What to wear for family pictures is enough to stress anyone out, and wardrobe choices do go a long way in making a family portrait session beautiful! Talk about stressful!! Many times we will delay even booking a session over the stress of it, and soon you find that years have gone by without updated family pictures. Well, I have some good news! As I have been photographing families these past few years, I have picked up a handful of ideas and tricks that I’d like to pass along to help your family portraits turn out just as gorgeous as you are hoping. I am going to help you build a scaffold of what I believe is most important when deciding your family’s picture-perfect attire. We’ll discuss what should be the major pieces of that scaffold, and then we’ll fill in the details from there, okay?
So read along, and remember…KEEP FIRST THINGS FIRST!
THE SCAFFOLD OF YOUR FAMILY WARDROBE
1. TIMELESS: There are so many fads flying around that it is easy to get swept up in what is trendy now. But as you are putting together outfits for your family, think about what your portrait will look like hanging over your mantle 10 years, 20 years, and even 50 years down the road. Sometimes trendy can work, but please keep in mind that your printed portraits will be enjoyed for generations.
2. YOU FIRST: I am speaking to the mom/wife/woman here (sorry guys, read along and most of you will agree with me). I want you to begin with your outfit first. While there are a couple of other factors on the scaffold to consider when choosing what you are going to wear, make sure that you pick something that makes you feel beautiful and confident. So many times those of us who are moms choose a cute outfit for our kids and then try to pick something out that “works” for us around that. NO, NO, NO!! (Using my most stern mom voice, here.) Don’t do it! Trust me, your kids will look darling in just about anything–because that is just how it is with kids. But we ladies tend to be very critical of ourselves, especially when looking at ourselves in pictures. So choose something that flatters you! Not something that looks cute on someone else in their pictures, not something that could work with your daughter’s golden curls– but something YOU feel great in! Got it? Don’t worry, I can give you some further tips, but this is where we are kicking off for now. However, if you don’t trust me on this one, DO NOT read ahead until you do. Period. 🙂
3. SEASON & LOCATION: This post will focus primarily on wardrobe that works with outdoor nature locations. However, if you are looking for an urban or more formal feel to your pictures, that is also a fun option! Wardrobe choses for those locations might be quite a bit different, so keep that in mind as you’re reading this post.
Pastels probably won’t work with a backdrop of autumn foliage, but they would work beautifully on a beach or in front of the blooms of spring. So consider where and when your session will take place as your are choosing your colors, patterns, and textures.
Let’s look at spring…
Or how about summer…
Let’s not forget fall…
And finally winter…
4. HOME DECOR: I’m assuming you probably don’t want to repaint or redecorate the rooms in which your final portraits will be displayed, so keep the colors and styles of your home in mind as you are settling on your session wardrobe. I had one family purposefully schedule a late winter session before spring bloomed, as the colors of spring wouldn’t work in the main living area of their home. But the deep colors of winter as a backdrop for their family now makes a stunning display on their walls.
And that is our scaffold! Let’s recap!
- Timeless
- Looks great on you
- Compliments the season and the location
- Home colors and décor
Let’s begin filling in the details!
THE DETAILS
1. COORDINATING, NOT MATCHING: For portraits to have depth and to give attention to each individual family member in the picture, it’s best not to be matchy-matchy. If everyone is wearing the same color, the individuals in the picture look more enmeshed in a blob (sorry, can’t think of a better word!) with heads floating above the unicolor and it lacks dimension. When families aren’t all matching, each individual is more distinct within the group, which gives pictures more depth and makes it more interesting.
2. MORE CASUAL, LESS FORMAL: Because of the interactive and more relaxed nature of my family sessions, think more casual when it comes to outfit choices. (If you want a formal-looking session, let me know and we will plan accordingly.) Bow ties, formal pants and business shirts tend to look uncomfortable and stiff in the kinds of sessions I usually photograph.
3. CHOOSING COLORS, PATTERNS & TEXTURES: Having a coordinating variety of colors, patterns and textures always ads interest and depth to images. Overwhelmed on where to begin? Pinterest can give some great help! Getting brushed up on the color wheel and color panels is a breeze thanks to this incredible resource! You can easily type in “What to wear for a family photo session” or “color panels for summer” or anything along that line and Pinterest will take it from there! I find it helpful to find a color panel that works well with what I have chosen for my scaffold. It is good to have neutrals mixed in with complimentary pops of color–then vary up the patterns and textures. The possibilities are endless, and chances are you’ll be surprised at what pulls together from pieces you already have in your closet!
Do avoid black if possible. They details tend to get lost in the shadows and the images can end up looking dull. Dark gray and dark wash jeans make great substitutions for black and look great! (Again, there are times where some black can work, but if possible, use sparingly.)
On the other end of the spectrum, also avoid bright whites. They can look more blue than white in the photos. Go for off-whites and creams instead, as they always photograph beautifully!
Here are a couple of examples of families who did this well…
4. ACCESSORIZE: While I am usually not good at accessorizing in everyday life, family portraits is one area where it is good to keep this in mind! Just adding some layers of shirts or jackets, jewelry, or scarves can add SO MUCH depth and interest to a picture. Now, this doesn’t mean go overboard–as you can only imagine how busy and distracting it could get–but do think about what pieces might add to the overall portrait. Here is an example of a family that added some fun accessories to their session, and the end results were fantastic…
5. MOVEMENT: One of the fun things to do in a family or senior session is capture movement. These images are more about focusing on the interactions among your family and less about looking straight at the camera. I think clothing choices can add to this dimension in a session. Flowy skirts, dresses and blouses add a special flair, consider ways to incorporate those pieces into your family’s wardrobe. Because I capture so much more than that traditional family portrait, you will be moving and loving on your people. So avoid tight and restrictive clothing that makes it hard to move and have fun.
5. Natural Pairings: If you are a mom, you will most likely be often standing next to dad and often holding or standing next to your youngest. So you will want to wear something that doesn’t look a lot like what they are wearing. For example, if you are wearing blue, don’t also put your husband or your youngest in the same blue. Now if your blue is a solid blue, and your young child is wearing a primarily cream-colored shirt with bits of blue throughout, that works great! But if you are both in the same solid blue, then it doesn’t flow as well. Let me show you an example with my family below. I wore a mostly red dress, so I made sure my husband wasn’t in all red. I put him in blue. Although my youngest two aren’t right next to me in this picture, I had them both not wearing all red. My youngest daughter has a soft white dress that has red flowers on it, and she has a denim jacket over the dress. If I were standing right next to her, which I often do, we would be coordinating, not matching.
When I photograph families, I like to break up similar colors in groupings. So think in terms of who naturally goes together in pairings (a couple, a mom with a young child, etc.) and plan outfits accordingly.
6. OTHER ITEMS TO CONSIDER: If you are like me and want the emphasis to be on the connection of your family, there are a couple of items that sometimes steal the show that you might want to avoid:
- Bold Stripes & Loud Plaids – These strong patterns tend to draw the viewers eye toward the pattern rather than the faces in the pictures. When it comes to stripes and plaids, think subtle and simple and don’t over use them.
- Bright Colors – For example, rather than bright primary colors, choose jewel-toned versions instead. NO NEON. It photographs and edits terribly.
- Shoes – I want you to be able to move and love on your family in a beautiful setting without your feet becoming sore. Don’t let those uncomfortable heels get in the way, choose something you can easily wear while having fun. Also, choose shoes that coordinate with your outfits. Bright tennis shoes might not be the best idea.
- Socks – we often forget about socks, but pants can easily ride up during sessions, so you’ll want to make sure socks are coordinating and not distracting.
- Restrictive Clothing – Because of the nature of my sessions, pick clothing you are comfortable moving in. Go back to the section on MOVEMENT and consider how to style your family to include this element.
- Dresses on Babies or Toddlers – If your baby or toddler will be held for part of the session, consider a romper or other cute option instead. Dresses often ride up, showing the baby’s diaper.
- Logos, Characters, and Words – No matter how small, for whatever reason they can really stick out like a sore thumb and draw attention away from the beautiful faces of your family.
- Inside Your Pockets – Check everyone’s pockets before the session and empty them!
- Watches and Wristbands– Modern watches and wristbands (different than bracelets) tend to be distracting and also date your pictures. Consider leaving them at home.
- Transition Glasses – Transition glasses are a trick when most sessions take place outside. When I have tried editing these glasses to appear lighter in Photoshop, it doesn’t look natural, so I won’t be editing these to look lighter if someone wears them during a session. Some people choose to go without glasses at all if their only pair of glasses are transition glasses. And some bring along a different pair to wear instead. So you are more than welcome to do what works best for you and how you want the final pictures to look.
- Men’s Shorts vs. Long Pants – in general, go with long pants on men. Of course there are exceptions, but generally pants look better. For young boys, shorts are fair game!
- Baseball Caps – I’m not a fan of baseball caps when it comes to family pictures. Often baseball caps don’t blend in well with the overall look. But more importantly, they cast bad shadows on faces and get in the way. Now, I realize you may need to pick your battles on this one, and if someone is insistent they wear a cap or they will be miserable, I will go with the flow!
- Gum – No gum. It shows, trust me.
6. I Don’t Like…Fill in the Blank: It’s VERY common to hear about what people don’t like about their physical appearance when it comes to pictures. Whether it be hips or arms or stomachs or who knows what else, clothing choices can go a long way in what is emphasized and what isn’t. In a still photo, a person’s eyes are immediately drawn to whatever is lightest and brightest in the image. So guess what? If you’re not wanting immediate attention drawn to a certain area on your body, don’t put your lightest color on that spot. Say your arms aren’t your favorite feature, it would be best not to wear sleeveless shirts or dresses, as this will emphasize the very thing you’d rather not showcase.
Let me reassure you that there is SO MUCH that can be done with clothing choices, posing, and lighting that can either flatter or not flatter anyone with any body type! All you have to do is take your cell phone camera and hold it at different angles around your face to know that you can go from feeling yuck to feeling like a rock star with just the change of an angle! Thin or curvy, this applies to EVERYONE. So don’t let those insecurities keep you from getting in front of the camera.
It is MUCH better to let your photographer know these things BEFORE your session so that we know ahead of time. While I can easily “help” with things like acne and brightening teeth, there are things I would have never guessed because I truly didn’t see an issue. I realize that we all have those parts of ourselves we aren’t happy with–so if you are not at peace about those things for you, go ahead and have the discussion with your photographer beforehand. I promise, it will be worth in the end!
Details Recap!
- Coordination, no matching
- More casual, less formal
- Colors, patterns & textures
- Accessorize
- Movement
- Natural Pairings
- Other Details
- What I don’t like
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As I close this post, let me remind you of a couple of things. The scaffold–are the big things in place first? Then the details–when everything is laid out, does it look cohesive and make sense? If you have booked a session with me, I want to help in the decisions before the session, as I believe that these decisions are important in achieving the end results we both want–gorgeous, timeless portraits with your loved ones. As a full service photographer, I want to be with you from these first steps all the way through the finishing touches of heirloom portraits hanging beautifully in your home. So on most occasions, I have helped families make wardrobe decisions either in person or through pictures of outfit ideas sent back and forth over email or text. Don’t get overwhelmed in the details, I’m here to help!
Ultimately, the outfits you choose should be secondary to what is most important and most beautiful–the connection and love you have for each other. Let’s do this!
If you or someone you know is looking for a St. Louis area photographer, connect with me HERE.