TAYNEE MILLER PHOTOGRAPHY

Utah Wedding and Family Photographer

tayneemillerphotography@gmail.com

Baby Chloe Croft | Newborn Photography

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I got to photograph this beautiful family and their new addition. I love getting to know my couples and how their stories began so I wanted share a little bit of their backstory. 

“Chase and I met a little over a year ago when the Covid pandemic started and it has been a wonderful whirlwind full of adventure and love since then. While dating we spent most of our time together in the mountains whether hiking, mountain biking, or snowboarding together. We found out we were pregnant with Chloe in January. We had our dream wedding in April of this year at Blue Sky Ranch in Park City with our closet friends and family there. We bought our first home together in July. We had baby girl on October 4th. It’s been a dream come true for both of us and we feel so grateful and blessed for the journey we’ve had together as a family so far.” 

I love hearing how your stories began. They truly make our sessions so special seeing the beautiful distance you have come! 

5 Tips for Preparing for Lifestyle Newborns

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Lifestyle Newborn photos 

Having a baby is such magical time for you and your family. It’s the start of new life and something you have looked forward to for 9 months. When you have your baby, time flies by, and they grow up so quickly. It is so important to have a plan if you want to do some type of newborn photos.

Often in the photography world you will hear about two different styles, lifestyle and posed.

Posed is done by a professionally trained photographer in a studio who has props and backgrounds, they pose them, and these are typically done in the first 14 days of a babies life.

Lifestyle is described when your photographer comes into your home and they capture your family in a more natural way. It is a great time to capture images with the kids with new siblings and a fun way that you could incorporate the nursery or your room for the images. For these sessions the photographer is focusing on capturing the love within the family and not just the baby. I specialize in this type of lifestyle photography.

TIP 1

PLAN AHEAD. Do your best to find a date in advance and contact a photographer at least in that second trimester to secure time around your due date or when you want photos done and to pay any deposits needed to secure that time frame. This also gives you time to talk to them about images at the hospital if that is what you are interested in. I tell clients to plan for newborns in between the ages of 0-3 months, depending on the stage you want them taken in. If you want the fresh tiny stage you will want to book your photographer within the first 3 weeks. There are times that this doesn’t work out, but having a plan at least can keep it on your radar and in communication with your photographer if you need to push the timing. I am very understanding with my clients in the event of hospital stay for baby or for mom so that you can feel your best and feel comfortable.

TIP 2

Watch the light in your house. When it is the brightest is when we want to book your shoot! This is something I will be asking you about early on even before baby is born to get the best idea of when we would need to book you. If your nursery is brightest at about 2 PM, then we want to schedule your session for 2 PM. An additional thing to watch for is that the light is not harsh on the bed or the crib during that time frame. The light is dependent on where your windows face, but I often tell people to watch around noon to get a good idea.  

TIP 3

Prepare for your shoot by planning your outfits out at least a week in advance. This is the time to decide do you want a casual or dressier look. I personally pick a dressier look to help create magic and ambience for your photos. Although that is my preference, I have many clients who prefer casual. When picking clothing, colors are such a big part of what will help your images. I always recommend whites or neutrals pieces because they are soft and flattering often. Lighter colors also typically don’t effect skin tones. Heather brown is a great color for accents pieces through out your clothing. 

TIP 4

Get the house ready! I don’t mean deep clean the house, but rather have the areas set up so that when the day arrives you will easily be able to set the rooms up for the shoot. Decluttering should be your main focus. Remove the tissue boxes, the plugs, and any additional items that just are piling up that you’d see in images. Simplify the space so that the images have no distractions in the images. Minimalistic is the idea! If you have a carpet or space that shows a lot of dirt, then vacuum those spots but overall don’t stress yourself out. I will always recommend having a white bedspread for your shoot. White bedspreads bounce light, this also means you won’t have any weird colors casting light on your face. I do have some I can bring to your shoot, as long as you request it.

TIP 5

Last and not least, make sure your newborn has a great nap prior to photos. This is huge for the photo shoot! Don’t over-plan the day before, so that they are not exhausted. Often getting out of routine even this early on, can cause a fussy baby the next day, which in turn causes more stress for everyone involved. A reason I love lifestyle sessions is your don’t have to stress about feeding, because we will have time through the shoot to do that and keep baby happy. A normal shoot is 1-3 hours depending on what baby needs and how many feedings we do have to include.

I hope these tips help you prepare and that you will feel calm and ready for your newborn shoot. I have loved all the babies I have been able to capture and can’t wait for more this year!

Utah In-Home Lifestyle Newborn Session | Taynee Miller

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One of my favorite things to photograph is in home lifestyle newborn sessions! Everything about a little baby is a miracle. Being able to get pregnant, growing a baby, and delivering a healthy baby are all miracles. When Ariel Taylor contacted me about capturing her newborn I was so flattered. Ariel is a Bay Area mom boss and started her own maternity clothing line. She also makes the cutest babies making my job very easy.

When we planned the newborn photo session picked to do it on what we thought would have been a sunny day. However, that is definitely not what we got. When the weather that day was overcast and dark we hoped to reschedule the photoshoot, but the Taylor’s were going out of town that weekend and we had no other choice but to make it work. I normally love to shoot with natural light because it has a softer, more natural look in the photos, instead for this shoot we substituted the lack of light with some flashes.

When I got there I was immediately greeted by Ariel’s 3 year old daughter, Gemma. She was a little shy so to help her feel more comfortable, I had her Dad read a book to her on the couch and then had her twirl around the living room to capture some fun real life moments. When baby Luca was brought out, Gemma immediately ran up to him and started giving him hugs. The session then became all about Gemma loving and taking care of baby Luca.

I had so much fun with the Taylors and I’m thrilled with how the photos turned out. Thank you Ariel for choosing me to be the one you trusted with these memories.

What to Wear for Family Pictures | Taynee Miller

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Family Picture Outfits

Step-by-step guide on how to choose your family outfits.

I always hear from my clients that coordinating family outfits is the hardest thing to do! They always have a ton of questions and second guess themselves when they don’t need to. This is completely normal! You are planning ahead which takes a ton of the stress off of the photoshoot. If this is the night before your photoshoot…take a deep breath, we’ve got this! I am going to help you coordinate beautiful family outfits that you will feel confident in.

To help my clients I created a Portrait Session Style Guide. Book a session with me here to get access to my Portrait Session Style Guide.

How to choose a color palette for more coordinated outfits

Softer color pallets look beautiful in any indoor or outdoor location. Muted blues, soft pinks, and sophisticated neutral colors like white, cream, leather brown, and heather grey look amazing on camera. Select soft colors with solid or simple patterns. Avoid bold colors or busy patterns that are distracting—those will keep the attention away from your family and your connection with each other. No matter the season or the scenery, beautiful muted colors complement any setting.

Should I choose Mom’s outfit first for family photos?

When choosing family outfits, I always suggest starting with one outfit first. This outfit generally tends to be the mom’s outfit. In family photos, women should always say “YES” to the dress.  Long, flowy dresses and skirts are the most flattering outfit for any body type! They are very flattering on camera and allow movement in the photos. Fabrics like tulle and chiffon move well and are very elegant, especially through a lens. 

When choosing your dress, consider if you have little kids you will be bending down and playing with or what you want from your dress. I love choosing dresses that hide my arms, so I tend to choose loose or three-quarter length sleeves. Heels are a great way to elongate your legs and help with posture. I can’t stress this enough though, dresses are amazing on camera! 

If you need additional reasoning to consider dressing up, family pictures is a great time to add your dream dress and accessories to your wardrobe. Have you ever pictured wearing a romantic gown, a floral crown, or a statement hat? This is the time to do it! Dressing up for your photos or adding statement pieces can make your photos look editorial and beautiful. There is no such thing as “too dressed up” when it comes to family photos.

Choosing specific outfits for the rest of the family members

When choosing outfits for the rest of the family, keep in mind the softer color palette suggestions from above: Muted blues, soft pinks, and sophisticated neutral colors like white, cream, leather brown, and heather grey. One thing I love about family outfits is that they don’t have to perfectly match! In fact, avoiding matchy-matchy outfits brings more of a visual interest to the photos. Think of putting everyone in their own dominant color and tying it in with accent colors. A dominant color covers the most amount of area, while an accent color covers a smaller area. 

For example, the mom might wear a flowy white dress, brown fedora hat, and nude closed toed heels (making white the dominant color). Dad might wear a navy coat with a white button-down, grey slacks, and brown leather shoes (making navy and grey the dominant colors). Sister could wear a flowy light tulle dress ending at her knees, white shoes, and a pink bow (making light blue the dominant color), while brother wears a light blue button-down with light beige slacks and leather brown suspenders (making blue the dominant color). For babies, make sure the outfit is fitted and isn’t too big. Loose clothing that is too big can bunch up or cover part of the baby’s face when holding them. Family outfits can be fun and creative. Make sure to dress them up!

One store I love picking outfits from for the family is Roolee. I list other recommendations where I’ve seen the best photo-quality clothing below. 

Should the family choose sample pictures from Pinterest before the shoot, and show the photographer if they want something specific?

Yes and no. I am more than happy to look at it, but you also don’t have to stress about making a Pinterest board. You chose me because I am a professional, have lots of experience with family portraits, and because I love what I do. I am going to try and get all of the poses and groupings you can think of. Let me take away the stress of planning the photo session. Just come ready to make memories. If you have one or two amazing shots that you absolutely want re-created, then yes! Show your photographer. Photo sessions are an experience and an investment, and you want to get the most of it.

Before my sessions, I send out a questionnaire asking about your family. At this time, definitely let me know of any needs you have. One family had their grandparents come from China that they hadn’t seen in 3 years. They wanted the focal point to be on them and I was so grateful to know this before the photo session.

Tips for a good photo session

For any photo session, express to your family the “why.” Explain to your spouse why it is important to you. In times where it’s hard to explain why, I always rate how important it is to me on a scale of one to ten. Have a conversation with your kids. Tell them a few days before the shoot, “We are going to take pictures with my friend Taynee! She’s so excited to meet you! We are going to have lots of fun with her and smile big for her!” Then over the next few days, practice your smiles and talk about your photographer friend Taynee. I once had a client refer to me as auntie Taynee to her son. Let’s just say we were best friends right from the moment we met!

With kiddos, young or old, bribes and snacks are always a good idea. Remember to use snacks like gummies or crackers that won’t make your kid’s faces messy. These snacks are a great option because we can give them one or two in between each pose. Then, as a fun treat for your family, take them out to ice cream after the photo session and make it a family tradition they will love.

As far as the photo session, I’ve got this! We are going to have an amazing time and laugh a lot! Once you get to the photo shoot location, you’ve made it! Sit back and let me get those amazing natural smiles from your family.

What to avoid in pictures

Throughout the article I have talked about what to wear and what not to wear. In summary, avoid bright colors, logos, and distracting patterns. Plaid and small checkered patterns can be very distracting in photographs. Remember to dress it up and come ready to have fun.

Favorite stores to shop for family session outfits

There are a lot of amazing places to shop for family outfits. There are so many amazing boutiques, malls, and specialty shops. But that can also make it overwhelming. So here is a list of some of my favorite places to shop for photography outfits:

Family photo sessions can be so fun! Dress it up and make it a family outing. Plan your outfits ahead of time, and come ready to make memories.

Hello & Welcome

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