Today I have a VERY special guest on The Cake by Hannah, and I am so excited about it! Meet Hannah Hagaman, the talent behind basically everything you SEE on this blog. Hannah has been my photographer for over 3 years, and I am so thankful to work with someone who is both a dear friend and is seriously so talented. We were sorority sisters at DBU back in the day if you can believe it (8 years ago!!!), and we reconnected after college when we were first diving into our own businesses and pursuing entrepreneurship. Hannah has taken our last 4 family Christmas card photos, starting in 2015, and every year she knocks it out of the park. Our little family has morphed and grown since our first session with Hannah, but what doesn’t change is that her photos always capture us in the season we are in so perfectly. From a wildlife ranch to a beautiful white barn, a goldendoodle and a baby bump… We have had some fun shoots!
Follow Hannah at Cottonwood Road Photography, here. AND, at her personal account, here.
I asked Hannah to share with you all of her best tips and tricks to capturing your family behind the lens.
Hey everybody! I’m so honored to be writing to you guys today! I’m the other Hannah- the Hannah behind the images here on The Cake! I wanted to bring you guys a handful of tips today to help you have AMAZING family photos that you will love forever.
- Keep it short. No baby, kids, dogs, etc will last longer than 20-30 min for photos. Half an hour is the perfect amount of time to capture those smiles & laughs before anyone gets distracted or fussy.
- What to wear? Skip the bright colors. Go for more neutrals or softer colors because these will photograph so well every time. You can absolutely still wear color just tone them down a bit. Coordinate, don’t match. As much as we love the 90s do not show up with everyone in white button downs and jeans. Pinterest is an amazing resource for photo attire. Feel free to follow my Pinterest board if you need inspiration! This is YOUR shoot, so whether or not you want to dress it up and wear special occasion outfits or if you want to keep it simple in sweaters and booties, remember to make it your own because this is your family. If you’ve never had your colors done (where you find out your color palette of what colors look great on you and what not to wear), this might be a good chance to do that, that way you know exactly what colors will look the very best on you!
- Bring snacks & water! It may not be hot outside but water is still important and snacks can be used as a distraction!
- Give them a break! If the kids aren’t feeling the photos, take advantage of the time and get some couple photos (when was the last time you had photos of JUST you two?)
- Trust your photographer. If they put you in a funny pose or you start to feel awkward, that’s totally normal but know that the end result will be amazing. Your photographer is a pro at this and they can see how awesome the photo will turn out even if you feel like everything is out of control. Sometimes the best photos come out of the most chaotic or awkward moments. Laughing at yourselves in the process also makes for great photos!
- Lastly I just want to say, prepare your heart and mind for these to not be “perfect” photos. The photos you see on Pinterest are curated and only the best of the best but this is YOUR family. Your kiddos may be crazy and that’s okay. Let your photographer capture the season you are in today!-Hannah of Cottonwood Road Photography
So without further ado…
Here are our family photos for Christmas 2018! We went casual this year, because it just seemed fitting for the season of life we are in. Ain’t nobody got time for gowns and tuxedos with a 10 month old. 😉
Shop our outfits:
Hannah’s Top | Jeans| Shoes | Lip Color
Paul’s Jacket (Hubba hubba- I am so obsessed!!) | Jeans | Shoes
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