What to Wear for Your Family Portrait Session
But what should I wear? It’s the number one question going though everyone’s mind as soon as they book a photo session - and sometimes even before! It’s completely understandable - you’ve made the commitment to get in front of the camera and you want to make sure that you look good and feel confident in front of the camera. So what exactly should you wear?
The first thing I tell people for their family session is to pick 2-4 colors to work with. When thinking about colors for outfits, there are a few things to keep in mind. First, lighter colors are typically more versatile and work better with my style of photography, however it’s not a deal breaker if you prefer something a little darker. I would advise staying away from neon and really bold colors as they can give off funky color casts, but if you feel like goddess in navy blue, then rock it girl! Second, think about what colors will look good on your wall. This one is most often overlooked, but you should definitely be printing off these photos and displaying them (more on that next week!), so if you can coordinate your outfits to fit right in with your decor that is a huge bonus! And third, don’t try to match. Gone are the days of everyone in white shirts and khakis. Instead, go with a few colors and mix and match so that everyone is coordinating!
When you’re coordinating your outfits, don’t forget about accessories! The camera loves them and the perfect way to tie everything together! If mom is wearing a light blue dress and baby girl is wearing a light pink dress, then mom can totally wear some pink earrings, a necklace or a scarf to tie the two together. Accessories also add layers and interest to outfits so don’t ignore the jewelry, hair bows, scarfs, cardigans, etc.
Speaking of layers - layers are our friend! They can work for everyone! For guys, a jacket or sweater looks great and for the girls think about cardigans and some of the accessories mentioned above. As for patterns - feel free to use them, but make sure they don’t clash with each other! As a general rule of thumb, if there is one pretty dominate pattern in one person’s outfit then aim to have the rest of the outfits coordinate but not have a busy pattern that will compete with the other. A good way to still add interest here would be to use textures in fabric. For example, if mom is wearing a large floral print, then think about a lace sleeved dress or some layers for the kids. Here’s another tip I use - look around on Pinterest to get some ideas or see how your color scheme might look!
Once you’ve got your color scheme down the rest will start to fall into place. The BEST advice I can give you though is to be comfortable and confident in what you are wearing - and make sure your family members feel the same in their outfits. You can be coordinated to a tee, but if no one, or even one of you, isn’t feeling like a million bucks in their outfit it will 100% be reflected in the photos. There are plenty of tips and tricks to choosing an outfit that will flatter your body and I’ve put together a style guide that you can download below which gives you all the secrets for styling your next session! Here’s the best part - it’s 100% free!
I hope this helps you put together the look you’ve always dreamed of for your next session and that you feel like Tyra Banks the next time you’re in front of the camera!