Photo Credit: jcpportraits.com

I feel its really important to capture life’s most important milestones with photographs.  I also think to have portraits done each year or so is also important and will be fun to have and look back on in the years to come.  As a hobby photographer, I’ve taken portraits for family to practice my skills and have found that if you follow a few guidelines, you can have great portraits:

• Choose your outfit carefully.  If doing a portrait of a single subject, wear something that is fairly neutral (wildly patterned prints do not usually photograph well), but it also complimentary to your skin tone as it will set off the portrait nicely.  If you are doing a family portrait with several subjects, be sure you are all either wearing neutral or matching colors, but also similar styles so one person doesn’t stand out because of the outfit they are wearing.  The most beautiful portraits I’ve seen have usually been when the people are wearing something like basic blue jeans and a white shirt because the focus of the picture becomes the people not the clothing!
• Timing is everything. If you have young children that are getting their portraits taken, make sure that you go during the time of day when they are at their best. Meaning, don’t try to have pictures taken during nap or meal times.  A recently fed and rested little one will make all the difference in terms of cooperation.
• Go prepared.  When bringing young children to get their portraits taken, bring a distraction like their favorite stuffed animal or toy.  You can use it either as a prop to put into the portrait or as a way to get them to look in the direction the photographer wants them to.  One of my favorite portraits of my son was when he was about 18 months old and he is holding his favorite toy car.
• Be open to the advice of your photographer as they are experienced and have training on how to put together a well composed portrait.  They often know tricks and tips that you may not have thought of.  They also know how a certain pose will look once taken and have a plethora of props, so be open to their suggestions.

Photo Credit: jcpportraits.com

I’m thinking my family is going to take this opportunity to get an updated portrait taken since as the photographer in the house, we rarely have all three of us in the same picture. I like to have family portraits taken each year because it records my son growing up and they also make great gifts for family, simply place them in a nice frame.  I’ve started to gather portrait ideas on my Pinterest board, check it out!

Now that you’re ready to get your family’s portraits done, the jcpenney Portrait Studio is offering some great packages that are affordable for every budget! For the month of April, jcpportraits is offering a 6 traditional portrait sheets for just $20! Plus they are offering one free sitting fee, for a savings of $9.  The jcpenney Portrait Studios offer trained photographers who can do many different styles of portraits including formal to casual with diverse props, camera angles and lighting set ups.

To take advantage of the April $20 portrait package and other jcpenney Portrait Studio offers, visit their website where you can schedule your portrait and gather inspiration for your own family’s picture day.  To find a location of a jcpenney Portrait Studio near you, use their studio locator.

I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney Portrait Studio. I was asked to create a Pinterest Board and pin at least five (5) pins. I give jcpenney the right to repin any or all images/original content from this board. I received a promotional item as a thanks for my participation.