I am so excited to introduce a wonderful client and an even better friend to the blog! Nikki Hilger has been a LONG time loyal client with me and she consistently wows me with her clothing selections for their sessions. She really GETS it- and is so good at what she does that I thought it would be fantastic to have her offer some great advice about what to wear for your session. Believe me- she knows what she’s talking about:-). Thanks Nikki- I’m so lucky to have you in my life! xoxo

What to wear, What to wear? by Nikki Hilger
You booked your session date months in advance – made sure there were no tennis matches or piano lessons and that your husband was actually going to be in the 585 area code that day – the long range weather forecast shows sunshine for the big day.  Great!  Now let’s take a trip to the closet and decide what to wear.  This is how I handled my first photo session with Amanda several years ago and as much as I loved those first photos I knew right away that I would plan the wardrobe a little more next time, the pale tones and white just didn’t “pop” in my, then neutral, living room – looking back it is no wonder that the majority of my order that time was of the kids faces close up!  The clothes really do matter and as much as you love every shot that Amanda snaps you will love them that much more if your clothing helps frame the faces of the children and tells the story of your family.
For our future sessions I planned and thought about the wardrobe choices almost as soon as I booked my date.  I love these photographs so much and we live with them like art on our walls.
So, here are a few of the tips that I pass on to friends when they go to visit Amanda for the first time.
•    I think it can be fun to set the scene.  For a fall session that we did at Kershaw Park on the lake in Canandaigua I wanted a feeling of a Sunday after church walking on the water and playing all together.  When we did our Christmas card shoot this year I imagined that we were going to a Christmas party with friends.  We all look like we are going to the same place – we belong together!
•    Color, color, color!  And not just blue or pink but consider pale or saturated.  Are you going to be near the water where the background will be pale?  Then make sure that your colors pop against that pale blue sky and water.  I also think that black and white photos look best with clothing in more saturated tones, it provides depth and definition.
•    Think twice before you “match” the whole family – white tops and khaki or denim on the bottom for the whole family might seem easy but I don’t think that choice really meshes with the natural life moments that Amanda is so skilled at capturing.
•    Stay away from too much pattern and leave the logos and wording at home!  These things will serve to distract rather than enhance the scene and will draw your eyes away from the beautiful faces of your family.
•    Steal ideas from professional stylists – look at magazines and catalogues for inspiration about how to make a cohesive photo.  I am not suggesting that you open the latest J.Crew catalogue and order everything on page 52 (although I totally did that once and I loved it!) but it is a great place for ideas and if you look closely you will notice one or two items of the wardrobe that jump out.  A funky flowered headband or a pair of argyle knee socks on a little girl, a dapper vest on a little boy or a chunky statement necklace on mom.  Some of my favorite places for inspiration are J.Crew, Tea Collection, Boden and Gap Kids.  They all have websites of course but I like walking into the store or flipping the pages of a catalogue for the best ideas.
•    Let your wardrobe choices set the scene and let Amanda take care of the rest!

Here are some examples from past sessions that show exactly what Nikki means. Isn’t she the best??!!!