Introducing the coolest Family Photo Contest in New Milford, Connecticut!

I was talking to a friend of a friend recently and she made the comment that she didn’t have any family pictures.  Of course, I suggested we do some. Her response surprised me, she said, “Oh, but I would never know what to wear!”

So it got me thinking back to my experience shooting families recently, and I realized that more often than not, one of the first questions I get (after the logistical booking questions of course) is  “What should we wear?”

If you know your way around my website then you know that I have a few tips and tricks that I like to recommend. First and foremost is my ‘coordinating but not matching” rule. White shirts and khaki pants for everyone “matches”. A color palette of 3 or 4 colors in a general theme “coordinate”. Get it? Look like you belong together by picking a color palette and building from key pieces, it might be a scarf, a flowered dress or a favorite leather jacket. But pull out colors for the stripe of shirt or the color of a sweater and you are on the right track. This family knocked it out of the park. The flowered dress came first and the rest fell into place.

I also recommend you start with the most difficult person. If it’s a maternity shoot then I am sorry, the pregnant Mom-to-be gets to pick first in my book! Chances are her options are somewhat limited, and trust me, no one wants to go out and buy endless supplies of maternity clothes. If you have a picky dresser (and you’ll know exactly what I mean if you have one at home) then it might be a good idea to start with them. If they are picky then make them happy – photos should be fun not torture. I don’t care if you saw the cutest pinterest picture of  kids in bow ties, crying kids in bow ties are not cute. Ever.

I love accessories.  Adding a jeans jacket changes the look completely, jewelry, hats  and scarves are fab for switching it up and have the added bonus of keeping you warm when the spring is as cold as this one!!!

If you know you want a giant canvas of your family together in your living room then please don’t have your kids wear neon yellow – it’s not gonna look great in your living room…… well, in fairness I maybe haven’t seen your living room and if neon actually would look great then I stand corrected. But you get the idea. Check out the rest of my tips and tricks here.

OK – so there’s the background to how this started, now I know you want to hear more about the contest…….

Mother’s Day is coming up and I always like to honor and celebrate the moms among us, so I am collaborating with some wonderful local business women to put together a special treat for all you moms out there. (And just so you know, my own Mom passed away a few years ago now, so if you have a MIL or honorary mother you want to include then I am not going to be checking birth certificates.)

So who wants to win a beautifully styled family shoot in New Milford Connecticut?

Lynn over at Swank on Bank (a truly awesome local ladies clothes store on Bank Street) has offered to style you (and your female family members) for the shoot – she’s going to let you try on and help coordinate your families outfits and you get to borrow the clothes and accessories for the shoot!

Oh and did I mention that Candee Caldwell (a local Professional make up artist with 20 year experience) will be there to do your make up and hair!

When you and your daughters or mother or sister are feeling beautiful and ready we will head out to shoot around New Milford. Of course the men are invited too – we can’t dress them, but we can advise you on what they should be wearing.

As a memory of this wonderful experience I will put together a photo album for you with all the good stuff in there.

A couple little details…..

If you are the lucky family and we make you look like a coordinated, best version of yourself, then we are going to want to see you on the blog in all your finery, so I hope you are O.K with that.

There is no obligation to buy anything!!!!  You will be winning a wonderful experience, a make-over of sorts, and some amazing photos of you and yours in a book to share with your family and friends. Unfortunately we can’t let you keep a new wardrobe for your whole family, but Lynn will take care of you if there is something that you can’t part with, she has a special 20% discount ready for you.

I was kind of thinking immediate family. It’s going to be hard to include Great Aunt Nellie and the seventeen cousins, hopefully you understand.

If you have really little ones then they might be better showing up with Dad after the make up is done. They are going to get bored and you need to relax and have fun.

You have a couple of steps to enter but only a few days…..

(the contest closes on May 11th – Mother’s Day!)

The shoot will take place on Monday May 19th – from around 4 p.m. to 8 p.m. so check to make sure you are not expected elsewhere that day.

Good Luck!

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