Friday, November 26, 2010

How to Dress for a Family Photo: Add a Prop


Add apotheosis to your own family fashion shoot by including an inanimate extra. Expose your memory to film in Grandpa's orchard, allow each child a treasured snuggly escort, or use the family sailboat as a candid portrait backdrop.  

However, take caution.  Prop inclusion can easily go astray and if you wish to avoid someday seeing your portrait on Awkward Family Photos, avoid the contrived using the following three truisms*:

1) Don't give the prop undue attention 
Holding an element uncharacteristically near the face or adding digital drama to it post-process are sure fire paths to future regret.

2) Present props in a natural setting
While a boardwalk bred ice cream cone is native as sand to the beach, it looks awkwardly out of place in the sterile studio.  If everyday life wouldn't bring your element and environment into concurrence, carefully consider your defiance of nature.

3) If in doubt, favor furniture
Chairs and chaises, beds and boxes, if your prop can accommodate staged seating, it's immediately innate.  Select furnishings that partner your personal panache whether its an Eames lounger or vintage elementary school desks. 

(*I've seen people that have broken all of these rules successfully, but generally speaking I recommend at least considering them before you break them.)

Finally one of the bestest places to pilfer photography inspiration is magazines.  Scour editorials and consider opportunities to recreate your favorite spread.

Oh, and forget about saying cheese. Think about a pretty pair of shoes instead. You want to emanate natural bliss and footwear has a much higher chance of precipitating felicity than fermented dairy.  And did I mention that your shoesies will most likely show? Don't overlook this functional accessory.  Tell Uncle Eunice to leave his dirty cobbler-wear in the garage.

The giveaway winner will be announced on Monday, so enter yourself now!

Allow Cardigan Empire to style your kin for their next Family Photo. Click here to book a family-sized virtual shopping session.






4 comments:

  1. Love the combination of cute-printed socks and black shoes with heels.

    Fashion blog and suggestion

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  2. I love these posts about family photos! We have some coming up and this is the most helpful info I've ever read on the topic!

    ReplyDelete
  3. I want that sweater. seriously. where is it from?

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  4. That does look like a Beth sweater. I believe it is an Adore Vintage find. Unfortunately I couldn't see it in her shop at present. But there is a lot of other pretty things there. Check it out:

    http://shop.adorevintage.com

    ReplyDelete

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