What to Expect:
All of my sessions are fun, informal and relaxed. I understand that some people find it awkward being in front of a camera, so it’s my top priority to ensure that my clients feel great about having their photographs taken. I promise you’ll love what we make together.
Please arrive on time as I may have multiple sessions booked in one day and I’d hate to have your session rushed or shortened. If for any reason you are running late or need to reschedule within 24 hours of your shoot, please email me directly hello@tonilarsen.com or call me 027 2211 221 - I do understand that life happens!
Consider Hair, Makeup and a Tan!
I strongly recommend having your hair and makeup done to feel your absolute best! For Makeup - I would love to recommend Janet Rowe Makeup, Little Pugs, Marilyn Smith or Makeup By Sammy. Rebecca at Little Pugs also does gorgeous spray tans, as do the girls at TanTale.
WHAT TO WEAR:
Family/Couples Portraits
you want to coordinate, not match. Coordinating colour is what really brings wardrobe together, so choose the colour(s) you want to work with - these could be neutrals - and find different pieces that incorporate some or all of the colours you’ve chosen. Or - start with one outfit you really like, from there, build from it for everyone else. Choose what one person is going to wear and use colours that complement that outfit to pull the other outfits together.
I have a selection of “free-size” dresses available for my mamas! You can view them here!
I encourage you to lay out your clothing choices to make sure they all sit nicely together in terms of colour/tones.
denim is always a popular choice and is timeless.
SAY NO TO FLURO!! Fluorescent colours tend to reflect onto faces, necks and hair. They’re harsh and they don’t photograph well.
versions of primary colours are great for portraits and make for timeless and fun images – mustard yellow, burgundy or pumpkin orange, and shades of blue – navy, royal or teal. Grey in all it’s shades looks fantastic with denim.
by all means, embrace colour and pattern! Mixing stripes with spots or other patterns is okay too! Expression is important and it’s fun to see your personality through your wardrobe.
AVOID logos - please be aware that big logos are distracting so please avoid them - as they take the focus of the image away from everyone’s faces and they can date your photographs.
add layers! When putting together an outfit, layers are what make it look polished as they add dimension and depth. Think about the people in clothing store advertisements, they tend to be wearing multiple accessories to complete their looks. To achieve this, add some of the following to your basic outfit: cardigans, belts, statement necklaces, scarves, hats, jackets.
dress for the weather! If you or your children are cold, it will result in grumpy little ones and this will reflect in the photos. Make sure you’re rugged up if it’s cold and we’re photographing outside… and make sure little faces are clean if you’ve just bribed them with treats ;)
please note if we are in studio: aim to wear light colours such as whites/light grey/neutrals/denim as these work best with my style of photography in my bright white studio. Or pick a colour and embrace all it’s tones and shades (some inspo photos below!) Also you do not need to worry about footwear as the majority of your photos won’t have your feet in them, and bare feet looks great when you’re all cuddled up sitting together on the floor.
if you’re still unsure please feel free to send me a photo of what you are planning to wear!
Headshot/Personal Branding Sessions:
I encourage you to bring outfit choices if you’re not sure what to wear and we can make decisions on the day:
something light in colour - white/light greys/neutrals
something dark/black
something you feel really fabulous in!
clothing with texture (think lace/patterned fabric/layers) adds beautiful depth to your images
no need to worry about footwear as I generally won’t be photographing your feet, but bring a pair of heels if you’d like, as they do help with posing and posture if you’re used to wearing them.
PROPS - Bring with you any printed or branded collateral you have - brochures, cups, clothing etc. Also bring along your laptop, phone, ipad, if you have a favourite chair, or other items from your work desk that help in describing what you do. A super quick and easy way to create ‘on brand imagery’ is to grab some of the tools you have right in front of you, things that you use on a daily basis for your work and capture those.
Maternity Sessions:
if we are shooting in my studio consider wearing light coloured clothing as this photographs beautifully in my white, bright space - white/light greys/neutrals. I also have a black backdrop so we can if you have some darker clothing choices bring those as well!
I have a selection of “free-size” dresses available for my mamas! You can view them here!
ensure your clothing is fitted to show off your bump - a simple singlet dress is fantastic
make sure you have the right under-garments that won’t show through your clothing
clothing with texture (think lace/patterned fabric/layers) adds beautiful depth to your images
bring a beautiful set of lingerie if you’d like to do some nude belly shots to really celebrate the magnificence of your amazing body!
if your partner or other children will be in photos with you, ensure that you plan their outfits also. Please refer to the tips above under the “Family Portraits” section!
there are many websites now that sell specialised maternity gowns for photographic sessions - please allow plenty of time for shipping! Also be aware that some of these sites (ie the cheaper ones!) do not deliver high quality items compared to the images on their websites :(
Little Love Sessions (from when your babe is sitting)
Your littlest ones just need the most simple of outfits, as these sessions are all about their big personalities!
consider clothing light in colour - white/light colours/neutrals - these all look great along with denim in my light, bright space.
feel free to bring along a few of your Little Love’s favourite toys to be photographed with, or anything sentimental
no need to worry about footwear as babes look cutest when we can see their chubby little toes!
After our session:
I’ll be in touch when your gallery of retouched images is ready for viewing. This normally takes around 3 weeks for me to prepare and complete.