Thank you for chosing Sharon Verbeek Photography for your custom portraits! I will contact your by phone or email prior to your session to discuss your vision for your portraits. Below are some suggestions to help you on the day of the shoot. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions or ideas you may have. Remember, these are your portraits, so I'd like to work with you to create natural memories for you and your family.

Clothing Considerations

Families

Clothing is an important aspect to consider. I recommend you select cloting that you are comfortable in, flatters you and makes you feel confident. It's not necessary for everyone to match unless that's the look you want. A general rule is to stay in the same colour family and avoid patterns, heavy stripes, wording or logos as this tends to distract from the face. Solid black tops and jeans are always a classic choice, but don't be afraid to wear colour, especially if black isn't really your style.

Kids and Babies

Less is usually more! Don't spend too much time on hair-do's that may get messed up - with kids, the less fussing the better! Again, try to avoid busy patterns and logos, but don't be afraid of colour - let their little personalities shine through! Clothing changes are allowed, however keep it to two or three outfits (one or two changes) again to control the fuss factor. Don't forget about hats, scarves and accessories.  For babies, bare feet is usually best (indoor, or weather permitting). With shoes, we usually end up seeing only the sole when baby is sitting down, so if you have a special pair of shoes you want baby to wear please keep this in mind. 

Maternity

I want you to feel beautiful and confident and capture the excitement of a new baby on the way. Have any clothes ready you'd like to try. A black and a white tank top, jeans with butons worn undone or a nice wrap all make for beautiful and simple belly accessories. I suggest if you are going bare-belly not to wear any elastic waist bands about an hour before the session to avoid any marks on the belly. Also please note that your hands will probably be photographed close-up in a maternity session (and your partner's, too). So take some time to groom your hands/nails. Please avoid wearing dark or pastel nail polish as they reproduce as odd colours in black and white.

Newborns

For a happy, sleepy baby, please make sure it's nice and warm. Turn up the heat just a bit before our session. The best outfits for a newborn is what they were born in.  It's best to limit clothing changes to 1-2 outfits to keep baby happy.  White onesies are perfect. Then feed your baby until he is nice and full. Then feed him some more! A well fed baby is a happy, sleepy baby.  We will have lots of time for more feedings, cuddles and changes, so don't worry about a schedule. Sometimes playing music or other white noise does wonders to drown out the noise from my camera. Keep baby's diaper on loose before I arrive to avoid lines on his skin.  

Location

We can have your session either in your home or at a location of your choice such as a local park.  If we have the session in your home, I may arrive a bit early and have a look around for the best light and location. I may move some furniture around, but I promise to put it all back! If this is a baby or newborn session, we may go into the baby's room/nursery for a few pictures. If you have any special locations or ideas, please let me know. I'm open to any new ideas!