When making the decision to schedule a sitting there are several things to keep in mind. For some families, time constraints and logistics make the time of year for their sitting secondary. The most important thing is having your family together. Whatever the season you will always end up with a one of a kind beautiful family portrait for your home.

Top 5 Considerations

1. Deadlines

When will everyone in your family be together? When do the children go off to college or back to school? When do you want to send out holiday cards? Is the portrait a gift and when does it need to be ready for an anniversary, a birthday or a special occasion?

2. Location

Do you have a special location in mind for your portrait? What time of year is that location most picturesque? Since we often photograph at our clients homes, think about the landscaping and what time of year you love the most. Spring, Summer, Fall? We also have over an acre of beautifully landscaped gardens at our Lindbergh Studio which provide a great backdrop.

3. Family Schedules

This is the hard one because everyone is super busy. To have a beautiful family portrait for your home you have to choose to find the time. Is there a time of year when your kids are not playing a sport or the sport is less demanding? Is there a time of year where you travel less for business? We also find that planning in advance for the sitting and getting it on everyone's calendar early works best. And, the sitting takes less than one hour which is not a huge time commitment.

4. Weather

The spring and summer months have beautiful flowers and foliage and the sun sets later allowing us to schedule appointments later in the evening. Rain and heat can be an issue during the summer, however, we plan accordingly. Fall is a beautiful time of year in Missouri with the autumn colors. During the fall the mornings can be a little crisp and we schedule sittings earlier in the day before the sun sets. We only have a window of about 3 weeks for peak fall colors so you will need to plan ahead for fall.

5. Clothing Preferences

What is your favorite type of clothing to wear? Do you prefer summer sundresses, shorts, sandals, white jeans and pretty summer colors? Pinks, purples, blues, white/cream, coral, and mint green are great spring and summer colors for portraits. You can wear pastels or bright vibrant colors. Do you prefer jeans, boots, long sleeves, sweaters, jackets and darker jewel tones? Navy, grey, brown, red, cranberry, emerald green, burgundy and deep purple are great colors to include in your clothing for fall.

Spring/Summer Clothing

Colors: Pinks, purples, blues, white/cream, yellows, coral, mint green, etc.

Color Palette: Pastels or bright vibrant colors

Clothing: Sun dresses, skirts, shorts, sandals, summery tops

Download our Spring/Summer clothing guide

Fall Clothing

Colors: Navy, grey, brown, beige, burgundy, cranberry, emerald green, sapphire blue, red, black (Avoid white)

Color Palettes: Jewel tones and deep rich colors

Clothing: Jeans, sweaters, cardigans, sweater dresses, long sleeves, jackets, boots

Download our Fall clothing guide

NO MATTER WHAT TIME OF YEAR YOU CHOOSE FOR YOUR FAMILY PORTRAIT, ONE THING REMAINS THE SAME:

THERE IS NO TIME LIKE THE PRESENT

At Strauss Peyton we have created a unique process to create a one of a kind family portrait for your home. Everything we do is done with purpose and intention. From the initial consultation to the final delivery every detail is decided upon with the end result in mind. If that sounds overwhelming, don’t worry, we will help you every step of the way.

At our initial design consultation we will discuss everything from the style of portrait you envision for your family to the clothing and location that will be best for you. Each family is different and no portrait sitting is the same. We are experts in telling YOUR family’s story.

To find the perfect place to display your family portrait, we will come to your home to project the images in the proper size for the location of your choosing. This gives you the assurance and confidence that you have made the right decision.

We guarantee you’ve never had a portrait experience like this before.

At Strauss Peyton we know that every stage in a family's life is important to telling their story. And, each stage has special meaning. Photographing your family at least every 5 years is necessary to capture the moments and milestones that you'll always want to remember. Children grow up so fast and even though the days seem long the years are short. The portraits you have that capture your family's special moments at every stage will be forever cherished.

We heard TODAY from a parent - "my youngest child is so upset that they aren't in the family portrait and they want to know when we are getting a new one." Children who grow up in homes with family portraits on display have greater self-esteem and a better sense of belonging. They know that they are important and loved.

A family portrait is the best way to teach your children about the importance of family, of time spent together and of fostering relationships.

Show your children you love them in a way they can visualize every single day.

Behind the Name Strauss Peyton

Strauss Peyton is one of the oldest photographic portrait studios in the country.

The studio originated as a St. Louis studio known as Strauss Studio. The major portrait photographer in St. Louis from 1880 until 1920 was J.C. Strauss. His custom designed studio-gallery was on Franklin Street in downtown St. Louis. J.C. Strauss' younger brother Benjamin Strauss, worked for him at an early age learning the photography business. In 1900 Benjamin Strauss moved to Kansas City, Missouri to start his own studio and hired an employee named Homer Peyton. Homer Peyton was so well liked and important to the Kansas City studio that Benjamin made him a partner and changed the name to Strauss Peyton.

Over the next several years Strauss and Peyton famously photographed and hobnobbed with the likes of Al Jolson, Franklin D. Roosevelt, Douglas MacAurthur, and Bette Davis to name a few. In 1911, J.C. Strauss' son Louis Strauss began working in the St. Louis Studio and took over for his father in 1924. As the Great Depression took its toll on several businesses in the St. Louis area, the Strauss Studio was also affected. By 1940 the Strauss Studio in St. Louis had closed and in Kansas City, Benjamin Strauss and Homer Peyton had also parted ways and sold their Strauss Peyton studio.

The Strauss Peyton studio in Kansas City is still open today and has continued to be a major contributor in the Portrait Photography world. This is where the current owner of Strauss Peyton St. Louis, Colin Miller, began his photography career. After working at the Kansas City studio and learning the history and tradition of this great company, Colin had no choice but to bring it back to its origin. He reopened the St. Louis studio in 1990 in Clayton, Missouri and brought back the tradition of exceptional portraiture to St. Louisans. Strauss Peyton, St. Louis, is the premier portrait studio in the area with Colin Miller at the helm. Visit our gallery on Lindbergh Boulevard (you'll recognize the home with the red door), and see what the Strauss Peyton Experience is all about.

About the Artist: Colin Miller

At the age of 10 Colin picked up his first camera and instantly fell in love with the art of photography. When he watched his first image come to life in the photographic developer tray he knew that this would be his life's purpose. He was always surrounded by people with creative passions which drove him to better his own practice. Colin was originally inspired by his father who transformed their kitchen into a darkroom, as well as legends like Ansel Adams, Yousuf Karsh, and John Singer Sargent to name a few. After years of honing his artistic ability as a photographer he completed his Master of Photography Degree with The Professional Photographers of America in 1992.

It was in 1990 that Colin and Bobbi reopened Strauss Peyton in St. Louis, Missouri. The photographic studio started by Benjamin Strauss and Homer Peyton carried over 100 years of history and a reputation of excellence in fine portraiture. Colin wished to continue the tradition. After a visit to New York in 1993 to see Graham Nash, Colin was inspired by his use of a large format printer to create Giclée Prints. He knew he could incorporate this creative style into his own work. This inspiration led to the creation of the Mixed Media Masterworks process that combines two artistic mediums; photography and paint. Colin was one of the first to create this style of photography and has been creating these artistically embellished portraits for over 25 years.

Colin's eagerness to create photographic art has led him to become a nationally recognized portrait artist. His skills and mastery are identifiable in each piece. Colin's most distinguishable skill is his ability to put people at ease which allows him to capture natural expressions giving each portrait its realistic touch.

A Strauss Peyton Portrait by Colin Miller is a one of a kind masterpiece uniquely designed and handcrafted for your home.

1. Someone always has to be the photographer-

How often do you get back from a family vacation or outing just to realize that you don’t have a single picture of the whole family? This probably happens pretty frequently. You’ll have plenty of images of the kids together or your spouse with them but none of your entire family. When you do remember to take a picture of the whole family you will have to ask a kind stranger and hope that this person can take a decent picture. Using a professional photographer, like Strauss Peyton assures you that you will get an image of the whole family where everyone feels comfortable and relaxed. We have mastered the skill of photographing families.

2. iPhone photos stay on your phone-

How often do you print an image from your cell phone to hang in the house? If you are like most people the answer is rarely or probably never. Our cell phones are full of thousands of images of our families. Unfortunately they usually stay there until we run out of space and have to decide whether or not to keep them. At Strauss Peyton we are dedicated to creating a special portrait of your family that you will see every single day. Your family’s portrait should be showcased in your home not locked away on your phone.

3. Planning makes all the difference-

Chances are most snapshots you take with your family are not planned out and the clothing and lighting may not be the best. When you take the time to actually plan a portrait session you will see it makes all the difference. When we create a portrait for you we help you plan everything from the location and time of day, to the clothing that photographs best. We have tips and clothing guides for you to use to make the planning process super easy. Click HERE to download our clothing guide.

4. A real camera is still the best-

We can all admit that Apple has made huge improvements to its camera since the first iPhone was created. They like to market their newest camera as a portrait camera. For everyday use Apple has created something great to snap photos of the kids in the spur of the moment and save those memories quickly. However, when creating a special portrait of your family you will want someone with a professional camera and photographic training. The portraits we create at Strauss Peyton are not just about the camera. It is about the experience of creating a portrait that showcases your family and your relationships.

5. iPhones are not indestructible-

iPhones can be easily damaged. A camera is not indestructible either. However, as a professional photography studio we immediately backup all the images we create and they are never stored on the camera. Most iPhone pictures are stored on your phone alone where they can be easily lost forever. Life happens.

The iPhone camera is wonderful. It’s awesome to be able to capture a memory at a moment’s notice. We encourage everyone to take lots of pictures of their family and capture the special memories you are making together. But, when it comes time to capture an important moment in your life that you want to remember forever we hope you choose Strauss Peyton to help guide you through the process.