I LOVE photos. I have literally thousands &thousands of photos of Shane, doing everything from taking his first breath to eating dinner tonight {seriously}. That said, I’m seriously lacking in the professional photography area. I have only had Shane’s photos taken once, and it was when he was six months old- and he’s almost three. So, you could say we’re overdue.

I do actually plan on taking him in soon though, so I’ve been looking at some of my favorite pictures from his last photo shoot for some inspiration for our next portraits! Below are some of my favorite photos from that session, with my tips on getting your own great photos!

1. Use color: Whether it’s the color of your clothing, your accessories, or your background, don’t be afraid to use color! It can really make a picture beautiful. I wanted to use the blue tulle in this photo because it brought out Shane’s eyes, but it ended up even better as it gives a quality of softness that reminds me of him at that age.

2. Capture milestones: Milestones should be celebrated- and not just the big ones like birthdays. At this point in time, Shane had just really started being fascinated by his feet, and now I have that stage captured forever.

3. Accessorize: Accessories can make an outfit, and they can also make a photo! When kids are older, you can use accessories that reflect their personalities, but since Shane didn’t really have one at that point I used this Nebraska bib because Justin’s family is from there & they’re all big Huskers fans. So you can use accessories to make a statement about the person in the photo, or your family as a whole!

4. Don’t Forget the Little Things: Kids really do grow up too fast, and I am so glad that I thought to capture his little tiny toes before they turned into the smelly toddler feet they are today!

5. Don’t Stop Shooting: You never know when you’ll get the perfect expression! This one still makes me laugh every time I see it because it was one of the first times that he gave us this sarcastic expression {that he totally got from Justin}!

&While these may be tips I learned from taking infant photos, they can all be used for older kids & even portraits of the entire family!

If you’re as overdue for photos as I am, be sure to check out jcpportraits at jcpenney! When I was a kid, my parents always had my photos done at jcpenney because they were great with children {that’d be me} & always had lots of options for photos! &This month only, they have a great special going on: for $20, you can get 6 traditional photo sheets {&can mix and match sizes & images} as well as one free $9 sitting fee! You can learn more here but hurry as this offer expires April 30th!

To find a jcpportraits near you, check out their location finder on their website! &For more family portrait inspiration, check out my Pinterest board!

What are your family portrait tips?

Susie’s Note: I wrote this review while participating in a blog tour campaign by Mom Central Consulting on behalf of jcpenney Portrait Studio. I was asked to create a Pinterest Board and pin at least five (5) pins. I give jcpenney the right to repin any or all images/original content from this board. I received a promotional item as a thanks for my participation.