What to Wear to Your Family Photo Session
I get asked about this all the time, so I decided to create a resource with some of my favorite examples from my own clients! Here’s my best advice on how to style your family for your photo session:
1. You want to look timeless, not twinning.
Matching outfits are not illegal, but I would love a word with the white-polo-and-khakis family beach photo era. It served its purpose. We thank it for its service and release it back to 2002.
However, pictures are more aesthetically pleasing and allow everyone’s personalities to shine through if you coordinate your outfits, not clone them. Think about colors that sit near each other on the color wheel for a soft, blended look, or colors that complement each other for a little more contrast—like peach paired with mint green, sage, dusty blue, or teal.
2. Think about where the photos will be displayed.
Here’s an idea a lot of people don’t think about: You want your family photos to look great in whatever space they’ll be displayed in. If you’re going to put them up in your modern living room full of neutrals, you probably don’t want everyone wearing hot pink.
I personally ran into this issue with pictures of my newborn daughter. When I went to choose which pictures to print on canvases for a gallery wall, I realized she was wearing pink or green and yellow (Go Pack Go!) in many of the photos. And my living room is very white, grey, and calm. I ended up re-shooting photos of her that wouldn’t disrupt the vibe and color scheme I’d already established.
So think about which rooms you plan to put them in and use that to help inform your color choices. If your plans or paint color change, I can always get you black and white options—which goes with everything!
3. One pattern for every two solids.
I love it when families break up solid colors with tasteful patterns. If you do, I recommend having one person wearing a pattern for every two people wearing solid colors. It’s not an exact formula, but the best-looking photos seem to have that type of mix. And remember, you can always mix and match solid colors on one person using layers: A vest, a scarf, a jacket, etc.
4. Consider your comfort.
The most important thing, of course, is that you feel confident in what you’re wearing. For some people, posing for family photos is out of the ordinary and uncomfortable enough, so try to avoid clothes that you don’t feel good in.
Be sure to think about:
Outfits that will keep you too hot or cold
Hairstyles on a windy day
Footwear, especially for outdoor shoots after the rain
I hope this helps, and I can’t wait to see you at our photo session!