Family Portraits

[Sheltie_Momma]

So we are having ours done on Saturday. It is at a casual place - the type where you sit on the floor with your kids with a solid black or white background type poses. We are all wearing red shirts.

So I have mid back dark brown hair with no bangs. This is my first portrait since swearing off heat styling and I'm at a loss. Do I do a half up? Down and fluffy? Down and curly at the ends? (I could put it on plastic rollers while damp and sit under my bonnet hair dryer - that's about the most "heat" styling I'm willing to do.) I think trying to get it straight will not work - it is meant to pour rain this weekend and will be helplessly humid. Any thoughts or suggestions?

Do I swing part of it over my shoulder or leave it all down my back? I'm probably making this more complicated than it needs to be....

[Rohele]

If it were me, I would probably leave some of it hanging down (half up or fully down, not in an updo). The rollers sound like they would be pretty, but make sure you do a test run if you haven't tried them out yet. I think down and fluffy (depending on just how fluffy your hair gets) would look quite fluffy in a photograph (not sure how much retouching they will do for you, if it looks really fuzzy) Good luck with the photos!

[Topaz]

Since you say it's a casual photo, I would say wear it in whatever casual style you like the best. Of course you have to keep the humidity in mind, but wear it the way that you feel prettiest.

However you choose to wear it, I would definitely pull some forward over your shoulder. Show off your beautiful length!

I hope that helps a little. Whatever style you choose, I know it will be a fabulous picture! :)

[halo_tightens]

Maybe take a look at some examples of other people's family portraits, and see what appeals to you most! I'm sure there are lost of random examples online, and you could see what other folks have done with their hair for their pics. You might find that certain ones stand out for you as more attractive and appropriate for the occasion.

Just a thought!

[viking_quest]

If you're going for the rollers make sure you test drive them. I used them for school pictures and found out after trial and error that only rolling the last 10 inches of my hair (instead of all of my hair) came out not only looking better but easier to handle. And I do suggest hairspray if you still have some. There's nothing worse than trying to make your hair look good and then when it comes to picture time have your hair look like crap because it fell out or something.

[Sheltie_Momma]

Ooh thanks for the good replies everyone.
Rohele I think you are right, I think fluffy would probably be too fluffy - like the kids would get lost in the frizz, LOL.
Topaz, thanks for the encouragement, I just want it to be a nice phot, we don't go that often.
Halo - that is good idea, I'll see what I can find.
Lady Delgado - I like the idea of just rolling the ends, maybe do I high pony tail and then roller the rest?

[JamieLeigh]

We had a family portrait done in August and I wore my hair down. I reallllllly wanted to wear it up with some awesome green sticks I have that would have matched my outfit perfectly.....but it was my mom-in-law's request, and she was the one who asked us to sit for the photo and paid for it. So I humored her and just wore it down, pulled forward over my shoulder so she could see it. :p Nice to have supportive relatives!

I also let my DD8 wear her hair down and over her shoulder in the same manner as mine. Hers is nearly waist. :)

[Sheltie_Momma]

We had a family portrait done in August and I wore my hair down. I reallllllly wanted to wear it up with some awesome green sticks I have that would have matched my outfit perfectly.....but it was my mom-in-law's request, and she was the one who asked us to sit for the photo and paid for it. So I humored her and just wore it down, pulled forward over my shoulder so she could see it. :p Nice to have supportive relatives!

I also let my DD8 wear her hair down and over her shoulder in the same manner as mine. Hers is nearly waist. :)
I bet the picture came out really nice with both of your hair down like that!

[Amara]

Definitely pull some over the shoulder. It's casual and feminine and pretty, and that way you can use it as a length shot too! LOL

[Yayasmurf]

Definitely pull some over the shoulder. It's casual and feminine and pretty, and that way you can use it as a length shot too! LOL

I vote with Amara... definitely over the shoulder. Let your hair light shine! :D

[heatherdazy]

How do you usually wear your hair? Better to look like yourself, I think!

[Sheltie_Momma]

I just wanted to follow up on this thread with the pictures to share how the family protraits came out, in case anyone wanted to see. They are up in my hair album. Thank you for the suggestions, I was pretty pleased with how my hair came out - considering Houston has like 95% humidity right now!

[GoddesJourney]

I bet your hair would look amazing down and fluffy with curles at the ends. TorrinPaige had a tutorial like that at some point where she braided her hair in six braids and wrapped the ends in something like mouse and perm paper overnight so they would be more curly then the rest of the hair. It's really beautiful.

[Sheltie_Momma]

I bet your hair would look amazing down and fluffy with curles at the ends. TorrinPaige had a tutorial like that at some point where she braided her hair in six braids and wrapped the ends in something like mouse and perm paper overnight so they would be more curly then the rest of the hair. It's really beautiful.

Ooh, I bet that is a nice style. I bunned my hair wet into a braided bun last night, so I sort of have that look going on today, but I never know what to do with the broomsticky ends. I need to look up this tutorial....

[Pumpkin]

Your portraits look great!! I am glad you wore your hair down, it is beautiful, and you look beautiful. :)