Tom & Heather - National Arboretum - Washington, DC - Family Photography
/I love working with Tom and Heather with each passing year, from finding new places to showcase their beautiful family to seeing little Henry and now Harper grow. But I am always impressed with their wardrobe. I often point new clients to my recent photographs of their family for what to wear the day of their session.
Patterns and Textures Not everyone can bolster stripes but Tom rocks this sweater and having Harper in polka dots really creates a theme. To balance the family out Heather and Henry are in solids. This plays nicely but it’s not overly matchy. Jeans tie everyone together and also bring depth to black and white photographs. Also I kept these in color because the foliage at the the National Arboretum is outstanding.
Details Jewelry like a wedding and engagement ring are often the focus when taking a portrait. For example, I had posed them with Heather on the opposite side but wanted to capture her ring to focus on their marriage which is something as parents we often have intentionally bring back into focus. Once children enter our lives so much energy, time and love is bestowed to them so taking a portrait of just the parents allows for the reconnection between them. I once photographed Heather wearing a Shinola Watch and it was so prominent in the portrait (We both coincidentally originally hail from MI where Shinola is based) that I felt the shot could have been a Shinola ad.
Autumn Colors Bright colors pop during this time of year. It is nice to see this mustard against the muted and varied colors of the trees. Red, orange, Yellow, Purple, Teal and Blue look nice during this time of year also though I tend to prefer a warmer palette. White also allows for the pop against the colors in the Fall foliage.
Shoes Not many people think about shoes but it is clear to me that Tom and Heather do. This is a detail that families occasionally overlook thinking that they may not have their feet in the shot. But as you can see from the images, shoes are often prominently featured so putting forward your best kicks is highly recommended. And unless we’re meeting on even ground for an engagement session leave the heels at home and they may get stuck in the grass and make it difficult to cover ground.
This session is from last November. I am excited for our next one!
