6 Tips and Ideas for Beautiful Family Photos – Our Experience with Canico Studios in Las Vegas

Each year, we select one special photographer to do our holiday family photo session that we think has the best quality. These are not only the photos we use for our Christmas cards, but also for our blogs and social media pages. The photographer we choose must be able to produce high quality images since these will be seen globally, so this decision was very much a BIG deal! We discovered Trevon Angulo at Canico Studios from several blogger friends as well as inventors who have worked with him on photography and video. We met Trevon at the Clark County Heritage Museum and had a blast doing a 30-minute mini photo session. We’ve put together a list of tips and ideas to help you create gorgeous family photos too!

Photo Shoot Ideas:
Idea #1:
Bring props to incorporate based on the occasion. Things like Christmas decor or block letters are fun ways to add something special to each of your photos. And even if you don’t bring props, find site locations where there will be areas that portray the occasion (for example, Town Square has a huge Christmas Tree that would make a fun photo opp for the holidays).

Idea #2:
Color coordinate but DO NOT match, and make sure your outfits are comfortable for each of you. The most attractive photos are those that look natural and not too overly planned. Don’t wear outfits you would constantly find yourself pulling down, pushing up, or sucking in because the camera will catch your look of being uncomfortable. And THAT is not a natural look. Less is more and you don’t want to look too “loud” in your photos by overdoing accessories or having too many bright colors. Colors should be subtle and “eye-popping”, not too bright. The same goes with your choice of outfits – color coordinate and don’t be afraid to add SOME (not too many) patterns and accessories to your look. Color blocking is totally acceptable (ie – coral with mint) as long as the whole family agrees to stick to the same color theme. And for couples – do pops of the same color so you aren’t looking like twinsies in your photos (your dress matches his tie or his shirt matches your accessories).

Idea #3:
Choose a location that will have the most natural light. Most photographers have their own special equipment they bring to the site location too, but I can’t stress enough on how important having natural lighting is during your photo session. The difference can literally make a photograph look like night and day! And don’t get me wrong, evening photos are gorgeous too, but definitely have a few of those photos with natural light in them.

Idea #4:
The best time to shoot photos is in the afternoon when the best natural light hits. Usually the 3pm time is the best time to take outdoor photos here in Las Vegas, because that’s when the sun starts to set and produces just the right amount of light. Lots of sun isn’t necessarily a good thing for photos.

Idea #5:
Plan ahead. Plan outfits, research different poses on Pinterest and Google Search, research the location you selected ahead of time, and decide what types of photos you want (each child individually, couples, children together, sitting, standing, with props or without props). Sit down with the kids the morning of your photo session to let them know what to expect. People (young or old) seem to behave and act appropriately when they know what to expect. Make sure your whole family is well fed beforehand, because hunger causes crankiness and crying (from the children, not the parents). Prepare hairstyles and make-up looks, make sure clothes have been ironed and/or drycleaned, and double check that shoes are cleaned and polished. If you have these ideas well put together ahead of time, your photo session will go smoothly, quickly, and will keep your photographer from second guessing what you REALLY want.

Idea #6:
THE MOST IMPORTANT: Find the right photographer. Obvious, right? So how exactly do you find the right photographer, you ask? A photographer’s resume is their portfolio of how they take professional photographs. Would you see your family in those same poses and styles? There are three things I focus on when I look at a photographer’s portfolio:
1. How natural the photos look.
2. The angles and lines of site the photographer captures (including having the right amount of lighting).
3. How well edited the photographer’s photos are.

When it comes to finding the right photographer, I highly recommend Trevon Angulo from Canico Studios here in Las Vegas. He did such an amazing job with our family photos and he’s such a pro that he got a ton of great shots in our 30-minute mini-session. He was confident in his craft, and that gave us peace knowing that he knew what he was doing. We trusted his warm personality from the get-go, and he’s GREAT with kids. They had so much fun with him they didn’t want to leave the site location! You won’t be disappointed with Canico Studios and he does videography too! Right now Canico Studios is offering a $99 special for his 30-minute mini photo session for anyone who mentions TheItMom. Leave your priceless memories to a professional you can trust! Be sure to follow them on Facebook, Twitter, and Instagram for updates, specials, tips, trends, and photography ideas!