It’s that time of the year again, folks! Time to panic about what to wear to your annual family photo session. Wait, did I just say panic? I mean, get excited about choosing. Yup, let’s go with that.
Year after year I have clients texting, e-mailing and calling me with fear in their voices – I have no idea what to wear to the session! This year I thought I would get a little bit ahead of those calls (you know who you are) and give you some tips on choosing a perfect outfit for your family.
Choose your style.
Here are a few things to consider as you start putting together your outfit – are you comfortable in the clothes? are the kids? would you wear this outfit again? how does the style match the decor of your home? These are the photos that you will hang up on your walls – do they reflect your family? I love getting inspiration from an item or two in our closet and then adding a few interesting pieces to complete the look. This way the outfits are truly representing who we are!
Another truly important factor for me when I choose the outfits for our own session is making sure that the kids are comfortable and excited to wear the clothes. I absolutely do NOT want to spend time battling them to get dressed and see the pouts in every photo. I love being able to represent their little styles (they’re girls – and even at 4 and 2 they already have a style they tend to gravitate to!) – it helps not only get them excited to wear the clothes, but it makes for some amazing twirly pictures and great smiles in our photos.
Pick out a color pallet.
One thing I always urge my clients to avoid is dressing everyone in the same color or very similar colors. If you haven’t discovered the power of Pinterest, check out some of the links below! I love scrolling through the different “looks” and choosing a color pallet as an inspiration.
Another great trick if you don’t want to find a color pallet is to pick two or three complimenting colors and then try to mix and match the outfits around them. Don’t forget to use accessories to tie the look together!
Limit bold prints to one or two “pops.”
I love a great print but dressing everyone is a bold print can often create a lot of “noise” in your images. Try finding a “pop” for one or two of the family members and then choose a solid that brings out that print.
Layers and textures add interest.
Layers are great for so many reasons – not only do they add interest to your images but you can use them to keep warm or cooler depending on the weather. Cardigans, scarfs, vests, belts, layered sweaters – they all add a little variety to the images. A bonus is that you can keep the kids warm during chilly mornings or take the layers off halfway through to add some variety to your images.
Here are a few of my favorite Fall looks via Pinterest and don’t forget to check out our Pinterest board when you’re trying to figure out what to wear to your family session.
