a style guide to make your photos really pop!

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Style Guide

Choosing colors - Try to stick with neutral tones (beige, taupe, cream, and grey) and earthy tones (greens, burgundy, blues, etc.). White and light colors can look beautifully simple and fresh while dark colors can bring a beautiful contrast to the NM backgrounds. White shirts under a dark jacket are perfect along with light-colored dresses, that's a match made in heaven.  Lace is beautiful for little girls or as an accent for a woman. Pick out a few pops of color to coordinate between subjects when working with a palette of softer tones and neutrals.

earthy tones

warm pink

sage & gold

earthy berry

blush & olive

light blues

warm & tan

gold tones

Avoid -  Any neon or overly saturated colors like bright pink & fluorescent colors. Please stick to a neutral or earthy palette. Please try not to wear items with large logos.

​Shoes - Should be neat and go with your outfit.  They don’t have to be top shelf but ensure that they are clean and in good appearance.

Hair care - Your hair shouldn't look like you rolled out of bed unless you have a perfect "bed head". You want to make sure you look put together. If you can afford to do so, hire a stylist for hair and make-up.

Consider - A semi-casual look. Think about what you would wear on a date night out or a play/theatre. Nothing super formal, but something you take pride in wearing. Outfits should make you feel beautiful. Shirts with collars are fantastic for framing the face. Layers and different textures are huge BONUS points for you (lace, wool, faux fur, etc.).

Make-up - It is always a great idea to have your makeup and hair professionally done for your photography session. It will make a huge difference in how you look and feel. Of course, I understand this is an added expense so do what you can, but don't bust the budget.

 Accessories - Simple and minimal work well.  Think outside the box.  Hats, scarves, jewelry, vests, jackets, etc.  All these things can take an "OK" image and make it feel more like an "OH YES" image!  These things should never be center-stage but should complement the collection.

​Group & family sessions
- Keep your clothing simple and coordinating. It must be carefully selected to blend the bodies together. Avoid busy patterns and logos. Solid colors are best. You must decide whether the basic tone of the clothing will be warm-toned (browns, etc.) or cool-toned (blues/grays/blacks, etc.)  Mismatched colors in groups tend to be distracting.

Props - For that special occasion, feel free to bring along a special prop.  I have a few on hand, but not much.  I generally find props in nature (trees, rocks, bushes, etc.).  Balloons are great and fun for birthday sessions.  Some of my families bring along a whole set, which I love!  Again, I don't keep much on hand, but I will be more than happy to utilize what you bring.  Let's make it fun and memorable.

Prints and patterns - I  like dots, stripes, and plaids together with block colors if they are subtle and of the same tones. I think just a touch of those extra elements on one or two of the family members makes the collection of clothes together look interesting and slightly spontaneous. I prefer to see people in outfits that don’t match but go together. Like those that have a similar color palette. If you love prints, by all means, wear them – your clothes should help tell a story about who you are.

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Derek

We cannot emphasize enough how amazing our wedding photos are! Lavel is a phenomenal photographer who helped us beautifully capture the joy, laughter, and love at our wedding. It was abundantly clear from the beginning that Lavel has an excellent eye for arranging stunning photos, as well as a special talent for working with her subjects and bringing out everyone's best sides. I don't plan on getting married again, but if I did I would hire Lavel in a second.

"We cannot emphasize enough how amazing our wedding photos are!"

tanya

Lavel was fantastic to work with! She did a phenomenal job with our engagement shoot. She was super encouraging, which made us feel comfortable. She also gave detailed suggestions on how to pose, which made the experience so easy. We are obsessed with the photos she took! Definitely recommend!

"We are obsessed with the photos she took!"

tonya

Wow! Lavel has done 2 photo sessions with our family; one for our daughter’s senior pics and one of our family in the foothills. Both resulted in fabulous photos and fun experiences. These 2 sessions have been the best photo sessions we have ever had over our years. I highly recommend Lavel-she is talented at posing people and capturing the best-the best lighting, smiles, backgrounds.

"the best photo sessions we have ever had over our years."

marquette

It is such a pleasure to work with Lavel! She most recently captured our maternity photos, which felt a tad more vulnerable for me. She did an incredible job of making both my husband and I feel comfortable and ensuring we enjoyed the process. The photos turned out absolutely perfect. We will definitely be returning clients in the future!

"She did an incredible job of making both my husband and i feel comfortable."

allyson

"Lavel is amazing!!! Not only is she super nice but VERY talented! I’m the worst at posing and she knew exactly what to have me do. She catches the best candids too. Matt is also great!! Would give 10000 stars if I could. We have gotten so many compliments on how beautiful our photos turned out."

"We have gotten so many compliments oN how beautiful our photos turned out."