Why Fall is the Best Season for Family Photos in Texas

Posted on November 6, 2017 by LCLindley

About three years ago, after gaining a new writing client, I thought it was time to finally get some
professional headshots taken. The timing was perfect. I was updating my website and had created some
marketing materials so things were falling into place. Everything was great, except for the fact that it was
the end of June, in Texas. Of course, the photoshoot needed to be outside to catch some of the amazing
natural light, which meant that I spent about three hours in the sun on a 103° day. Keeping the river of
sweat on my forehead from photobombing my professional shots proved to be more work than the mile-
long hike it took to get to the location of the shoot. I survived that shoot, but later on I thought about how
it could have easily been avoided had I planned for a shoot in the cooler months. Hopefully this post will
convince you to do the same.

So, Texas is finally getting some fall weather, which in the South typically means anytime the
temperature drops below 70 degrees. Southerners have waited an excruciatingly hot six months (yes, six
months) of summer for these cool days. Now is the perfect time to get out there and take those family
photos. Why wait until the winter season to have your holiday card photos taken? Here are a few reasons
why the fall season is best time to line up little Timmy and Tanya or Rufus the labradoodle outside and
create photos that will last a lifetime

1. You Won’t Melt into a Puddle of Sweat.

Please see my story above. Let’s face it, it’s hot as Hades in Texas between the months of June-October.
Around the end of October we finally start to see glimpses of what I like to call, “Cold Front Season.”
It’s not quite a normal fall in terms of getting cold and staying that way, it’s more like a cold front that
drops temperatures below 70 degrees for a few days, and then it jumps back up to 85°-90°. Either way,
you have to take advantage of the ability to actually sit (or stand) outside for longer than 30 minutes,
which means the photo shoot won’t leave you burned and applying aloe vera to your skin several days
later. You can actually pick a shoot location outdoors and get some great natural lighting without melting
your face off!

2. The Colors Duke, the Colors!

Summer is nice, but in Texas it tends to get so hot, that things just turn brown and die without some
diligence in watering. However, fall seasonal colors are the best. The foliage is no longer getting beat up
by the unbearable summer sun and the leaves finally begin to realize that winter is coming. What that
means for you is that there are lovely colors everywhere, and lovely colors mean lovely pictures. Because
fall colors tend to be neutrals, you can color coordinate to your heart’s content. In addition to the color
coordinating, the weather is cool enough to add in some additional matching accessories. Try hats,
mittens, gloves or scarves for additions to your holiday card.

3. Holiday Props

In addition to cooler weather, the fall season welcomes in what the internet lovingly refers to as
“HallowThanksmas,” or the season in which we celebrate or prepare for Halloween, Thanksgiving, and
Christmas/other holidays. What this means for you is that you have the ability to use lots and lots of props
of your choice in your photo shoots. Feel free to pull out that Menorah and Dreidel, plant yourself in a
pumpkin patch or pull out the famous ugly Christmas sweaters and lawn snowman. Try variations of all
of those things if you are feeling adventurous this year. Just know that fall is the perfect season to take
advantage.

Hopefully this article encouraged you to go ahead and book your family photoshoot now. Take advantage
of the cool breezes, the awesome fall colors and the opportunity to pull out the Christmas tree early. The
cool weather might not last for very long and come Christmas, we may very well be looking at a sunny 90
degree day.

Tahoe Family Portraits | Bryant Family

Posted on May 26, 2017 by LCLindley

This family has the cutest most adorable endearing two year old ever. The weather the week they were on their Tahoe vacation was incredibly cold and blustery and for a few days, we weren’t sure if we were going to have a weather window on this day to photograph their Tahoe family portraits. In the end, we had some beautiful overcast skies and nice soft light but frigid May temps. Their kiddo was a trooper and was almost all smiles the whole time, especially because her parents were hands on and excited to interact with her. From games of hide and seek to playing with pinecones, your natural interactions with your children create images of precious vacation memories that you’ll value as a keepsake from your travels!

What to Wear in your Family Portraits

Posted on May 3, 2017 by LCLindley

I am constantly getting queried by clients on what to wear in your family portraits, so I thought that a handy dandy blog post on the subject matter was required! I promise, you are not the only head of household that’s been stressed by the daunting task of trying to figure out what to pack for your family vacation portrait session. It’s not that hard when you break it down simply, I promise!

1. You want to pick coordinating colors, but not matching!

For family portraits, it’s best if you pick 3 coordinating colors such as two brights and a neutral to work with so that everyone is coordinated but not too matchy-matchy. This color wheel tool is a great way to choose complimentary coordinating base colors.

2. Use your accessories to add pops of your colors.

With two primary colors and one neutral, you can mix and match your colors as much as you want. If someone in your family tends to be more subdued, they can still dress without bright colors and bring in that pop of coordinating color through their accessories.

3. Still stuck? Consider placement.

Are you filling space on one of your walls with a print from your session? Consider the colors in your home (which are probably the ones that make you happy) when picking your color scheme. If you love your orange and turquoise living room, then start there! If you’re a family of Aggies, don’t be hesitant to show off your colors!

4. Jewel tones work great but stay away from greens

Taking photos in the Tahoe forest? Don’t blend in! Greens don’t pop very well against our all green forest, but other jewel tones like dark blues, golds, and plums, look great!

5. Limit patterns, logos and branding.

Say no to anything with big logos or branding and limit patterns, especially on adults. Patterns often tend to read too busy on adults. That being said, small children in patterns is a great choice to compliment your color scheme! It adds a mini-dose of fun to any portrait.

6. All white or all black: just say no.

All white? Sends you straight back to the 90s yo! This isn’t a Florida beach photo.

7. Keep it classy, San Diego.

Stay away from trends and hip current fashion. Keep it classy and classic – especially when it comes to high school senior portraits. It will prevent your photos from looking dated in a few years.

Tahoe Fall Family Portraits | Scholl Family

Posted on March 15, 2017 by LCLindley

“We just had our 5th photo session with Lauren and she is worth her weight in gold. We’ve hired her to take our maternity photos, newborn, 6mo/holiday, 1st birthday, and now our holiday photos again. They’ve all turned out amazing! At our latest session, our (now) 18 month old was tired, hungry, and extremely cranky. All he wanted to do was eat his cheerios and yell/scream/cry. Lauren was amazing, just rolled with it and kept us all laughing and lighthearted while my son had a total meltdown. I thought it was a complete disaster. However, we just got our photos back, and you’d have no idea that my son was so miserable! She managed to capture the few moments when he was actually happy and smiling and made the session totally worth it! I am in love with the photos and can’t wait to order our holiday cards. Cannot recommend Lauren enough!”

I think Jess’s online review of these Tahoe fall portraits says it all.

And look at these photos. She’s right. You’ll have no idea that her son was miserable. But we know the truth.

Sugar Pine Point Portraits | Lake Tahoe, CA | Thomas Family

Posted on November 11, 2016 by LCLindley

Sugar Pine Point State Park is one of my favorite Lake Tahoe locations to take family portraits. Late in the evening and afternoon, it offers beautiful golden light in the forest. In addition, it’s beaches are the perfect mix of boulders and cascading lines to provide great depth for those photos on Lake Tahoe that every family wants. I love the variety offered in the location and it’s a great meeting point for those families that are vacationing in North Lake Tahoe. The Thomas family was excited to celebrate their daughter’s senior year of highschool and wanted to do a mix of a portrait session focused on her, for senior portraits at Lake Tahoe, and of their family, so that they would have some Sugar Pine Point portraits as a souvenir of their time in Tahoe.

Fallen Leaf Lake Portraits | Shreves Family

Posted on October 19, 2016 by LCLindley

Matt and MC are two of my oldest friends. They met me before I was even legally allowed to drink or dance until the wee hours of the night in clubs with them (but still managed to do so, of course). We were young and irresponsible and now we’re old and probably still irresponsible. Matt and MC spend a number of years away from Austin, right about the time that I moved to Tahoe, and started a family. They are now back in the central Texas and have three hilarious girls who are as goofy, rambunctious and uninhibited as their parents are. They brought the girls to Tahoe this summer for a family vacation and I was not only excited to meet the spawn of my friends who I had heard so much about, but to also show off my town. I took them to see my friend Alex Ramon’s magic show (he’s the best!), we had breakfast together and, of course, took family portraits while they were here.

Tahoe Newborn Photography | The Stawickis

Posted on March 9, 2016 by LCLindley

Pam and Brent didn’t expect to be blessed with twice the amount of children as they were aiming for. That’s what they got though! Twins! After being born 10 weeks premature, these guys were able to finally come home after a few months in the NICU at Renown in Reno. The day of the newborn photography session, the boys hadn’t been home for very long and their parents were still trying to figure out how to handle their new roles which was both fantastic and hysterical to experience, as you can imagine. I knew they were going to succeed with flying colors and they have. Today, Bryce and Colton are turning into veritable little people with personalities as different as can be. They are officially five months old, which tells you how far behind I am on sharing awesome photo sessions, and they can almost sit and stand with help. I’m so excited for the Stawicki family and all that their future with these awesome little sure-to-be football players holds.

Sand Harbor Family Portraits | Ferrell Family

Posted on February 8, 2016 by LCLindley

When this awesome mom called me, literally on her way to Tahoe for her family vacation during one of the busiest weekends of the year, to see if I could fit her in for a family portrait, I was like, “who doesn’t plan ahead?” Mothers with a two sons, a new baby and a brand new puppy: that’s who! I am SO glad I was able to take their Sand Harbor Family Portraits because this family was nothing short of hilarious. First off all, their brand new puppy who may have been the cutest puppy I’ve ever seen, was named Jerry Rice and they referred to him by his full name at all times. I loved it. They have two boisterous older boys who were game to jump on rocks and explore all the awesomeness that Sand Harbor has to offer with me. I feel lucky to have met this rad family!

Tahoe Senior Session | Allison

Posted on September 1, 2015 by LCLindley

Golden hour is famed for it’s warmth and possibility, named so for the warm amber hue that happens when the sun is diffused in just the right way, before sunset. Sometimes, it seems extra magical and things just fall into place exactly the right way. Allison was on vacation with her family from Fort Worth, TX and really wanted to take advantage of being in a far away locale for her senior portraits so that she didn’t have the same images and locations that all of her friends had. Her family booked me for two hours so we had a ton of time to romp through both the woods and the beach to give Allison all the varied backdrops she was seeking. I took a gamble and had my good friend Jenay at Lake Tahoe Yoga show off a new meadow to me that I didn’t know existed. The hunt paid off and Jenay hit the nail on the head with her location scouting: those woods were magical. So magical that even she didn’t believe it was the spot we’d been in that afternoon when she was showing it off to me. I’m so happy that Allison and her rad Texas family connected with me. I had a blast showing off my home, romping through weeds and splashin in Lake Tahoe with them! Congrats Allison on your senior year!

Tahoe Newborn Photography | Jodi + Alex + Isabella

Posted on August 5, 2015 by LCLindley

I’m so thrilled and honored that I could capture the newest addition for this rad family. My version of Tahoe newborn photography is as relaxed, informal and as fussy or unfussy as your little one is. You have to be flexible to capture all the details, from the toes, to the hands to the parents’ interactions with their new infant. Jodi and Alex’s home session is as intimate, gorgeous and moving as I would ever hope a session could be. I know they are going to make wonderful parents and I can’t wait to watch Isabella grow into a young lady.