Valentine's Day Inspiration

Tomorrow we're taking the boys to do a Valentine's mini session with Brandi from Immeasurable Moments Photography.  I'm so excited!  I have their outfits all ready to go, now let's hope they cooperate! :)  Since it's officially February now, I thought I'd share some great Valentine's day ideas I've found recently.

 

This link is seriously the treasure trove of cute valentines for kids.  I can't wait for school parties! :)

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And how adorable is this newborn shoot?  Oh my word, I need a Valentine's baby!  Ok, not really, but this is too too cute!! ;)

 

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I pretty much love anything with a chalkboard!  Must be the teacher in me. ;)  I might try a DIY version of this with the boys and their flirty little Valentine's Day tees. :)

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And if you don't have kids, here's a neat idea for a couples session.  Gorgeous!  Check out the link below for the full post with even more great ideas.  Think "The Notebook" themed session. :)

 

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Do you guys have any neat ideas to share?  I know Pinterest is bursting with them, so if you have a favorite, please share the link in the comments section! :)

 

Hope you all have a wonderful weekend!



 

Colorful Family Photos

 

Maybe it's a case of the winter doldrums.  Maybe it's because it was 65 degrees here today.  Or maybe it's because stores started putting their spring collections out before Christmas was even over.  Whatever it is, I'm ready to break out some bright, fun colors in my house and closet! :)  May and June are going to be crazy months around this house as Cole celebrates his first birthday and Blake turns three!  We'll also be doing family pictures and pictures of the boys around that time.  Needless to say, this mama already has her planning hat on. ;) 

 

For this year's family photo shoot, I am going to attempt to break out of my obsessive compulsive habits and put together fun looks that aren't so matchy-matchy.  I have a hard time with this.  And home decor that is not symmetrical.  It's a weakness of mine. ;)  So, if you're like me and want to branch out and get crazy this year, here are a few ideas for bringing some color into your next family photos.

 

1.  Outfits

Clothing is the easiest way to add a little bit of color (or a lot, in this case.)  These are the looks I put together for our session, and they are definitely out of my normal comfort zone.  There's black in each outfit, which helps tie them together, and then I made sure that at least one color in each outfit coordinated with a color in someone else's.  The hubby's outfit is rather simple, but it's about all I can get him in during the warmer months. :)  Comfort is always a major consideration for my three men, and of course, for me since I'll be dealing with them. ;)
 





 

 

2.  Location

I love photos I see that have colorful walls as the backdrop.  It's such an interesting way to add gorgeous color to your session.  And it's completely free. ;)

 

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3.  Props

I love the idea of using oversize balloons, or even a bunch of regular balloons, to add an extra pop of color.  And maybe it will even entertain the kiddos! :)

 

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Well, there you have it!  Just a few ideas for how to add some color to your family photos!  What do you guys think?  Over the top or totally fun? :)

 

 

Monthly Baby Pictures

We started taking pictures of Blake every month from one month until he turned one year old.  For his second year and those that follow, we'll only be doing every three months. :)  So far we have his 15, 18, and 21 month pictures.  It's so hard to believe that he will be turning two in June!  It's going to be a crazy few months! :)  And here's a collage of Blake's monthly 'Watch Me Grow' pictures! :)

Chic & Cheap Nursery has an article featuring five unique ideas for monthly baby pictures!  You can view all of the pictures and ideas here: http://www.chiccheapnursery.com/2011/chic-baby/5-monthly-baby-picture-ideas/.

Maternity Photography

So, it's almost that time again!  I'll be 34 weeks next week, and my wonderful sister Chelsey will be doing maternity pictures for us! :)  Check out her page at http://www.facebook.com/#!/CapturedPhotographycpChelseyParker.  I always like to have some ideas in mind going into a photo session, so I hit Pinterest and Google for some inspiration.  Apparently, fully-clothed maternity sessions are not very popular these days. ;)  Despite that fact, I managed to find some adorable ideas!

All images via http://pinterest.com/search/?q=maternity+photography.

Spring Family Portraits

Choosing outfits for family portraits can be difficult sometimes.  You know, because you want to match without looking like you're trying too hard to match and coordinate without looking exactly alike.  And if you're like me and overthink everything, then it gets really fun! ;)  I found this great inspiration board that might just be the color scheme I use for our upcoming family photos. :)

Source: http://www.faberphotography.com/

If you're having a hard time choosing outfits for family photos, http://whattowearguides.com/ is an amazing resource with inspiration boards for every month and holidays! :)

Newborn Photography Ideas

I just recently edited some newborn pictures that were taken for my best friend by my sister. :)  Chelsey did an awesome job, and Sophia is adorable!  This is one of my favorite shots from the session:

I just love newborn pictures!  I've also been searching for ideas for our quickly approaching newborn session with Immeasurable Moments Photography. :)  Here are some ideas I'm loving!

A brother shot!  So sweet :)

Baby blocks :)

Oversized clock set to the time of birth :)

Family shots in the nursery :)

A big brother/little brother shot :)

I can't wait for our session!  Let's just hope Blake and Cole cooperate! :)



How to Choose Family Portrait Outfits

I'm so excited about Cole's newborn pictures that I've already been working on outfits! :)  I'm hoping to get a few shots of all four of us, some of our two boys, and of course, some of just Cole.  We're most likely doing the pictures in Cole's nursery, so our outfits need to coordinate with the room.  I'll be doing our outfits in navy, aqua, and green.  I'm looking for a little tie or bow tie so we can get a picture of Cole like this:

And I thought a "little man" outfit like this would be perfect for Blake!  We already have the hat ;)

http://www.childrensplace.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/bundle_10001_10001_-1_836832_24651%7C72471_baby%20boy%7Coutfits_babyboy

I found this website that shares three different methods for choosing family portrait outfits:

Check out the full article, including pictures, here:

http://www.alittlegreat.com/2011/06/little-clothingchoosing-clothes-for.html

I tend to stick to method one or three, or a combination of both. :)  For our first look for Blake's 1st birthday pictures, I used method three, where I chose two or three colors.

For our second look, I used method one, and planned around Blake's madras shorts. :)

Call me weird, but I actually enjoy this, and am looking forward to finding the rest of the pieces for our next session with Immeasurable Moments Photography! :)