Adele, Clara & the Traveling Dress

What’s better than having a princess dress for a photography session? TWO princess dresses! That was the case when I got to photograph this adorable family at the Indy Family Photo Studio. I’ve been lucky enough to participate in this year’s Little Dreamers Tutus Traveling Dress series. For this family photo session, we had two amazing gowns for Adele and Clara to wear. Little Edwin, the youngest at just three years old, looked adorable in his button-down and bow tie.

Adventures at the Indy Family Photo Studio

Adele, the oldest child at eight years old, is a sweet, sensitive, deep thinker. Clara is a fun, energetic five-year-old who loves dancing, and is your typical girly girl. Edwin is a classic little boy. He is full of energy and tends to get smothered with love by his older two sisters.

Upon getting into her gown, Adele proclaimed that she was the most beautiful one in the room. Adele’s gown was the Alyssa gown, like the gown from MJ’s Traveling Dress Session. Clara promptly let me know she wasn't going to participate. It was hilarious! Of course, once she saw her beautiful gown, she changed her mind. Not to be outdone by the two older sisters, Edwin kept trying to steal the show. He had the most expressive face! And really, is there anything cuter than tiny toddler feet?

I loved how these pictures truly captured each child’s personality. There’s fun energy from Clara, a thoughtful, dreamy look from Adele and tons of mischief from Edwin! My goal as a child and family photographer is to capture real smiles, real joy and real fun. Adventure sessions like this one allow me to build unique and fun adventures based on the things that make kiddos unique. I had so much fun pulling together this adventure for these three amazing little ones.

Little Dreamers Traveling Dress

I’ve very much enjoyed being a part of the Little Dreamers Tutus Traveling Dress program. Each dress has been unique, well-made, and filled with inspiration. These dresses add some fun and sparkle to our adventure photo sessions. Here are a few of the other Traveling Dress photo sessions.

• Claire & The Traveling Dress

• Miriam & The Traveling Dress

• Abby & The Traveling Dress

5 Ways to Get Authentic Smiles at Photography Sessions

Getting real, authentic smiles can be one of the biggest challenges in a photo session. At Indy Family Photo, I’ve run into my share of kids who’ve only been told to say “Cheeeeeese” in front of the camera.

So for my family photo sessions, I strive to help my clients “relearn” how to act in front of the lens. Don’t get me wrong, a quick smile can sometimes be all a photo needs. But if you really want to capture those truly wonderful, happy moments — especially with the kiddos — then here are five quick tips to capturing authentic smiles at your next family session!

5 Ways to Photograph Authentic Smiles

1. Never Underestimate Funny Faces

For the really little kiddos (like toddlers), have mom or dad stand directly behind, or even crouched over the photographer. We’re talking as close as they can get! Then have them make the silliest faces they can. If all goes to plan, it will look like the kids are looking directly into the camera.

The mistake most people make is standing up higher, or off to the side, and the kids never look like they’re looking at the camera.

2. Grab Yourself a Sound Machine

Sound machines can be a lifesaver! I have one that makes amazing noises — everything from clapping to sad trombone to fart sounds! (You can probably guess which sound is the most popular…)

So grab a good sound machine, hit play and capture all that authentic smiles!

3. Remember the Game of Telephone?

Put your family in a row and have mom or dad start a game of telephone — only make it extra silly. This is a surefire way to get the kids rolling over with laughter.

4. Use “Bubbles”

No, not actual bubbles, though that could be fun. Instead, have the kids in the session say the word bubbles… only have them say it in their angriest voice. Or better yet, have dad say it. This never seems to fail when trying to get those authentic smiles from the kids in the session — even the adults!

5. Faking the Laughs

I love employing this technique because it always works wonders when nothing else will. Tell your subjects — the whole family — to start fake laughing as hard as they can. In a few moments, they’ll actually start laughing because the whole thing sounds so ridiculous and silly!

At Indy Family Photo, we use many of these kinds of techniques and more! We love capturing authentic smiles and laughter from our clients — it’s what we live for! If you’re interested in book a family session, or even a session just for the kids, please don’t hesitate to reach out!

Miriam & The Traveling Dress

When I heard about Little Dreamers Tutus’ Traveling Dress Project, I was both excited and inspired. These exquisite, couture gowns are the dresses of little girls’ dreams. Earlier this year, my first Traveling Dress photo session with MJ was an amazing experience, so I was so excited to meet up with Miriam when another traveling dress arrived!

The Traveling Dress Project: A Dreamy Library Photo Session

Seven-year-old Miriam is an avid reader. She reads three to four hours a day! So, the library was the perfect location for her fun photo session with a traveling dress! We met up at the Central Public Library in Indianapolis to capture this dreamy photo session!

Miriam is also a ballerina. She moved around the library with such elegance and grace that other visitors stopped to watch us. The traveling dress for this session was the Hadley gown. The gown was made from a rich taffeta with a beautiful sheen making the purple color softly shimmer in the light. The dress was simple and elegant, with a full skirt with a fluffy tulle skirt sewn in underneath. It made swishing up and down the rows of bookcases so fun for Miriam! The dress had a wonderful structure and texture, making it so easy to photograph! I paired the gown with the “Illuminate Cape” from Tutu du Monde and a sparkling headband by Sienna Likes to Party. Both of these fun accessories were rented from Rainey’s Closet for a head to toe princess look!

The Central Public Library provided so many great photography opportunities with the wide staircase and the rows and rows of books. At one point, we wandered down one aisle and I asked her to grab a book and pretend to read. Pretend?? A booklover like Miriam wasn’t about to PRETEND to read! Instead, she grabbed a book and actually read it to me. It was some of Walt Whitman's work. I was so impressed with how at home Miriam was in the library.

Childhood should be a time filled with magic, dreams, and adventures. I was so happy to photograph this dreamy library photo session with this gorgeous traveling dress from Little Dreamers Tutus. Capturing precious moments like these is one of the best parts about my job as a child photographer! If you are interested in your own dreamy photo session, make sure to contact me at the Indy Family Photo Studio!