Family Photo

When you decide to book a family photo session in Raleigh, there are many beautiful locations to choose from. I want to make the location choice as easy as possible for my clients, so I am compiling a list of my favorites so you can learn about them and see examples of what they look like!



family photo

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The park at the NC Museum of Art is an extremely popular photo location, and for good reason. The park is spacious, has plenty of parking, is conveniently located, and has absolutely gorgeous natural light near sunset.


My favorite thing about this location is the water! In warmer months I absolutely love to have clients play in or near the water for photos. This park is pet friendly, has beautiful wildlife, a great playground, hiking trails, and boat rentals!


Now that you know what NOT to wear to your family photo session, hopefully, that will help you figure out what you SHOULD wear. And if you want to read more about styling, check out my What To Wear page. It has suggestions on where to shop and lots of good tips and examples.


I have been shooting family photos for a decade now and I am finally creating a blog post for people to refer to when it comes to planning their attire for their photo session. Here are my top tips when it comes to finding your family photo inspiration!


Shoe Choice Matters. Pay attention to the footwear on the family, not just the kids. Offer the option of brown shoes, black shoes, or all closed-toe shoes, or nice tennis shoes. A grungy shoe will drive you nuts when the photo is hanging in your family above the fireplace. Tennis shoes are totally fine, but avoid neon colors, yard shoes, or worn down tennies.


Limit Patterns. Choose one pattern with the color palette you want, then build the other outfits off of it. If someone has an amazing floral dress, or plaid shirt, use that as your base, then coordinate outfits accordingly (depending on size of family, could have a plaid or two, stripe, and the rest are solid). More than one person can wear the pattern, but to keep it to only a few people and not the entire family. The being said, sometimes multiple patterns work well because they draw in similar colors.






Minimal Holiday Set-up. A lot of Santa photos are full of reds and gaudy decor, but I try to keep things as simple as possible. The decor is a mix of greens, golds, cream, brown, and a touch of red. For studio holiday sessions, I keep things super minimal with greenery, white lights, and possibly a tree and garland.


Luckily for all of you, we decided to make an e-book and a brand new video showing you every step of the process. Do yourselves a favor and get yours now! These ornaments are the perfect holiday gift for family and loved ones.


The photo of me and my loved ones outside was taken by Posy Quarterman. Lilli, of Frocks and Frou Frou, and I collaborated with the goal of encouraging women who often shy away from the camera. Her dress is from Ever by X.


Coordinating an extended family photo session can be stressful, especially if any of the families are needing to travel. For a smaller family shoot, I do my best to stay flexible. The weather may not be cooperating or, especially for younger families, a child may be sick. I want my clients to contact me if they think a reschedule might make the session more fun for everyone.


Coordinate your outfits. I recommend picking two neutral colors and a third color for pop. For instance, tan, grey, and green. Or white, beige, and blue. You want to avoid any one person or family standing out from the rest. And having everyone dress too similarly can be either boring or overwhelming if outfits are too busy. You can find some coordinating outfit ideas on my Pinterest board and you can find more outfit tips from your photographer here.


My first post focused on family photo outfit inspiration in the blues. So if you love blue, I highly recommend you go check that one out! I also have a basic guide of What to Wear for Family Photos, but today is all about the color Red.


Next is to think about whether you want to stand out or to compliment the location. The idea is that you do not want to blend in nor clash. If you have chosen a wooded location, for example, being in all green may make you blend in to the trees and greenery, but in blue your family outfits will pop against the backdrop of your photos. The beautiful part of nature is that most colors looks beautiful wherever you are.


Another great color combination that photographs beautifully in fall. The deep maroon against the yellow leaves helps you to stand out. As you can see from the photo below, my own family used maroon and navy one fall, adding grey and cream for additional layers as well.


Again, spice up your neutral palette by adding the deep maroon tones. Maroon, again, photographs well in fall and in winter, adding to the depth and warmth of your images and contrasting with the surrounding locations.


Teal is one of my favorite colors, so when this family showed up with teal and maroon, I knew I had a favorite color combination. The maroon serves as a nice deep hue while the teal gives a bright pop of color. Notice in the photo below how the family mixed patterns to break up the solid maroon and really tie the colors together.


I'm so happy you're here! You've booked your Autumn family photos, you're looking forward to memories surrounded by breathtaking foliage colors and golden grass yet you're in panic mode. WHAT SHOULD WE WEAR?? Fear no more, I'll help you navigate the options and even point you to my favorite shops.


In New England, Fall is THE season for family photos. Mother Nature puts on a show for us and there is beauty everywhere. From mid-late September to late November, every month is SO unique and charming. Regardless of the month that you book your session, the tips remain the same.


Styling is the most common concern moms have when they think about family photos. Life is busy already, we're running on a tight schedule, so thinking about HOW to take the time to assemble clothes can be VERY discouring to the point that you might skip the photos altogether. Fear no more! When you hire a professional photographer like ATP, you get the whole deal, a white-glove experience! What does this mean? we do the work for you. We style your family. Yep, you heard it correctly. In this blog, you can read all about this service (that it's included with every session!)


Great point. In Fall it can get a bit chilly in the morning or close to sunset. I recommend having the kids wear tights, vests, knitted hats, and sweaters. Think about adding many layers. Undershirts are a GREAT idea. Warm kids = happy kids. When you cross the early November timeframe, the weather becomes colder and jackets might be needed. Make sure to love the jackets, they might make it in some photos. You will all get warmed up with jackets while you walk and then take layers off for portraits, we'll also keep cuddles in between to warm up your little ones :)


There is also a big reason behind it, Mom usually drives the photo session moods. Why? she is the one taking care of everyone on session day, if she feels STUNNING, GORGEOUS, and HAPPY....her bucket will be full. When our mom-buckets are full we can give love, attention, and care to others on session day. Believe it or not, the key to a successful photo is MOM. Happy Mom, happy tribe, happy tribe, loving moments, loving moments, candid captures :)


Great question. First, you'll look gorgeous like a goddess! But from a photography point of view, maxi dresses and long skirts add movement to the photo. They fly with the wind! It also gives you something to hold to as a prop. Imagine walking in an open field or looking into your husband's eyes while playing with your skirt :)


Depending on what you choose for you and the kids, you'll then style the other parent. That person will be wearing neutrals. Let that person be muted in tones! And that's it, your family will be completely styled and looking GORGEOUS!!!


Pinterest is your friend when thinking about styling. Many photographers have their own boards that will help you navigate wardrobes knowing that what you see as a PIN photographs is great. You can check my Pinterest board that I use to style my Fall Sessions.


Styling is key, even in daily life this applies. How you do feel with leggings and hoodies vs fully dressed up? When you spend time thinking about and picking your outfit, you feel gorgeous, with the energy to conquer the world! For a photo session, the same principle applies. You can even get poetic and think about how the wind will catch the fabric and bring life to your portraits and story. Think about the location, the surrounding Fall colors, and spirit! Most important of all, have your photographer help you out. Always show her or his pictures of the outfits beforehand to give you proper advice. No surprise on session day is a BIG win :)


Andre Toro is an award-winning family and published photographer based in Boston, MA. She calls her style Real Art Photography, which she defines as Fine Art inspired by candid moments. Andre is a passionate soul, obsessed with human connection, and emotive storytelling. She believes love is raw, messy, and beautiful. To inquiry about booking a photo session, please contact her at andre andretorophotography.com


Okay. I know that sounds obvious, but this is important, especially with younger kids. If your child still naps, make sure you put her down with plenty of time to allow a full nap AND extra time to get her fed and ready. Skipping nap time is a recipe for disaster. We all know that hungry and/or tired kids are cranky and not likely to smile happily for family photos.


If you have a child who is especially shy or anxious around strangers make your photographer aware of this before your session. It may help to take a look at my About page with your child to see a few photos of me and my family so she can put a face to your photographer before we meet.

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