Happy Friday y’all!

Over the past couple of weeks I’ve shared my top tips on what to wear for Senior girls and Senior guys, but today I’m sharing tips on how to outfit your family for portraits.

Many of the tips will be the same or very similar, but when you’re trying to coordinate for several people it can feel overwhelming sometimes.  It felt that way for me, and I do this for a living!  I shared a little about my experience coordinating my own family’s outfits earlier this week on the blog (you can read that HERE).

This is one of the questions I get asked frequently:

“What should we wear for our family pictures?”

So, let’s dive in!

What to Wear:  Perfect Outfit Planning for your Family Photo Session

1 - Where Do I Start?

I always suggest that the woman (especially mom if it’s a family session) choose an outfit she feels confident and beautiful in. Then, plan the color palette and everyone else’s outfits from there.

Or if you have particularly cute and coordinating outfits for your kids, parents can effortlessly pull colors from those pieces and coordinate with solids, layers and textures.

If you have a fun patterned outfit you would like to use, limit it to one person. That way they will pop and still coordinate with everyone else.  Multiple patterns can look busy, and this way they won’t be competing with each other. In Beth and Brian’s case, her summer dress has plenty of solid white to break up the beautiful floral design, so pairing this with his plaid button down shirt looked amazing.

It’s a classic case of “know the rules, and know when to break them”. Their outfits were on point and spot on.

If you’re having trouble choosing, lay out each option at a time and take a photo of everything together. That way you can decide between the photos and get a second opinion from your friends!  I did this myself and got great feedback from friends via Facebook.

2 - Rule of Thumb:

The main rule that you want to keep in mind as you begin to plan your outfits is this:

COMPLEMENT AND COORDINATE BUT DON’T GET TOO MATCHY

It’s as simple as that! Gone are the days of putting everyone in black t-shirts and jeans. How will people’s styles and personalities show through that way?

Instead, find a color palette that you love, and choose outfits that compliment each other without looking too matchy-matchy.  Everyone will have a unique look without clashing in the photos. You can choose to do neutrals with a few pops of color or a softer palette that has different ranges in tone of the same shades.

That doesn’t mean you have to avoid black altogether though. I love how this family utilized black as their neutral with well curated pops of red. This was absolutely stunning in the fall leaves.

3 - Where in your home do you plan to hang your portraits?

As you are deciding on colors for your outfits, consider where these photos will be hung.  Will you display a large canvas over your couch in the living room with gray walls and blue accents?  Consider mixing various tones of blues with a pop of yellow to tie in to your home’s décor. 

Does your great room have an accent wall?  Utilize that color in your selections to really make a statement in your home.

This family (Mauro’s) has a beautiful navy accent wall in their home, and selected a color palette of navy with some white and lighter blues to pull everything together beautifully.  In this photo of their home the accent wall is behind me so unfortunately you can’t see it here, but their portrait is truly an art piece in their home.

4 - Accessories, Layers and Textures

Don’t be afraid to layer your clothing as this can add dimension to your clothing. This can be a belt, scarf, cardigan, vest, hat, etc.

Accessories can pull together an outfit and make it look complete. Plus by switching up accessories and layers, you can get multiple looks without having to do complete outfit changes. They can also be something fun for the person to interact with in the photos.

Add dimension and interest by mixing up the texture of the clothing material and accents. This is especially important for black and white images to give interest to the eye. 

 Keep accessories on babies and toddlers to a minimum as it can overwhelm them in the photo. 

5 - General do’s and don’ts

DO: Arrange your outfits ahead of time. Lay them out on a big bed, including accessories. 

DO: Make sure all clothes are clean, pressed, and ready to go on hangers a few days before your session.  Ironing via Photoshop isn’t always easy and generally will incur an extra fee.

DO: Be aware of any tan lines and how those will look in your outfits.

DON’T: Put everyone in all black or all white shirts.

DON’T: Wear super tiny patterns, neon colors (they leave a color cast on your skin….think alien green), tube socks, or overly formal clothes (but don’t be afraid to dress up a little either!).

DON’T: Get a spray tan.  They can appear more orange in camera.

6- Hair & Make Up

Ladies - Use this as an opportunity to pamper yourself by getting your hair styled and makeup done before the session.  Makeup should be natural but slightly heavier than normal.  Any waxing should be done 3-5 days before your session.

Men - Don’t get your hair cut the day before a session. Instead plan to have it done a week before.  Don’t have a hot shave done the day of your session if you’ve never done it before.  It can cause skin redness and irritation.

With these tips you’ll be all set for your family photo session in no time!

Fall color is expected to peak here in Central Iowa in mid-October. Leaves are already starting to change in some areas, so if you want to get an updated family session done with gorgeous fall color, there’s still time. Contact me today for a no-obligation consultation.