Disclaimer: The following article was written by Anita Ginsburg / Freelance Writer
Family portraits are a source of pride, especially for parents, grandparents and as keepsakes to record how your family has grown over the years. Because they are so important, you want you and your family to look their very best on the day the portraits are taken. Here are some suggestions on how to achieve this:
Haircuts
Never get a haircut the day before picture day. This is true for women, men and children. A brand new haircut looks too obvious and can detract from the portrait’s quality. A good rule of thumb is to get your hair cut the week prior to picture day. That way you have had some time to get used to it, and it doesn’t look like you got a haircut just for the picture. This will also give you time to fix a bad haircut or color as well.
Outfits
Some families like to coordinate their outfits for their family portraits. Other families go all out and wear the exact same thing. To end up with a nice family portrait that you can be proud of, and one that won’t embarrass your kids too much, skip the matching Christmas sweaters and opt for coordinating colors or similar styles instead. You do want each person’s individuality to shine through when the picture is taken, but at the same time not stick out like a sore thumb.
Teeth
Nice, white teeth make a smile that much prettier. For the adults, consider getting your teeth whitened prior to picture day. You can have this done at the dentist for the best results, but there are over-the-counter tooth whitening kits that work too. A dentist can give you long-lasting results that look natural. For kids who have braces, make sure they clean their teeth well right before taking pictures and don’t snack on anything until they are done with pictures.
Shoes
Your feet may or may not end up in the photograph, but that depends on how the photographer has you positioned. Wear your nice shoes and make sure the kids’ shoes are clean and dirt-free. If it is a formal portrait where everyone is dressed up in their Sunday best, and you’ve purchased shoes especially for the occasion, don’t let the kids wear their new shoes until picture day arrives. This will ensure the shoes will be shiny, scuff-free and picture ready.
Photographer
Of course, no matter how much preparation you put into the photo shoot, it won’t matter much if you don’t work with a professional photographer. Make sure that you feel comfortable with the photographer and review their portfolio. The should be able to work well with kids as well.
With these tips, your family portrait should turn out beautifully. It just takes some thought and some preparation, but when you get your wonderful portraits back you will agree that it was worth it.
Informational credit to Parkland Mall Dental Centre.
