Family Photo Fest

Back at the beginning of November my family got together at one of the local parks and met with a very talented young photographer, Ashley Topping, to have some family photos done. The last time we did this as a large group my littl'un was just a baby - and he's now 5, so we were certainly due for an update. My sisters and I all split on the cost of the session with Ashley (which was incredibly reasonably priced, I might add) and gave the photo session to our parents as a birthday gift - their birthdays are only 5 days apart.

And now we have the photos back and I thought I would share a few with you, and some tips for how to dress a large group for family photos!

First things first - when you have a large family group for photos make sure your photographer knows what they're getting into - often they will have a surcharge for extra people beyond their regular maximum amount. Keep in mind that the more people you add to your group the more difficult the photographers job becomes - especially when those people are small children.

When it comes to dressing a large group, try and agree ahead of time on a colour scheme. I personally don't recommend everyone wearing the exact same thing - white t-shirts and medium wash blue jeans for example - because I find that difficult to pull off. It's best to go with 2-3 colours that work well together, and at least one of those should be a neutral. Then - leave it up to interpretation for the rest of your group. Don't stress over what everyone is wearing because as long as everyone is comfortable in what they have on, they will look it. Trust me; if what you're wearing is uncomfortable, it will show in a picture.

We chose navy, grey and a hint of burgundy. Then we went with whatever neutrals people decided to wear. I think it worked! We also tried not to wear too many bold prints, mostly solids so that it doesn't clash too much. Our little was the only one who was obviously wearing a print (plaid) but my mom, sisters and I all had interesting details to our outfits which made us stand out individually while still work as a group.

Pick a location that is easy to work in, has lots of light and interesting options for photos. We went to Cullen Central Park near us - it's a lovely open park with lots of different locations for photos. We mostly had a natural background for our photos but it also has a covered bridge and even some old houses! Our photographer had shot at that location before which is also an asset because she came prepared with location ideas in mind.

Last - have fun! Be silly, laugh, play and don't be afraid to look "funny" because you never know what photos you'll really enjoy until you see them.

A special thanks again, to Ashley Topping Photography - if you live in the Durham Region in Ontario I strongly recommend checking Ashley out if you need a photographer. She's bubbly, fun, easygoing and worked fantastically with our kids.

*I wore:
Blazer - Costco: similar / similar
Lace Yoke Tee - Walmart (US): similar / similar
Jeans - Forever 21+: similar / similar
Boots - Payless: similar / similar
Brooch - Vintage

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