Ahh, Spring is in the air, trees are budding, flowers are grow­ing, and yes, our grass is turn­ing green. There could not be a better time to capture beautiful and memorable family images before the bugs, and the pests of all pests, the green heads of our beloved Jersey Shore are around and upon us.

Often people want to wait until the sun bronzes their skin before planning their family por­trait. As wonderful as this may sound, it can be a photographer’s nightmare. Photographers can spend countless hours covering up tan lines, removing sunburn blisters, etc. Honestly, too often family groupings can begin to look disjointed when some members are reddened by the sun, while others are bronzed yet others, no matter how hard they try, looking like their skin has never been kissed by a single ray of our glori­ous South Jersey sunshine.

I would strongly advise if your family fits this description that you make every attempt to plan that beautiful family portrait NOW! Another important factor, choosing the correct color and clothing scheme, can create a world of differ­ence for that beach portrait of a lifetime.

Choosing the correct colors for you and your family can truly enhance the beauty of your skin tones. I take great care in educating my clients on this subject matter. You may love the white crispy shirt look, but if white does not love you back, all the Photoshop enhancements avail­able to man will not make the difference. Choosing the best color scheme right from the start survives time and the constant cultural change of fashion fads. I often tell Moms and Senior Portrait Kids, choose colors that are “ timeless”. I can guaran­tee you that if you love burnt orange and lime green this year, you will most definitely despise that color combo in five years! We all can iden­tify this in past images. Sticking with neutral colors is not only timeless, but will not distract from the main subject, YOU! Always remember it is your expres­sion, not your clothing, that you want to first notice in any image.

Get a jumpstart on your por­traits for the summer before you jump into the fresh crisp ocean or have the green heads jump on your fresh Spring skin.