What to Wear for Your Family Photo Session:
Family photo session clothing ideas and tips
Thinking about What to Wear for Your Photo Session?
Keep it simple! Classic clothing choices are the way to go if you’re looking to create timeless portraits. Trends might be fun, but classics are forever.
When deciding what to wear for your photos, go for neutral colors, and avoid large strong patterns, logos, words, or fun characters. Jeans, khakis, newer T-shirts, polos, and sun dresses are all classic pieces that photograph well. These tips will make your photo session clothing choices a breeze:
- Coordinate, don’t copy. Choose 2-3 colors for your group portrait, ones with similar tones that go nicely together and have everyone work within that color palette. Different hues of the same color family, or complimentary colors work great together. For example: dark green, navy, and burgundy – all dark jewel tones. Or tan, a lighter olive green, and denims – all lighter, softer tones.
- Work together, people! Coordinate patterns so that no one person stands out. If you wear bold stripes or flowers, you won’t look like the rest of your group. Busy patterns can detract from a portrait but if that depicts your style, consider pairing them with solids. And NO NEONS, please. They will leave a color cast on skin and are hard to reproduce in print.
- Turn up the texture. Whether it’s a nubby sweater, a tweedy scarf or a fur vest, varying textures adds dimension and visual interest. Scarves, hats, bows, bow ties…they can all add a little ‘fun’ to your timeless style.
- Girl talk. To look your best, choose similar tones for your top and bottom (both dark or both light). Darker clothing recedes in the image and can appear slimming. Choose skirts and dresses that are about knee level so that your legs don’t take attention from your face, and you will be able to sit and bend easily. All bodies look good in wrap tops, A-line skirts, and jackets cinched at the waist.
- Powder it up. Makeup should be a little bit bolder than everyday, but not garish or overly trendy. Be sure to top it all off with some powder to eliminate any shine.
- Groom the guys. He probably doesn’t want to switch it up too much, but details matter for him, too. A close shave and some moisturizer go a long way. Make sure his shirt and pants are clean and well-pressed, no frayed necklines.
No white socks. Choose dark socks and footwear (unless it’s a barefoot photo on the beach). For guys the socks should match the pants, not the shoes. Also, make sure all shoes are in decent shape, or again, that’s all you’ll notice.- Ditch the bling. Keep all jewelry simple and classic because too much draws attention from your face and creates harsh reflections. Men might want to forego the BIG watches for the session.
- Keep hair consistent and natural. Do your hair the way you normally do it while wearing these clothes – no fancy up-dos with jeans. If you want to go to the hairdresser, make your appointment at least 2 weeks prior to your portrait session. Fresh hair cuts rarely look best the same or next day.
- Comfort Counts! Our goal is to capture the members of your family as they are today. Choose clothing they love to wear and that accentuates their individual personalities. Consider that you might be sitting or leaning in different poses. You want to wear something that you feel very comfortable in and that will cover any areas you do not want to show in the images.
If you’re still unsure of what to wear for your family photo session, let me help you make the final choice. It’s easy to email or text me some photos of the choices prior to your session.
