Family portraits made easy with jcpenney Portrait Studio

When my daughter was a baby, it was decided that we needed to have as many photos of her as possible. Like many parents, we took the traditional photos – newborn, 3, 6, 9 and 12 months. After she turned 1, the professional photos were less frequent, but equally as important. The one thing, however, that we haven’t done enough is to take family portraits.

We have family portraits when she was 6 months, and when she was 2 1/2 and 3. In between there, nothing. Just solo shots of her. That’s all good and fine, but there’s something to be said for portraits with everyone together. When she was a little bit younger, it was almost impossible to get her to smile for a professional photo shoot. Coordinating her smile and us looking at a camera and looking presentable was next to impossible. I just gave up, and felt like it would be a waste of money. But jcpenney Portrait Studio makes it easy, with their coupons and low everyday prices on sheets of photos. They even have special monthly offers. The April promotion is for $20 for 6 traditional portrait sheets (mix and match size and images) as well as one free $9 sitting fee. That’s close to unheard of. I won’t tell you what I paid for my daughter’s school photo sheets last week… I wish I had that kind of deal.

jcpenney Portrait Studio also makes it easy to take family portraits. Just looking through their website, it’s super easy to gather inspiration for how you’d like your family photos to look. I prefer something more simple, with a solid background and simple, coordinated colors worn by my family. I don’t like photos that are too busy, or where someone doesn’t stand out enough or stands out too much. jcpenney Portrait Studios has the following recommendations:

Dress for Portrait Success

• Keep clothing simple. Try to choose solid colors for your portraits. Avoid large, bold patterns such as plaids and stripes. Remember, bright colors also draw attention away from your face.
• Avoid short sleeves and tank tops. Long sleeves will draw attention away from your arms and helps bring the focus back to your face.
• jcpportraits’ photographers may suggest a full-length pose. Make sure you coordinate portrait clothing from head to toe.
• Darker clothing slims. Choose shades of black, brown, blue, dark green and other jewel-toned colors. Light tones tend to emphasize body size.
• Scoops or v-necks flatter shorter necks and full faces. Turtlenecks or high-necked garments flatter longer necks and slender faces.
• Keep clothing consistent. Dress everyone in the same style. Don’t mix casual and formal clothing in portraits.

Coordinate Colors

• Wear light on white. Light pastel or white clothing looks best against a light-colored or white portrait background.
• Wear dark on dark. Dark clothing looks best against darker backgrounds and creates a more formal mood in portraits.
• Don’t mix light and dark colors in portraits. Show your style in small accents. Save stronger colors and patterns for accessories like scarves and neckties.

Interestingly, even before I read their tips, the same ideas came to mind when I was creating a Pinterst board of family portrait inspiration!

If these offers and the photos on the jcpenney portrait studio website have inspired you to get some family portraits done, just check out their “location finder” link on the website to find a studio near you! I’ll be sure to share our family photos as soon as we have them done!
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.