We did a family photo shoot. Which might seem super normal to everyone else, but with a husband who hates photos, a son who pulls faces at the sight of a camera and me only happy with a picture when it’s a selfie I took and edited myself… It was never high up on our to-do-list.

So when Deone of Deona Grace Photography suggested a family photo shoot colab. I had to give it a lot of thought, but in the end I decided to throw caution into the wind and say cheese.

I felt a little nervous I won’t lie, I know I’ve gained weight. I mean I have a mirror and I wear my clothes and also just in case I don’t fully understand how my medication and insistence on eating food has changed my silhouette, people are super duper helpful and don’t shy away from telling me I’ve gained weight or tagging me on diets or sharing their weight loss stories with me (without me inquiring) for motivation or just telling me how good I used to look. Sooooo I was nervous that even though Deona was great, I was not giving her much to work with here. But quite frankly life is so short and preserving the here and now is insanely important, so what if my face is rounder than I’d like, I have so many reasons to smile. I ended up loving the pics.

Doane is really great (you guys know I’m a super hippie and only like to deal with people who give me a good feeling) and she even shared the following great styling tips to keep my nerves at bay…

Tips for sharing a family photo shoot

1. Pick ONE outfit you love:

Mom’s, you’re usually the ones making plans for family portraits, so before you even figure out what the kids and hubby are going to wear, pick an outfit you feel amazing in, and use that as your starting point.

2. Colour co-ordinate without matching:

Once you pick that one outfit (for example, an olive green dress), go with tones that compliment olive green. Navy, denim, fuchsia – these colors are complementary but don’t “match.” If everyone wears one color, it takes away from making the photo work. If you’re not sure, ask your photographer.

3. Dress for comfort:

Make sure you’re comfortable in what you’re wearing and it’s easy to move around. Usually photo sessions involve quite a bit of posing, sitting down and walking around somewhere outdoors.

4. Avoid too many patterns:

Try your best to avoid graphic t-shirts, or loads of intricate patterns. Patterns can be really beautiful but try and tone it down with a solid colour jacket or subtle accessories.

5. Make sure everyone feels confident!

It shows in your photos if you or one of your family members feels uncomfortable. Don’t put your teenage girl in bright pink a dress if she hates anything girly. At the end of the day, the most important thing is that everyone is comfortable, confident and able to fully show their true selves, those are the photos you will cherish forever!Check my Instagram and my Facebook pages to win a Uitenhage based family photo shoot of your very own