Love the simple, rustic feel of these photos from Annie McElwain of Raya Carlisle and her beautiful family.

As a photographer herself, Raya knows a little bit about what makes a nice shoot. Here’s how her inspiration came about and a few tips on making your shoot nice too:

During a normal Target run I happened upon the peach & gold polka dot tulle skirt for Genevieve. I may have texted Annie a picture from the store saying “I guess we need to take some family photos, because I just found this”. And so we did.

When we do family photos I like to have a common theme, but try not to be too matchy. I almost always start with one item (like the tutu) and then go from there. I was going for a combination of earthy tones, pinks and metallics. Our outfits were a combination of some things in our closets and a few new things too. We are a pretty casual family, but we like to be fancy too and I love pretty romantic clothes in such a gorgeous green natural setting.

Beautiful work, Annie! And beautiful family, Raya.

Family fashion:
Forest – Sweater: H&M, Denim: Levi’s, Shoes: Vale
Raya – Top: Forever21, Skirt: Ann Taylor, Shoes: Nine West, Necklaces: J.Crew & Ann Taylor
Baker – Top: American Apparel, Pants: H&M, Shoes: Converse
Genevieve – Top: Old Navy, Skirt: Target, Shoes: Old Navy
Kid’s hats: H&M

All photos by Annie McElwain.