Cape Cod Family Portraits – Great Island

Let’s talk about clothing for your Cape Cod family portrait on the beach…

Ever wonder why photographers always ask for you to think about your clothing choices for your family photos? Well here’s the thing. Good portraits are not about your clothing. Good portraits are about capturing a moment in time, love, how you feel about each other… They’re to save a moment for all of time of what your life was like at the moment you had them taken. They share all of those wonderful emotions that happen when you’re with people you love, having a great time. A good portrait is priceless. Really.

Of course here’s what happens when someone decides that clothing isn’t important. If clothing clashes, you know, too many patterns, polka dots, stripes, flowers, it becomes distracting. It draws your eye to it. You miss those holding hands and genuine smiles and just see noise.  And unless you’re a fashion model and your purpose is to sell clothing, that’s not what we want. Same with colour. If everyone is wearing different contrasting colours what you notice is not that sweet expression on grandmom’s face, you’re only looking at the assault of colour. The more people in your portrait, the more important clothing is.

You don’t have to wear the same thing (please don’t!). You don’t have to wear white & khaki (unless you always wear white and khaki). You can incorporate pattern (sparingly). Pops of colour are great in smaller family portraits, as is pattern. In larger groups you just want to be sure that those pops don’t take all of the attention… Every now and again (super rarely I’m glad to say) I get a client who downright refuses to take any suggestions regarding clothing. They’re not wearing a uniform they tell me. We certainly don’t want anyone wearing a uniform (unless you’ve hired me to take your company group portrait on the shore than that’s okay!).

What we want is to create beautiful family portraits whether you’re visiting Cape Cod, or live here that you will treasure forever. That every time you look at them hanging on your walls you will fall in love with each and every member of your family all over again, your daughter has that smile, you know the one just before she breaks out in uncontrollable giggles. Your husband is looking so proud, and his eyes are pretty crinkly too. Your son has such a cheeky expression you can’t help but laugh each and every time you walk by. That’s why we photographers give you a little direction when it comes to clothing. That’s why we’re portrait photographers.

I loved photographing this family on Great Island, it was fall, pretty cold, but wow what fun we had. Look at them, they’re gorgeous, they brought a dog (you’ll always be among my faves if you bring your dog), they had the sweetest daughter who toughed the cold weather amazingly. She totally rocked it. She was my BFF that day, I couldn’t believe how fabulous she was. It was darn cold!! And… They dressed beautifully. They coordinated their colours. They dressed for the weather. They brought a blanket which also matched their colours (remember I mentioned how cold it was). Even the dog was coordinated. Well done them!! The result, gorgeous portraits which will be treasured forever. Throughout generations. And although their clothing is perfect, you hardly notice it.

We’re booking family and high school senior portraits for the summer of 2015. We’d love to talk with you about your beach portraits here on beautiful Cape Cod.