What to wear to your family photo session?

When preparing with families for their photo shoot the question “What will we wear for the photo shoot?!” seems to be the single biggest headache. But worry no more, I am here to help. Together we got this! Let’s choose the perfect outfits together and make your pictures look cohesive and awesome.

Work with what you got

You do NOT need to go out and buy completely new outfits for the whole family. In my experience your closet is a treasure chest and we just need to find the perfect match. 

Comfort first

While we want everyone in the family to look their very best, comfort is our main goal. How could you be able to look happy and relaxed in the picture if your clothing is uncomfortable, stiff and restraining? I am not suggesting sweatpants for the pictures but if you love to wear jeans don’t look any further. Jeans are comfortable and usually something every family member has in their closet. And believe it or not they photograph well.

Consider your location

Take in consideration where we are going to shoot the pictures? Candid family pictures out in the middle of nature will have a different feel than pictures taken in vibrant downtown. Good rule of thumb, go casual for nature and a little more dressed up for city life. 

Choose your pallet

Choose 3 to 4 colors for your pallet. Make these colors the same tones, such as neutrals, earth tones or maybe all blue tones or pastels. It will allow everyone in the family to coordinate and yet every family member can still express their own style within the color pallet.

Choose neutral colors

Not sure what color to choose? Try wearing any combination of cream, grey, and tan. You will see these colors work with nearly every setting. It is pretty hard to mess-up this monochromatic look and it will be a look that you’ll love. Creams, grays and tans are timeless and are sure to bring the focus back to the people in the photos. 

Add a pop of color

Don’t be afraid of color either. Use it sparingly and you will love the pop and cheerfulness it adds to your pictures. We said choose 3 to 4 colors for your pallet? Make 1 or 2 of these happy colors and combine them with 2 neutral such as white/cream, grey or tan.

Sometimes choosing a statement piece first, helps to choose the happy colors. Got a floral print dress for mom that is gorgeous? Choose a color from that dress and have one child wear a pop of that color.

Mix solids and patterns

To give visual interest to your family portrait mix patterns and solids. When picking patterns, choose smaller ones that won’t pull attention away from the main subjects. Vary the sizes of the patterns. If dad wears large stripes, use a small subtle print on one of the kids shirts, and mom could wear little embroidered detail. Keep patterns to a minimum. Consider playing with textures instead. Choose different textures such as lace, corduroy, denim, and knits that will give photos some interest.

Don’t match coordinate

here is a difference between matching and coordinating. Not every family member needs to be wearing exactly the same thing. The times of white shirts and jeans on every family member are long gone. Each and everyone of you has their own personality and deserves to let it shine. 

Setting our color pallet and color pop ensures you coordinate.  And layering can make a huge difference in tying in all the colors. 

Don’t forget about the shoes

So we spent the time to carefully choose a color palette. We coordinated everyone’s outfit without being too matchy-matchy and ensured the solids and patterns went together.  We took our location in consideration. Sounds like we covered it all! Are we forgetting anything? Yes we are! Unless you like being barefoot, be sure to keep your footwear in mind. Nothing will throw your look off more than an uncoordinated pair of shoes.

The one thing you definitely do NOT want to do

I ask that you do not wear any graphic tees or clothing with large logos and words as they draw the eye away from the main focus of the picture which is YOU and your beautiful family.

Pinterest board

Last but not least I like to create what I call a mood board on Pinterest. It usually contains pictures of the location, poses we might like to try and of course suggestion on clothing whether it be color palettes, textures or styles. It is a board I will invite you to as a collaborator so we can all pin items. It allows us to get a feel for the session and narrow down the look we are shooting for.

With this guide dressing for you family photo shoot will be a breeze. Let me know what you think and if this is helpful to you.