The age old question: What to wear?

You’ve booked a photo session and now you’re asking yourself, what should I wear? How should my kids dress? Should we all match? What will look good on camera?

Don’t worry! I’ve got you covered! Read on for my tips on what to wear to your next family photo session.

1) Wear something that makes sense for your photo session’s activity

My family photo sessions are typically based around an activity, so I always recommend dressing for what makes the most sense. Here are some examples:

• Are you dying Easter eggs? I’d recommend clothes you wouldn’t mind getting dye on. Something super fancy probably doesn’t make sense for this type of session, but plain shirts and jeans do and will still look good!
• Are you going to the zoo? I’d recommend good walking shoes and comfortable clothes!
• Are you visiting a local ice cream parlor? Your normal every-day clothes work perfectly!

You’re probably starting to see the theme! Just keep it comfortable and wear clothes and shoes appropriate for the activity.

Bonus Tip: Just because clothes are comfortable or casual doesn’t mean they can’t still look good! One of my favorite ways to look dressed up without being dressed up is to wear a plain shirt or sweater with pants or jeans.

2) Neutrals are your best friend

Super bright colors are not always photo-friendly:

• We want the attention to be fully on you and your loved ones in your photos! Unfortunately, really bright colors can take away from that.
• The color of your clothing can also reflect back onto your skin. As an example, my husband LOVES this highlighter yellow shirt my dad gave him a few years ago (in fact, he’s wearing it as I type this). But it is such a bright color, when it’s in any sort of light, it reflects that yellow color all around it! So when my husband wears it and stands in the light, it gives his face an odd yellow color cast that would make him look a bit radioactive in photos.

Bonus Tip: If you want more light and airy photos, neutrals or pastels are a great option.

3) Be careful with patterns and matching

When everyone is wearing a busy pattern it can make the photo look overwhelming. Visualize someone wearing plaid, someone else wearing a flower print, and someone else wearing stripes. The image you’ve conjured probably feels a little overwhelming! It will also for sure look overwhelming in a photo!

This is not to say you should not wear any patterns though. Patterns can be really cute and fun! I recommend just being cautious of the number of people wearing patterns and how they complement or compete with each other.

The same goes for matching. Sometimes, it can be overwhelming in a photo if everyone is wearing the same color. Instead I recommend wearing colors that complement each other. For example maybe one person wears pastel blue, another wears light gray, and another wears white. Now you’ve got a pretty neutral color palette that will not take away from your family’s beautiful faces!

Bonus Tip: Worried about what you are planning to wear or need help deciding? Send me, your photographer, photos of the outfits you are planning to wear in advance, and I can help!