Matching Your Photography to Your Home | Tips from a Pro Photographer

Sitting in your living room, you glance up at the mantel (or wall) and realize you haven't had any family photos taken in a while and that a lot of your displayed pictures are a little outdated.  You decide you want to book a session - and maybe even spend the money on a nice canvas - and begin the booking process.  You start looking over schedules, planning out your session, and thinking about what you will wear.  

PAUSE!

Have you thought about how it will match your home?  After all, if you plan to display it, you will be spending a lot of time looking at the images from this session, so why not style it to be incorporated in the design of your room or home?

Determine Your Color Temperature & Theme (Sample Images Below)

Warm - Rooms that are warm tend to have lots of browns, beiges, ivory/cream, gold or neutral/natural hues with wood furniture or pieces.  (Also sometimes includes burgundy, red, orange, yellow accents)

Cool - Cool rooms usually have a mix of light blues, greens, whites or silver with lighter color furniture (sometimes white) and accents on the cooler end of the spectrum.

Rustic/Earthy - Rooms with this style are often in the warm tones - think cozy.  Knit fabrics, wood pieces & Earth toned colors throughout.  (Can include accents like burgundy, red, orange, or yellow)

Modern/Contemporary - With this design, I envision rooms that are cool and bright - lots of silvers & metal with clean whites.  Sometimes precise & sharp furniture or very curved & unique art pieces.  

Airy/Beachy - Think beach house or sun room.  Many times this room would have lots of light shining in, breezy & light-weight fabrics, and light colored furniture.  (Color accents may include a pop of warm toned like coral or yellow)

Once you've determined your general temperature and theme (I only listed some as example, you know your home best), you can move on to selecting...

Time of Day for Your Session

To Match a Cool Design, choose Early Morning - Sessions that are scheduled early in the day (7am-10am) produce fresh and even light.  Lacking the strength of the bright day sun, the images will be soft and slightly cool toned.

To Match a Warm Design, choose Evening/Golden Hour - The time of day that photographers refer to as "Golden Hour" is the hour before the sun sets, when it gives us the last bit of warm & sunny burst.  There is a bit more directional light so some play with shadows and sun flares can be fun and create gorgeous tones.  (Also, good opportunity for some possible pink, purple, orange sunset images)

Picking Locations

The location of your session can also play a role in matching.  If you have a warm, rustic living room with a nice fireplace, consider a wooded park or old barn buildings.  If you have an airy space with nautical accents, then beach portraits would match perfectly.  Contemporary or high fashion design?  Take to a city and use some cool architecture as the backdrop.  Your taste and personality can be shown through the images in subtle ways.

Planning Your Outfits

When it comes time to plan and select your outfits, think about how those fabrics and color coordinations will harmonize with the design of your home.  To create the warm cozy look, choose sweater dresses, accent scarves, fringe or furry.  Denim is great for cool rooms, especially when paired with other blues & white.  And of course, flowy fabrics translate well for those airy spaces you've created.  To see some examples of coordinating outfits, you can click the hyperlinks "warm" & "cool" for inspiration ideas.

Implement Your New Photo Plan & Become Your Own Art

Now that you have planned your time, location, & clothes, you are ready to become the masterpiece on the wall!  You are armed with an intentional vision for your photoshoot, and we can create images that you will be happy and proud to display for years to come.   

 


Examples of Cool & Earthy


Examples of Airy/Beachy

(Some With Warm Sunset)


Examples of Warm & Rustic


And the always classic Black & White


Steps Towards a Dream | Alexandra's NJ Portraits

What would you do to reach your goals?  How far would you go to make a dream into reality?  "What would you attempt if you knew you could not fail?" - Robert H. Schuller

Four years ago, Alexandra set out from sunny California to New Jersey, in pursuit of what she knew was in her heart - ART.  More specifically, art history & museums.  She knew that being in an area so close to NY, she would have more opportunity to follow her passion and is currently in her Master's Program.  

This special lady excited me because she has a different perspective of art - a deep appreciation, understanding & knowledge towards aesthetics.  She reached out to me to assist her in building a portfolio to begin tackling a second vision she has, modeling.  So we set out to this NJ park and spent the evening talking, laughing, and a little hiking through the trails!  

Entering new territory for yourself can be scary at first, but as soon as the jitters fall away and the confidence comes out, it will shine so much brighter!  Deep breath in, slow exhale - you got this!  (This may have even inspired a new series idea!)

And look at that smile! ;)  Alexandra, best of luck in all your endeavors, I'll be cheering you on girl! 

Cape May(er) | NJ Lifestyle Family Portrait Session

This beautiful (& energetic) bunch is the Mayer family!  During their Memorial Week vacation to South Jersey, I had the pleasure of photographing some evening family portraits at Cape May Lighthouse State Park.  Their son Eddie, who loves to play the "catch me!" game kept everyone warm & moving on the chilly May night (and even allowed us the chance to capture some overdue romantic photos of just Mom & Dad)!  Despite the unpredictable rain forecast - thanks NJ Spring weather - we stayed the course & the outcome are these intimate family moments set in front of the iconic lighthouse. :)

Thank you Amy, Ed & Eddie - and I hope the rest of your time in the area was relaxing, fun & filled with laughter and love!  xo

Sugar & Spice and Everything Nice | NJ Lifestyle Family Portraits

I wanted to start this off by calling this post "Double Trouble" but these two little girls are bundles of joy; full of smiles, giggles and love!  It is no wonder where they get it from when you look at the love that their parents display & freely give to them.  

The wonderment & awe that children bring into everyday situations and occurrences is priceless.  They remind you about what is truly important and to enjoy the moment that you are in.  Let's all tap into that childhood innocence and spend this holiday season appreciating the small things.

(And can we talk about how cute those little jackets are?!)

Merry Christmas, Happy Holidays & a beautiful New Year!  xoxo

In The Blink of an Eye | The Art of Capturing the "Now"

Our Earth rotates at a speed of 1,037 mph.  It takes 24 hours to complete and every day we get the pleasure of being witness to the sun rise and set.  I'm sure you've watched this beautiful occurrence once or twice, so think back to the last time that you did.  Do you remember what it looked like?  The colors that were painted in the sky?  You watch as night fades into day and before you know it, it is daylight.  Or the way that the colors burst as the sun is setting and then quickly dissipates as the grey hues of dusk spill into the night.  These natural artworks change by the second and can look completely different from minute to minute.  

This is why I love photography.  It gives you a chance to capture breathtaking scenes before they disappear.  Memories while people are still alive.  Landscapes before & after, or over the years as places develop.  Everything can change in the blink of an eye, and photography gives us a chance to hold onto history.   

These photos were taken on my way home from a different photoshoot and I just happen to be at the right place as it hit its peak.  It was a nice Autumn night and I stopped to snap these as I was driving by a lake.  They are 6 minutes apart, and completely raw images because there is no amount of editing that I can do that would make these already stunning photos any better.  It would be an insult to our gorgeous planet.   

Enjoy!

 "Life moves pretty fast, if you don't stop and look around once in a while, you could miss it." - Ferris Bueller