10 Tips for What to Wear to a Family Portrait Session

This is probably the BIGGEST question that photographer's receive from clients--it is a great question, and it is a huge part of making your photos, and your experience, fun and amazing! It can be pretty difficult to come up with a good wardrobe choice for family photography--it can be stressful, but it doesn't have to be!

The days of everyone wearing the same colours and style (white shirt, blue jeans for example) are long gone! These sessions are about capturing your families unique personalities, and we want your clothing to reflect that!

1. PLAN IT OUT. 

Think about the look and feel you want your portraits to convey. Do you want vintage, simple, or a more modern look? Do you want to be dressy or casual? I usually lean toward a more casual look, something comfortable but well fitting. Remember to take into consideration your families individual personalities when planning out the clothing for your session--think of who they are separately, and who you all are together. A good way to do this is to start with your outfit, and go from there. Take a moment to lay the outfits out as they will be worn, and snap some pictures! See what they look like, and if you can, send the snaps to your photographer and get their opinion. We are here to help you look your best and have fun during your session! 

2. PICK A COLOUR SCHEME. 

Instead of matching your clothes and colours, coordinate them. Colour Palettes or my favourite go to for coordinating colours--there are a lot of resources on the internet for colour palettes, and looking at your home may also be an inspiration. Remember to also take the location of your session in consideration when choosing your colour palette. My favourite website to get inspiration is design-seeds.com. They have a wonderful selection of pre-made palettes to help you out!

3. STEER CLEAR OF FLUORESCENT COLOURS.

These colours are very harsh and can cast colours on your hair and skin. They are also rather unflattering, and can draw away from you and your family to where people will just focus on the clothing. 

4. WEAR WHAT YOU FEEL GOOD IN!

This is for mum and dad, specifically! It will show in the pictures if you are uncomfortable in what you're wearing. You know what you love to wear, and what you are comfortable in! 

5. CLOTHES THAT FIT. 

Baggy clothes are unflattering. I know how difficult it is to buy clothes that fit properly, especially for kids! Keep in mind that a baggy polo shirt or a dress that is a size too big for kiddos won't photograph well and will look sloppy. Make the clothing looks almost tailored, for everyone in the session.

6. TEXTURES, LAYERS, AND PATTERNS.

Textures and layers add dimension to your photos. Boys could wear a plain tee under a cool plaid/checked shirt, and girls could wear a skirt and tights and a shirt. Adding sweaters and scarves, even a simple hair accessory, can also add a bit of lovely dimension! Limit busy and bold patterns, the simpler the better.

7. STAY AWAY FROM GRAPHICS.

In general, stay away from shirts that have bold graphics, brand names, and words. This can distract the photo from the true subject--you and your family! If you have any questions, always contact your photographer--if the kids want to wear their favourite Super Mario Bros. t-shirt or MLP dress, ask if there can be an outfit change just for them and a few photos taken at the end of your main session. 

8. MINIMAL WARDROBE FOR NEWBORN SESSIONS.

My newborn sessions are lifestyle sessions--done in your home, I am there to capture natural interactions between you and baby. Keep your clothing very simple and neutral (solid colours, preferably grey, black, or white--if you want colour, choose muted tones). The focus of these sessions is the baby and your daily interactions with them. Wear what you would normally wear at home--any lifestyle session is meant to be as true to your day to day life as possible.

9.  MAKEUP AND HAIR.

Please keep your make-up and hair simple and clean--your hair should be styled naturally. Avoid crazy hairstyles (unless that is part of who you are!) and make sure to get trims or cuts roughly a week before the session. Men should be clean shaven for session (unless their beard is part of who they are, of course!). 

10. ENJOY THE MOMENTS.

The biggest thing about this session is showcasing your family, not the clothes or accessories. Yes, coordinating colours and styles is wonderful and helps to bring the entire session together, but in all reality, we need your smiles and your happiness to truly shine in the photos. Don't stress, your photographer will capture you and your family regardless of all of this--following these tips, and any that your photographer gives you, just brings everything together nicely.

So, since you made it through my 10 Tips for What to Wear to a Family Portrait Session, I wanted to give you a bit of inspiration with some of my favourite Autumn and Winter colour palettes, from design-seeds.com.

Autumn

Winter

As always, if you ever have any questions, please talk with your photographer. We won't bite, and we would love to help you make your session--whatever the occasion--fun and memorable!

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Do you feel like updating your family portraits, or perhaps looking for seasonal family photos to send

your family? Look no further and Contact Me to book a session!