2016 Blue Sky’s Studio Holiday card inspiration guide

We’re busy preparing for the holiday season at Blue Sky’s Studio (already! Can you

believe December is just around the corner?), and want to introduce you to our new holiday card

inspiration guide. Our gorgeous new options–including cards with vintage botanical

prints, sleek, minimalist designs, and traditionally festive sentiments– mean that we have a

card that will perfectly frame your holiday portraits. Take a look at Blue Sky’s Studio

Holiday Card Catalog directly below, to peruse your options and start making your holiday card

plans. Unlike many card templates, our designs are completely customizable, so colors, text,

and design elements can be easily tweaked to your specifications! AND if you order a Blue Sky’s collection, you will

receive 20% off our holiday cards, through November 30, 2016.

We’d love to help you create your 2016 holiday card. Ready to schedule a complimentary

custom design appointment with us? Call us right now at949-439-6079 and speak with Deseree or email

her at dez@blueskysstudio.com

Can’t wait to see you soon,

Kristin

Fashion, Headshots, Portrait Photography, Studio photo session

Ladies, What to Wear for the Best Head Shots

What might look great in real life, might be a disaster for your professional head shots, (or Model for a Day photos).

For the best head shots, let’s go over what women should wear.

Keep Your Personal Brand in Mind

What image do you want to portray?

Smart, sophisticated, strong, in charge, feminine, classic? It’s important to keep this in mind when choosing outfits for your shoot. Maybe you love how sexy you feel in that low-cut black dress, but perhaps it’s not the style you’re trying to portray in your head shots. Or perhaps you love that turtle neck, but don’t want to come across as too conservative in your shots. I often include the advice of our stylist in our photography packages and she is great at helping you select pieces from your own wardrobe.

Keep Your Options Open

You’ll want to pick out 1-2 outfits (for headshots) and 3-5 outfits (for Model shots) for your session; this way you can evoke a different feel in each style.

You Don’t Have to Show it All

In Orange County we don’t have to stay away from short sleeves, or tank tops as much. However, if you are going for a highly professional look you may consider showing less skin. Three-quarter to full sleeves look most professional. And while a great V neckline looks fabulous on many women, be careful that it doesn’t dive too deep in the neckline–it’s a head shot, not a cleavage shot. ;)

Classic Beauty

One of the secrets to a great head shot, really any great portrait, is to keep it timeless. It shouldn’t be blatantly obvious what time period your photo was taken in (picture the big shoulder pads of the eighties), so stick with a classic suit jacket or shirt styles–timeless styles that always look good.

Checkers are for Family Game Night

If you must wear patterns stick with simple thin stripes, subdued small patterns and subtle variations. Checkered patterns, big stripes, tight grids or herringbone patterns can obscure in photos, and become a distraction from your natural beauty.

Bold, but Not Too Bold

Bold solid colors can work great for head shots, but be careful not to have too many colors, shiny fabrics, or eye-burning patterns.

Vanilla is Better for Ice Cream

You may want to avoid plain white unless it’s a part of a layered ensemble; wearing only white can sometimes cause an ethereal or glow effect in photos.

Simple Adornment

Jewelry can be a great way to express a little more of your personality, but avoid flashy, big pieces. They can be distracting, but can also quickly date the photo.

Blue Sky's Promotions, Fashion, Headshots, Orange County Photography, Portrait Photography, Studio photo session

Be a Model for a Day

Ever look at a friend’s stunning photo and think, gah, I want a nice headshot like that?

Life is busy, it can be hard to find time to treat yourself. But that’s what our Model for a Day promotion is all about–finding the time to spoil yourself, or your daughter, your mom, or even a friend. Our goal is to bring out your natural beauty, with a little help from a stylist, a makeup artist, and me.

Here are just a few of the gorgeous shots we have taken during our Model for a Day promotion in the past:

Our Model for a Day promotion is back by popular demand. Check out the details below and book soon, as sessions fill fast:

At the Beach, At the Park, Creative sessions, In a field, In home, kids modeling, Kids Photography, Orange County Photography, Portrait Photography

Fun Valentine’s Day Photo Ideas

I’m having so much fun shooting Valentine’s Day themed photos this season. These kids (most of them are kids anyway) are just too adorable. It makes you realize how precious and pure the love of a child is. Below is some inspiration for your Valentine’s Day photos.

Check out these ideas (and photos) by yours truly. And get ready for cuteness overload. ;)

Kisses & Hugs

It’s so fun to get siblings to show some love, their character shows through in wonderful candid shots. These first two are my babies.

You’ve got my heart on a string…

The beautiful sisters above are a great segway to “hearts!” Hanging some glittering hearts all around in the studio gives Valentine’s photos a fun, whimsical feel.

Props

Props and accessories are so much fun for Valentine’s Day photos. Let’s start with some X’s and O’s!

Okay, we just can’t get enough of hearts–how about these different takes on the lovely shape?

How about some fun glasses, and maybe just the right book?

A family’s home decor can be a nice touch, especially with babies–this wall art provides the perfect scale for baby and carries the theme of love.

Let’s play…dress up!

These little cuties look so adorable, in these fun, candid photos because they were having fun playing while we shot.

I hope you’ve enjoyed these ideas and photos. That’s all I have for now, but we’ll blow you one last kiss, goodbye!

Creative sessions, Headshots, Orange County Photography, Portrait Photography, Studio photo session

Look Better in Photos: Sure Fire Posing Tricks for Women

We all know those women who seem to look flawless in every photo. And I can’t tell you how many times I’ve heard “I wish I was photogenic like that.” You can be! I’m going to pull back the curtain today and share with you just a few of the posing tips I use with my female clients.

Ladies, get ready!

The two most important things to keep in mind before using these tricks are: you need to experiment a little bit at home first, in front of the mirror and work on trying to get comfortable practicing these different poses. A little practice goes a long way.

	Know Your Best Side. Most of us do not have perfectly symmetrical faces and we usually prefer one side over the other. If you don’t know which is your “good side,” take a few moments to look in the mirror. Look a little to the left, then to the right. Which side is your favorite? Need help deciding? Try taking a selfie, just remember to do it with your front facing camera, or you will have a flipped mirror image of your face.
	Barbie Arm. If your girlfriends haven’t let you in on this trick it just might change your photo world. ;) To avoid your arms looking larger than life (an oh-so-common complaint), hold your hand on your hip and bend your elbow slightly toward the back. This creates a nice slimming effect which utilizes the white space between your body and arm.
	Mind Your Assets. Push your assets to the back (ladies, that means booty and hips). The other leg (the one closest to the camera) should be slightly bent. You do this by putting your weight on the foot that is farthest from the camera and push your front hip away from the camera. This causes you to lean a little towards the camera so the eyes are the closest thing to the lens! It always looks lovely.
	Lean In. If you lean forward a little bit (not too much), with shoulders back, it can define the chin, elongate the neck, highlight the eyes, and allows your hair to fall forward over your shoulders, creating a stunning feminine look.
	Wait for it. To get a more authentic, natural smile, wait until just before snapping the picture. Holding a smile fatigues your facial muscles, so take breaks between shots. Even better, when it’s time to smile, if you can think of a favorite thing, something that naturally makes you happy, hold that thought while you show your pearly whites.
	Hair. Try different hair styles ahead of time to determine which look best on you–the ones that really compliment your face and body: hair down, behind one shoulder, all forward, swept up, whichever it is play up your best look, by posing not only your face and body, but your hair as well.