What should I wear for my Photo Session?
One thing I’ve always loved about art and color are how they can control the vibe of a room and the same goes for wardrobe, the right wardrobe can make all the difference in the overall feel and vibe of an image. I designed this post to help my clients choose and coordinate everyone’s outfits, so you can head into your session looking and feeling your best. So If you want to take your family photos to the next level, then keep on reading!
To start, the most important tip that I can give you is DO NOT match! Every family member is unique and has their own personality and they should dress to reflect just that (we want everyone feeling confident in their clothes) but the second reason to avoid matching is that when the whole family matches, everyone tends to blend together and you end up looking like one giant blob with multiple heads/legs (I call this the Zebra Effect).
The key to picking those "Pinterest" perfect outfits is to choose different colors that compliment each other. Complimentary means a variety of colors, textures, patterns, and tones that all work together nicely. On this page you will find some fun Fall inspired Color Palettes and outfit inspiration I’ve put together to give you an idea of what I mean when I talk about Color Coordination.
Here are some tips on picking the perfect outfits for your session!
1. I suggest picking a color scheme of around 4 colors and go from there. Start with one outfit, for example mom’s, and build everyone else’s outfits off of hers.
2. Avoid graphic tees and logos that stand out.
3. Dress your little ones in clothes that fit them perfectly right now (not with room to grow), avoid any writing (as cute as it may be) and be sure that if they'll be wearing a headband or hat that you have tried it on before and they are familiar (or at least comfortable) with having it on.
4. Shoes are a very important part of your wardrobe. If you have the cutest little pants and a button down for your son to wear for pictures, but then slap on his favorite pair of Disney tennis shoes, it will throw off the whole look of the photo. Avoid character shoes, flip-flops, and crocs.
5. Please try to remember to remove hair ties & smart watches from wrists and take any chunky items out of your pockets. “WOW, THEY THICC” - looking at you with the keys, wallet and phone all jammed into one back pocket.
7. Iron and lay out your clothes the day before, so you are not rushing the day of your session.
What Colors Should We Wear?
For colors, I recommend sticking with neutral and earthy tones. Neutral doesn’t just mean Tans, creams, and browns. There are neutrals in every color (mustard yellow, Olive green, navy blue, burnt orange—think earthy tones). Avoid bright, fluorescent colors, especially bright pink, orange, and red. These Bright Colors tend to reflect light causing the highlights and skin tones to mirror that color a tad too much and no one wants to look like an Ommpa Loompa in their family photos.
I have a Floral Dress will that look okay?
For patterns, just avoid big, loud, chunky, and busy patterns. The smaller and subtler, the better! If the pattern is too loud, it becomes distracting. Also try to avoid pairing too many patterns together, because it can make the photo feel hectic and distract from the subjects and location.
Well, there you have it! Those were all my key tips on how to Mix & Match everyone’s outfits for your next family or couples photo session. I hope these tips helped to give you a better idea of how to plan your outfits and help me get you the amazing photos you dream of! If you have any tips, please shoot me a message. I’d love to hear what has worked for you!
