An Inside Look - Photoshoot Edition

Hello there, it's Marissa here! For this blog post, I want to give you an inside look at all the ways I plan a photoshoot for Melane & Co. I absolutely adore making arrangements for events that excite me, & this is a way to show you all the details that make a day of shooting superb.

I hope this blog post brings a little extra joy to your day, & if you happen to plan a photoshoot with your family or photos with your pet, maybe this will help!

Making up Our Minds

Before I began planning our most recent photoshoot, I chatted with Mom about what kinds of photos we needed. For this Melane & Co. photoshoot, we planned on getting photos of the three of us for terrihitt.com (Mom, my sister, & me, & we recently had our much-needed family photos taken with Dad) & to have as keepsakes. We were also intentional about receiving some photographs of our cards, prints, & pet portraits.

We discussed how long we believed the photoshoot would take & we began getting the ins & outs done...

Booking It

After we quickly imagined what we needed for our photoshoot, we booked our photographer. We let our photographer know what we are looking for in a photoshoot, & we found a location. It was around this time in the process that one of my favorite parts came in - the creative direction of the shoot.

The Creative Process

After contacting our photographer, I found some photos as examples to set up the shoot on the right path aesthetically. Social media outlets such as Instagram & Pinterest provide endless inspiration, so there was plenty of saving & pinning before the photoshoot! It's important that the photographer, Mom, & I see the creative vision in the same way. Saving and sharing visuals examples of what we expect from the shoot can be very important to ensuring everyone is satisfied with the end result.

Be Attuned to Your Attire

For each photoshoot, there are multiple hours of searching for clothing. The wardrobe process takes time when done intentionally. I have spent hours upon hours looking for outfits, but it is very much worth the time. It can be difficult to find clothing pieces that are stately yet affordable, but they can be found. I believe the secret is knowing what styles & colors flatter each person & knowing little fashion hacks.

Pro tip:

For our wardrobe, I mixed various textures, & I personally avoided busy patterns with vibrant colors so the photos would have a timeless touch. I also looked for clothing that wasn't necessarily seasonal so we can use our photos year around.

For this photoshoot, we each had two different looks. I put a lot of thought into our outfits. We were orginally planning to all wear dresses, but after thinking this over & knowning the feeling we wanted to envoke through this photoshoot, I knew the dresses would be overpowering.

Placing Mom in jeans & sophisticated tops suited her. She always wears jeans and flats, so this attire was comfortable for her. I always say I have a beautiful mom. She doesn't always believe me, but I know it's true.

Talking Brooklyn into wearing these elegant & sweet little dresses was the right call. A dress may not be Brooklyn's favorite thing to wear (she loves her trusty pajamas), but her dresses were oh-so fitting for this day.

For me, wearing my long dresses was the right call. Because I am on the shorter side, longer dresses paired with heels elongates my body. I make sure both pieces of wardrobe fit & flatter me. I love a good dress with a cinched-in waist & a flowy skirt. Also, a neckline that suits me is key. I personally think a neckline can make or break a dress, & I know which necklines for outfits are my favorite.

Pro tip:

When looking for an outfit for myself, I have to imagine the garment on me rather than the model. Different heights as well as shapes result in some outfits not being for everyone. No one has the same exact shape, so this visualization tactic truly helped me.

For this day, I ensured we coordinated, while still separating our outfits for our individual personalities. One of the goals for our photoshoot was to implement a diverse range of outfits (jeans & blouses for Mom, shorter dresses for Brooklyn, & longer dresses for me), while still wearing colors & styles of clothing that complemented one another. All of these intentional decisions made our photos timeless.

Pro tip:

If you are not sure whether you have the right outfits for a photoshoot, send your photographer photos of the clothing you have in mind. An experienced photographer should know if your outfits will look good on camera.

Before the Photoshoot

In advance, we decided which paintings & products we would bring. I steam all of our outfits by hand the day before, & most of the packing is completed on the day before the shoot.

Day of Photoshoot

The next day, we all got ready, & we headed off to our photoshoot! While we were at this photoshoot, I filmed as many videos as I could, & I made an Instagram Reel for both Mom & I.

After picking out which products & paintings we wanted to bring, we made sure to receive wonderful images and groupings of those items, as well.

Our mission is to create joy so you can express it, & I hope our artwork does just that.

Melane & Co. Custom Pet Portrait

Hello, Alpaca Print

Hello, Deer - 10 Cards/Pkg (with white envelopes)

After planning the shoot for days in advance, we wrapped everything up in a couple of hours. After this photoshoot, the next step was receiving the photos & preparing the content ideas in advance.

One Last Note

It is such a pleasure & privilege to share Melane & Co., which is such a wonderful part of my life, with you. I hope this blog post inspired you & brought some joy to your day & will help you when you have a photo shoot to prepare for in the future.

- Marissa