WHAT TO WEAR
Comfort is key. If you are uncomfortable, don't wear it. Family photos most often involve a bit of climbing on rocks, a walk through the park or taking a strole on a sandy beach.
My goal as a photographer is to have a fun photo session with you! If you can't have fun in your outfit because it's too restricting, too revealing or you can't get it dirty, please wear something else. It will make your family photo session much more enjoyable for you. Here are a few tips….
Solids over prints
Solids will get my vote every time. The right print can look great, but more often we will suggest that a client wear a solid color. Bold prints can look very busy and distract the viewer from the focus of the photo, you.
Color is your friend
We love a nice bright, rich color that really pops in a photo. Lighter brights stand out but aren’t too distracting (i.e. no neon greens and yellows). Even white looks great and can feel fresh. We usually suggest staying away from dark colors because they can blend into the background, but if you know you’ll be shooting in a location that offers a light background like the beach, dark colors can also be slimming. A nice bright color however, just adds a little something to the photo. And if you have a favorite color that you just love, wear it!
Avoid trends
Unless you’re going for a particular style for your shoot, it’s usually a good idea to avoid anything too on trend so that later on you aren’t looking back at your photos thinking, “why did I wear THAT?”
Don’t be too matchy matchy
One way to start is coming up with a color scheme, style, pattern or theme. It could also be a piece that inspires you, like a scarf, a shirt, or a hat. Then tie everyone else’s outfit around that inspiration piece. For group family portraits, you can certainly match if that’s truly what you want, but in our opinion simple color coordination is all that’s needed. You could choose pastels, for example, and everyone can stick to that color palette but not wear the exact same color. Or choose a color combination that you like and have everyone in the family dress any way they want, but using only those color options. You want to complement each other, not look identical.