It’s that time again! Time to get your family photos taken! Some may be excited for this, others may just grin and bear it, but regardless of how you feel you’re probably undecided about what to wear for family photos. I offer my clients help (if they want) when it comes to choosing the perfect outfit all the time! I have been photographing families for YEARS and have really started to notice what works well and what does not. This blog post is meant to be a resource to help you no matter who your photographer is! So, let’s go shopping! (not really but if you want to, let me know, because I’m always down for shopping)
If you’re asking yourself any of these questions you’ve come to the right place!
- What photographs well?
- How do I know everything goes together but isn’t too matchy?
- What if the colors look good in the house, but don’t go once we get outside?
- Will I look too casual?
- Will I look too dressy?
- How can I be comfortable AND cute?
Let me start by saying that what’s most important is that you feel confident in yourself. If you don’t like a blush pink or a light blue on yourself, wear something else. That is my golden rule when it comes to client’s clothes!
The truth of the matter is that MOST things that you choose to wear photograph well. However, I would avoid anything neon, or anything too dark. Basically, avoid the extremes. I would also consider where you’re having your picture taken when choosing colors; don’t wear green if you’re going to be in a grass field with trees, don’t wear a blue/teal if you’re going to be by the ocean, don’t wear gray if you’re going to be in the mountains. You don’t want to stand out with a neon color, but you also don’t want to blend in to the background!
When it comes to things going together but not being too matchy-matchy, I would stay in similar color families or color palettes, and not focus so much on getting the exact color of maroon for everyone to wear. Check out my Pinterest Board for help! Don’t be afraid of a floral or stripe pattern mixed with solid colors! Have fun with your clothes for your session.
It’s true that colors will look differently in your home than outside, you may want to consider this depending on what time of day your session is. Most of this time, this won’t be a major issue, but just double check that your pink doesn’t over power your mustard or sage colors. If you are concerned about something looking off, bring an extra top or dress, or even a nice jacket to break up any strange color combinations that may happen.
My motto is that you can’t be too dressed up for your photos, so I wouldn’t be concerned that you look too dressy, I would just make sure that everyone in the photos is on the same level of “dressiness” so that you and 2 kids look like you’re going to a Gala at the Met, but your husband and 1 kid look like they’re going to a BBQ. You definitely can be too casual though, so I would play it safe and get fancy!
There are so many options for being comfortable AND cute for your family photos. You can totally bring a practical pair of shoes and then your photo-ready ones! Bring a jacket in case it gets chilly, bring some water if you get thirsty, and HAVE FUN!
Don’t forget to download my Family Style Guide while you’re here too!
Here are some awesome places to shop when you don’t know what to wear for family photos!
Jessakae | Vici Dolls | Rothy’s | ThredUp | Target | Amazon
Stay sweet
-M
