I have seen it all Y'all! So here are a few quick tips to help you plan your wardrobe for your upcoming Family Photos on Maui.

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Tip 1. What colors should I wear?

For a light and airy Spring look that will feel like Spring on Maui my go-to colors are neutrals like ivory, white or khaki. Pastel or muted tones like sage green or aqua with coral or pink, and a neutral will create a beautiful palette to adorn your home and social feed with. Blue and yellow also work well as a muted/neutral combo.

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Tip 2. Is it okay to wear prints?

Floral patterns as well as stripes and checks can really add a nice touch to your session. However, mixing patterns is tricky so avoid this unless you are super confident. Or you can contact me and I will gladly consult with you about our upcoming photo session together. Do not mix more than one brightly colored or vivid pattern in your wardrobes.

Tip 3. What works best

If you can, wear fabrics that are lighter.  Such as cotton blends and linen. It’s nice to have a sun dress blowing in the breeze. One caveat to this is dresses with ruffles, especially around the shoulders.  You can do this only on a day with absolutely no wind. And there are very few days like that on Maui. So chances are, you are going to get a breeze. This is great for the wind blown hair and flowy dress, but not for a ruffle that is going to be blowing up in your face the entire session.  

Tip 4. What not to wear

I feel so strongly about this that I am going to say it again.  Do not wear a dress with ruffles. Alright, moving along…No matter the time of day, here on Maui, you do not want to be wearing thick or stiff anything. Wear clothes that breathe. Peek-a-boo sleeves do not photograph well and avoid clothes that have a pattern on top and a solid on the bottom or vice versa. This is going to be distracting and strange in your photos.

Tip 5. Wear more makeup than usual

If you normally don’t wear makeup, try throw on some mascara and a colored lip gloss.  If you usually wear the typical mascara blush and lipstick, then step it up with a little concealer and eyeshadow.  Or add contouring and on and on.  As someone who has spent considerable time on stage and behind a camera, I can tell you that Stage Makeup exists for a reason.  The camera catches everything that you don’t think it will, ie the hair tie on your wrist or cell phone in your pocket. However, it causes the color in your face to appear as less than what you see in the mirror. If you already go full on Runway Model or Kardashian face, then you’re probably good just doing your usual thang.

Tip 6. Check the weather.

I use the Windy app to check the weather on Maui.  It is often really windy. Especially near the beaches. It’s important to keep this in mind as you style your hair. We will work with the direction of wind as much as possible but you don’t want to get caught unprepared with a mouth full of hair in your professional photos. It’s wise to dress for the weather in general even if you caught a rare day were it’s not windy at all. Also, don’t worry about the clouds.  They create gorgeous lighting and I promise your photographer is going to be stoked if they are there for your portrait session.

Tip 7. Dress Comfortably

Most of all, you want to be comfortable and feel like yourself. The session is going to be fun no matter what so if you didn’t get it all together in time, don’t worry.  The most important piece for me to create photos that you will cherish, is that everyone is happy and connected.  It’s the confident toddler stomping away and that look that mom and dad give each other when they knew what to expect.  These are the moments that make your family you, so relax, do the best you can and let me take care of the rest.