Thank you for booking an outdoor session with Heather Armijo Photography! Now that your date has been selected and booked, it’s time to plan the details!
STEP 1. PLAN YOUR WARDROBE.
Deciding what to wear is an important step. You’ve made the decision to invest in memories that will last a lifetime, so you should also invest in what you choose to wear. A well-planned wardrobe can turn a good photo into an amazing one!
When planning what each family member should wear, I suggest picking a color scheme and having everyone coordinate.
Considering bold colors?
You can go with different shades of one color family, or an interesting color pallet just like you would when decorating a room. I like to pick a colorful pattern for one outfit and then pull colors from their shirt or dress for everyone else.
Considering soft neutral tones?
Soft neutrals coordinate naturally so mix creams, browns and pastels for a cohesive look. Put the boys in khaki’s rather than jeans to lighten the look of the images. Try to limit patterns and select timeless classic outfits.
DO’S
Try layering with sweaters or scarves and accessorize, this will add depth and interest to your photos.
Choose clothing you can move in!
Be sure clothing fits properly.
If your little one is wearing a dress, be sure she has bloomers/shorts underneath to cover undergarments
DONT’S
Avoid neon colors or clothing with large logos.
Don’t forget to iron all outfits, we cannot edit wrinkles.
Don’t wear tennis shoes/sneakers! Boat shoes or dress shoes are recommended.
Stop by the HAP Pinterest page for some inspiration: http://pinterest.com/harmijophotos/what-to-wear/
STEP 2. MATERNITY.
If you’ve booked an outdoor maternity session, we have an assortment of beautiful gowns available for you to wear. You can select your favorite gown to wear during your session. We will bring your gown, steamed and ready along with an outdoor changing area so you can easily change on location.
VIEW GOWN CHOICES HERE
Other tips: We recommend a fresh manicure, your hands will be on your baby bump throughout the session.
Please wear recommended undergarments for the best look with your gown selection.
STEP 3. CHOOSE YOUR LOCATION.
Location 1- Mason Creek Park Located in Katy off Franz Road this location has patches of pine trees and paths through fields of grass. Pine trees add a pop of greenery making this is a gorgeous location year ’round.
Location 2- Jones Creek Park Beautiful grassy park area with a lake and small bridge near the lake. Grass is maintained short for those who do not like overgrown grassy areas. Located in Richmond near FM 359.
Location 3- Silos in Old Katy. This location is just gorgeous so unique with both the industrial look of the silos and green spaces mixed in for the perfect contrast. Perfect way to pay tribute to Katy. **Subject to availability. Location not available if an event is planned at the business next door
Location 4- Katy Heritage Park has a beautiful grouping of white historic houses with adorable front porches to pose your family on. Located in Old Katy.
Location 5- A beautiful green space with both tall grasses and shorter mowed grass or your preference. Located in Old Katy.
Location 6 – Located within Terry Hershey Park, this path has beautiful mossy trees and plenty of greenery!
Location 7 – Richmond-area field with beautiful tall grasses where the sun sets directly behind. (Please note- this is an unmaintained field so please prepare for tall grasses)
Location 8- Cross Creek green space. NEW!
Beautiful green path near a bridge in the heart of the cross creek neighborhood, though you’d never know it!
4. THE DAY OF YOUR SESSION.
Make sure everyone has had a good night’s rest or an afternoon nap to avoid tired children. Skip the birthday parties or fall festivals on your session date. There is little we can do when a child is overly exhausted from a full day of events.
Men- empty your pockets! Pockets full of large key rings, wallets or phones will show.
Ladies- remove extra hair ties from your wrist. Keep in mind, if your session is on a windy day- there is little I can do to fix hair blowing in the wind, so choose a hairstyle that keeps your hair in place.
Please do not bring extended family to your session. I know that Grandma, Aunt or Cousin can surely bring a smile to your kids’ faces but as the photographer it is MY job to connect with your kids. I can’t capture their personality if they are looking behind me at their family member. Sometimes I will even ask Mom and Dad to step away so I can really focus on getting that special smile, laugh or look from the little ones. As parents, your job during our session is to stay relaxed and have fun!
One you arrive I will direct you and your family with posing. I will be working to get both traditional images of everyone smiling as well as candid moments of loving and playing. When I prompt for these candid moments, be real and get into the moment! Your kids will follow your lead. Tickle, laugh, snuggle and smooch! Pretend like I’m not there and do whatever it is you do at home when being playful or loving!
But don’t stress, I have some tricks up my sleeve to get your little ones engaged in our session and we will play games, chat and get everyone smiling and happy! During our session, we will move around the location getting a variety of images of your family both looking at the camera and interacting with each other naturally.
5. WEATHER.
We will monitor the weather the date of our session and email/call if there are any concerns. Unfortunately the weather can be unpredictable and change throughout the day. I will try to make the call as early as I can, but often times we want to wait until hours before to ensure the weather does not change throughout the day. I want you to have beautiful weather so you can have beautiful images!
