Just go with the flow.
We have done a handful of Maternity and Family Photoshoots over the years. Along the way I have learned that you’ve just got to be flexible sometimes and trust that everything will come out great anyways! This applies to more than just a Family Photoshoot, but for now let’s just focus on that.
The picture above is the first example of how going with the flow led to a great result. My daughter is 3 and very picky about what she wears on the daily. Recently, she decided that dressing up is not her thing anymore. She made this decision just in time for our family photoshoot where I planned for her to wear a frilly dress. She is now into comfort. Par for the course with kids, they change and they change often. You never know when a new stage will happen. Like, the day that you are getting ready to leave for your Family Photoshoot?!?
So why was this a problem?
Well, I spent weeks coordinating our outfits and then she wouldn’t put any of her dresses on for the photoshoot (I had a few options just in case). She instead wanted the dress pictured above, just a comfy cotton every day dress. She didn’t get her full nap that day so she wasn’t very amenable to changing once we arrived at the shoot. The photographer took the picture above as I was showing my daughter flowers to warm her up to the photoshoot. It was a moment of patience on my part and acceptance for my daughter. Truthfully, I felt frustrated, I REALLY wanted her to change. But, I let it go. And you know what? I really love this moment that was captured.
And then she changed her mind, again!
But for the better this time. She willingly and happily changed into one of the correct dresses! Not my favorite choice, but it worked. And she was happy and comfy and ready to play, which was the best part!
Speaking of being flexible…
I had chosen our outfits for an entirely different shoot. We had recently moved to Georgia, the Peach State, and I had my heart set on a Peach Blossom photoshoot. We were so excited to celebrate our big move with a photoshoot at a Peach Farm!
I chose my dress from Morning Lavender specifically for a photoshoot with Peach Blossoms. I started with my dress because it was the hardest choice of all for me. My hubby and kids are easy to pick things out for, so I knew if I started with my dress then I could find them coordinating outfits. After ordering and returning dozens of dress, I found the one. I was so happy with it and felt comfortable wearing it. My hubby called it my “pirate dress” but I trusted my instincts and went with it anyways, and I am so happy I did. (P.S. he wasn’t mean about it, he just didn’t get the whole part where I want to cover things up and that the dress for a photoshoot is sometimes not the best dress to wear any other time. I’ve had 3 kids so some covering up is necessary.)
Back to the “being flexible” part. So, I had everything picked out for everyone, every outfit, the shoes, the accessories, all of it. Then a horrible tornado hit our area and tore homes apart and less importantly blew all the peach blossoms away. Kimberly Minor, our photographer, lives in the area that the tornado hit. So, we of course rescheduled and counted our blessings that everyone was okay.
A Change of Plans…
A few weeks later, Kimberly contacted me with an idea of doing our shoot in a clover field. I loved the idea and we set a date. I couldn’t change our outfits at that point even though it was quite a different backdrop, but I still think they came out beautiful nonetheless.
So, I just want to leave you with this. This website is devoted to finding the perfect dress, the perfect coordinating outfits, color schemes, tips to help plan, etc….but, all that planning may not completely work out in the end. And it’s okay. Sometimes it may even turn out better than you planned. So try to embrace the changes and just enjoy the moment. It will show in your photos, and the most important part of the photos is the way they make you feel. I see love and happiness in this photoshoot, not in small part to the talents of Kimberly Minor, she did a fabulous job! The photographer app Unscripted featured the top photo, the one of my daughter in the “wrong” dress. So, maybe my daughter was right after all!
