Dressing for Family Photos

TRY PICKING ONE PERSON'S OUTFIT FIRST

There may be one person in your family who cares most about what they wear. Or maybe your young child has the cutest outfit that you want to include. Maybe your teen only feels comfortable in a few select styles. Start with the most particular person in your family (this might be you) and coordinate the rest of your family with this outfit.

WHAT COLORS LOOK BEST?

There are three main priorities for picking colors. First, pick colors that you feel good in, fit your personality, and flatter your skin tone. Second, think about the setting where your pictures will be taken. You might not want to pick a grassy green that will completely blend in with the background if there is a lot of greenery. But you might like to pick fall colors to coordinate with the beauty of a fall photo shoot. Third, think about where you might hang your family portrait print and what colors are already in your home. Side note: Photographers have the most trouble with black, true-white, and purple. These colors can be difficult during the editing process due to exposure issues.
 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

PATTERNS OR SOLIDS?

You may prefer to wear all solid colors or a mix of patterns and solids. It is not recommended that all of your family wear patterned outfits. If you decide to incorporate patterns, as a general rule, have your patterns represent less than 50 percent of the overall group of garments. Please avoid tight skinny stripes, logos, words, and cartoon characters on your family's clothing as well. Too many accessories can also be distracting, but a select few can be fun. Feel free to mix and match textures for a natural look. You want your family to look like you dressed nice and similarly, but aren't in costume.

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BUILD A PLEASING COLOR PALETTE
When trying to coordinate your clothes with others, do not fall into a trap of all matching patterns or colors. For instance, all plaids or all floral print or all one color can look very distracting and unnatural. Instead, find colors that work together as a palette or theme. For example, you might start with a solid blue sweater. From there you can pick another outfit with blue in its pattern. Then pick another solid-color outfit that matches or has a similar hue to a different color in the patterned outfit. A similar hue can be a lighter or darker shade of any color. If you have more than three, your additional outfits can be neutral (brown, beige, cream, grey) or a similar hue to any of the colors already represented in your group. If you need more visual inspiration help try this web search link: "color palette family photos."

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WHAT ABOUT SHOES?

Generally, close-toed shoes are recommended unless the setting calls for sandals (beach, vacation) or strappy heels (city street, formal wear). Boots and flats tend to look more put-together in an outfit than sneakers. Overall, shoes aren't usually the biggest issue in pictures, since they are often out of frame. Make sure they are clean and comfortable enough for walking around the outdoor parks and trails.