Hello! My name is Thi Weichers and I’m excited to discuss my approach to styled photography with you all! My daughter is my greatest muse and the sole reason why I picked up a camera six years ago. After she was born, I wanted to have professional pictures taken of her every month, but I quickly realized I couldn’t afford it. For Christmas, I asked my hubby for a camera and I got my very first DSLR-a Canon 50D. I saved up for a 50mm 1.4 lens and started practicing almost every day.

I shot in auto for about a year and then forced myself to shoot in manual after many hours of Youtube videos and scrolling through Pinterest. I am completely self-taught, and now I shoot with a Canon 5D Mark III. My favorite lenses for outdoors are the 135mm and 85 mm. I love the 50mm and 35mm for indoors or studio photography. I prefer natural light and one of my favorite things to do is scouting for locations. I’m so lucky to live in Utah where we have beautiful mountains, which make a perfect backdrop for most of my images.

Having a little girl has been so fun because I love getting my daughter dressed up in fancy dresses and styling her for photo shoots. Needless to say, I’ve gone broke due to my obsession with collecting dresses. Here are a few things I consider when styling a shoot!

Find a scenic location.

During springtime, I usually look for a beautiful rose garden, apple orchard, or flower field.. Unfortunately, you may not always be so lucky to find these locations, so consider shooting next to a small flower bush. Have your subject in a sitting position rather than standing and you would be amazed at what a little Photoshop magic can do. I’ve also been known to knock on a stranger’s door and ask permission to shoot in their yard.

Select your favorite outfit.

If you have a girl, you know that the options are endless, which can be overwhelming at times. My daughter has more clothes than I do, and she’s only eight years old! Some of my favorite brands are Dollcake Vintage, tutudumonde, and Joyfolie.

Accessorize.

I always try to accessorize with flower crowns, bows, hats, scarves, jackets, and occasionally, props. Include your pet as a prop. Your kids will love photographing with their dog, cat, or bunny. It allows them to act more natural in front of the camera. While they are playing with their pet, you will capture some amazing shots.

Fun Props.

I will often take pictures of my daughter eating ice cream, watermelon, or cotton candy, wearing a cute dress or bathing suit, of course.

Overlays.

Using overlays is a fun way to add a whimsical feel to your images. I love adding bokeh, butterflies, dust, rainbow, and sun flare overlays to most of my images. They are very easy to apply and help take an ordinary image to EXTRAORDINARY.

The last thing I take into account when styling a photo shoot is LIGHTING! You can have the most beautiful location and the perfect outfit, but if the lighting is poor, you will be sadly disappointed. I prefer side lighting over back lighting during the golden hour because the sun can be very harsh. My favorite time to shoot is immediately after the sun goes below the horizon. There’s still a magical glow, but it’s much more subdued. And don’t forget to have fun! Little ones can be challenging because they don’t always want to cooperate, but in the end, if they had fun, it was all worth it!