WHAT TO WEAR FOR FAMILY PHOTO

Top 3 Tips for What to Wear for Family Photos

Why is it so stressful picking outfits for photo sessions? As a mum who frequently struggles to coordinate outfits for my own family, I totally get it! So many of my families find this the hardest part and some actually don’t want to get photos done because of it. That’s why I created this post to help reduce your anxiety and stress around outfit coordination for your next photo session.

1. What to wear

What to wear: Earthy tones are timeless, and we love them. Wearing patterns is not necessarily a bad thing, but it does mean, that when you are looking at the photos, all you will see is the loud pattern, not the beautiful connection between you. When picking solid earthy colours, go for browns, ivory, rust, camel, muted mustard, sage, clay, deep forest greens, or muted rose colours, to name a few. They all photograph beautifully. One of the biggest tips is to dress mum first. Once Mum's outfit has been chosen, the rest is easy, just coordinate the colours from her outfit colour palette. The idea is to be coordinated and not matchy-matchy. If you need some extra help, search Google or Pinterest for “earthy colour palette” and use that to help guide you. Another trick is to blend textures. Mixing smooth fabrics with corduroy, lace, cable knit or leather, there is no real science but as long as it matches the colour palette. As you can see from the blog post photo, if you are a family who doesn't love earthy tones, darker clothing items can be made to work.

What not to wear: I am not here to tell you what you can and can't wear. You do what makes you comfortable. If you love what you see in my client galleries here are some suggestions for those wondering what doesn’t always photograph well. Blue jeans and black pants. Too much blue/dark can make your images' colour balance and harmony look off. If jeans are a must, go for light-wash denim. The most suitable alternative to blue jeans would be any kind of tan, olive, or earth-toned pants. Pants look amazing in most circumstances, but if you prefer shorts, opt for longer ones. If you have chosen a green grassy field, I recommend staying away from all white as it tends to absorb the colour. What does that mean? Well, all that green grass will bounce off of the bright white fabric and make everyone’s skin tones look, well, a little off. If you have your heart set on the colour white, no worries, let's make it work. Black! Black is another colour that is hit or miss. If you wear all black, everyone tends to blend together, but again, if that’s what you would like, let’s make it work.

How to dress the kids: Dressing little girls in flowy dresses is so much fun (unless they don't like them). Just make sure to dress them in neutral undergarments and for the little ones in nappies, add a natural nappy cover (bloomers) to cover it up. For the boys, just remember, these photos are forever, keep it simple and comfortable. Try not to go with tight and restrictive clothing. This will make them uncomfortable and uncooperative. Sandals are perfect. For shoes, white shoes or brown loafers always look stylish. If we are heading to the beach, no shoes is also great and preferred.

2. What to bring

Extra outfits just in case, I have a pop-up change room if needed.
Make-up for touch-ups, if you think you may need to.
Any props that are sentimental to your children, for example, a small teddy, a silky or blankie.
For babies that can’t sit up yet, bring a bumbo chair or other chair and a neutral swaddle blanket to cover it.

3. What to leave in the car.

Hair ties and a sports watch can spoil your family photos. As times change, so will these fashion items, haha.
Big toys, If your children have a favourite small toy, please bring it but leave the big items at home.
Wallets or anything else in your pockets, let’s remove the accidental “Oh man, I forgot to take XYZ off, can you photoshop it?” While I can photoshop, the above takes time and may incur a fee to edit them out.