10 Tips on what to wear for family photos!

As a past wedding + lifestyle photographer, one of the most frequent questions I was asked is, “What do we wear for our photo session?”.  Also, as a mama of four, it is always a daunting task for our own family session, so I wanted to share 10 tips on what to wear for family photos! 

These tips will help you ENJOY the process and help you feel confident for your special session!  

1. Give yourself PLENTY of time to plan your outfits.  The more time you plan, the less stress there will be and it will allow you time to find the perfect family portrait outfits while enjoying the process!

2. Choose the color palette that will flow with the season you are photographing in but most importantly, colors that are pleasing to YOU and that you could display in your home or office year round!  Choose two-three main colors in hues that compliment each other and intersperse them amongst the outfits. Adding other accent colors is great as long as the two-three main colors are the main focus!  The key is to coordinate, not match each other exactly.  

3. Keep your location in mind.  If you are going to be in the woods in November in Minnesota with no color, choose colors that will stand out!  If you are on the beach in the summer, choose outfits that are light, airy and compliment the surroundings! We opted for downtown this year, and chose neutral colors that would coordinate with our downtown alley and sidewalks! 

4. Choose clothing that everyone is going to be comfortable in and able to be themselves!  The last thing you want is a child or husband ;-) to melt-down because they are uncomfortable in the clothing choice!  Once the melt-down happens…it is hard to get come back from that set-back! Clothe your family in outfits that will ensure ALL the smiles.                                                                                                   
5. Pick YOUR outfit first!  :-) As ladies, I have found that we are typically the hardest on ourselves.  By choosing an outfit that is comfortable and flattering to your body shape, it will help YOU set the tone for the shoot.  If mama is happy, EVERYONE is happy, am I right?! :-)                                                             
6. Once you choose your outfit, go to everyone's closet and pull all of the clothing items with the color scheme you have chosen!  If there are gaps in the wardrobes, it may be a great time to freshen up some closets with a few new items! In our family, we have quite a few cousins, and a phone call to borrow an item or two is always a win!                                                                   
7. Layers are your friend.  Layering in decorating is essential and so pleasing to the eye.  This follows through to outfits for your family photo session! Belts, scarves, hair accessories for the girl’s, boots, leggings, jean jackets, etc. are all great ways to layer for your family photos!                                                             
   
    

8. When choosing the clothing items, limit large logos or super distracting patterns as you want the focal point of the photo to be your smiling faces!  Also, avoid neon + fluorescent colors as it can sometimes reflect back onto faces causing color variations.                                                                             

9. Group all of the outfits out on the floor and create a flat lay with everything you will be wearing for the shoot, including shoes!  This will give you a GREAT feel for how all of the pieces will look together! Then, move options in and out of the flat lay to see how different pieces look until you feel it is PERFECT!  This will also help you have EVERYTHING you need the day of your big family session, with no missing pieces!                                                                             

10. If you are stuck.  Phone a friend, OR bring your options to a clothing store (like Inherit Clothing Company ;-))!  Many in-store stylists would be THRILLED to help you piece together a look that will be perfect for your family photo session.

 With these tips, choosing what to wear for your family photo shoot will be a breeze.

This will allow you to focus on your family at the session and ENJOY them with smiles, giggles and lots of LOVE so you can cherish the moments forever. When you look at your Christmas cards and updated home or office decor, you'll be flooded with memories of what a special time you had with your family - - even if someone's shoes were a bit too tight or you had to diffuse a sibling fight. ;)