneakers. Your favorite everyday look.

Long flowy dresses, skirts, blouses, button up shirts, dinner jacket, dark jeans, khakis, boots, sandals. The outfit you wear when you kick it up a notch or two.

COLOR THEORY

COLOR COMBINATION EXAMPLES

NEUTRAL/EARTHY

WARM

COOL

Light

For these particular sessions, I really recommend going with complimentary colors, neutrals, linens, denim, cotton, etc. We want the focus to be on your family and not your outfits, so keeping them beautiful yet subtle here will be key. Avoid wearing logos, neon, too busy of patterns, or overly bright colors.

CASUAL WARDROBE INSPO

DRESSY CASUAL INSPO

Tips

CHOOSE:
Accessories like a pretty necklace and earrings
Natural colored makeup
Textures and Tiles
Earthy Tones
Fresh Manicure
Flowy Dresses (more movement)

AVOID:
Wrinkled Blouses
Overly Busy Patterns
Shirts with Logos
Chipped Nail Polish
Stiff Dresses
Excessive accessories
Smart watches
Blue light blocker or transitional glasses

prepping the children

Please arrive 15 minutes early to your photo session time to get your children acclimated and get some wiggles out.

Photo sessions can be particularly challenging for our younger audience, but not to worry. Here are some useful tips to keep in mind. Letting your toddler wander around, play with sticks, chase birds, etc. will result in more natural photographs that will result in capturing a genuine reaction to things they love doing as opposed to having them try and sit still for a photo. It's all part of capturing their personality.

It's also a good idea to bring along their favorite blanket, toys, snacks or water in the event we have a few camera-shy moments or need a bribe. Toddlers can be quite energetic, so try to encourage them to run and play as much as possible before the session. They will always harness the right amount of energy when the camera is on, after all. I always try to make sure these sessions are fun for everyone, which is why I'll encourage kids to join in the photo session by playing fun games like playing tag, getting tickled, etc.

USING YOUR ONLINE GALLERY

All of my collections include your edited photographs on an online gallery called Pixieset. It's so user-friendly and I love that you're able to access your photos at anytime, anywhere. Within two weeks of your session, I will email you a link to your gallery. Simply view, share, and download straight from the gallery. Make sure to download your entire gallery on to your computer so that you have a complete copy on your end. My clients love using Pixieset because they have an easier way of sharing photographs with their family and friends.

Did I mention your photographs will be accessible for a lifetime?!

PORTRAIT SESSION TIMELINE

WITHIN 1-2 weeks after your session

PHOTO DELIVERY

Checklist

✓ Book your makeup, hair and nail appointments if necessary

✓ Warm Weather: Bring Water Bottles

✓ Cool Weather: Bring blankets and cover-ups

✓Get outfits figured out asap

✓Bring a bag to carry wallet, phones, keys, etc.

✓ Snacks/lollipops for little ones. (great for an easy bribe!)

✓ Dog treats if bringing dogs!

Questions?

Still need a little more help? Let me know!
I hope this guide has provided insight to your upcoming family mini session. If you need any other information or help with anything, please let me know. The most important thing to remember is to just have fun and trust in the process knowing that you will have beautiful memories to be cherished for a lifetime. I’ll be there to help along the way in the event you have any questions at all. I look forward to working with you!

-Hailey-