Choosing outfits for your family photos doesn’t need to be overwhelming or difficult. Follow the tips below for seamlessly blended and timeless family pictures for you to cherish forever.
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If you are at a complete loss with what colors you want, choose one piece you love and build out from that. Do you have a beautiful dress you would love to wear? Build the rest of the family’s attire around it. This can work for any piece of clothing you know you would love to have in the family photo.
Most likely you will have control over what everyone wears, make it easy on yourself by building out your family’s attire from your outfit. There is nothing worse than having to search for ages and buy something new because you choose the children’s clothing first and now have nothing that works with it.
Choose a color palette, mix and match colors so that everyone flows and coordinates. This will create stylish and timeless family photos for you to treasure.
Ultimately you will want to display your family pictures year-round, so it is best to skip things overly festive, even if you are taking a holiday-specific photo. Instead, incorporate a color palette that coordinates with the season. (See seasonal color palette examples below.)
When planning outfits for your family photos ALWAYS consider the weather. If it is going to be cold make sure to incorporate jackets, hats, and perhaps even mittens into the looks. There is nothing worse than being uncomfortable throughout the shoot, it will show in your photos, especially on the children.
Shooting on the beach? Formal wear may look out of place. Surrounded by beautiful foliage? Perhaps choose outfits that accent the location. Deep reds, oranges, and greens look beautiful during fall, while a softer palette accents the coast. (See seasonal color palette examples below.)
Neon colors photograph extremely intense. This will be distracting and demand too much attention. You want to wear the clothes, not have the clothes wear you.
You want your family’s beautiful faces to be the stars of the photo. Clothing with writing, graphic tees, and any branding is distracting.
Yes, it is adorable when your children princess dresses, or dress up as Spiderman, but just say no to character outfits in the photos (unless that is the theme). If this becomes a battle, bring the character outfit and make it one of the final photos you do.
Matching your outfits to your home décor may seem silly, but matching your personal style will allow your photos to blend seamlessly in your home when they're ready to be hung. Take into consideration; wall colors, bed sheets, couches, lamps, and art pieces.
If shooting indoors, or even outdoors in the summer, consider everyone removing shoes and socks for a relaxed and natural look for photos.
Define what look you're going for and what look your decor allows you to be. Jeans and a t-shirt can work well in a home washed in light with muted colors. If you have patterns and nicer decor then a semi-casual look will work. With darker wood floors or tiles, fancy decor, and darker walls, then the formal would work well.
Trends come and go, you want your photos to be timeless. It is best to aim for a more classic look so as not to date your photos. This applies to hairstyles, and makeup as well.
Real happiness and fun will show through in your photos. Don’t forget to add some fun and silliness to your shoot so the experience of taking the photos is just as cherished as the photos themselves.
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