Here are a few Helpful Hints and Ideas for deciding what to wear for your upcoming photo session.

Plan ahead

Make sure you have given yourself enough time to think about all of the details of your session. Plan ahead so that #1 you can truly think about your photos and everything you want out of the session, #2 you aren’t rushing and stressing out right before your session, and #3 if you have decided to go for a new look for your session or someone gets a bad haircut, you still have time to fix things if you need to.

Coordinate outfits

Now this doesn’t mean everyone has to 100% match with khaki pants or jeans and a white shirt! You want to complement each other’s outfits by choosing colors that work well together. I find that if everyone is wearing the same clothing, people will all tend to blend in together and there won’t be too much pop and life to the images. Coordinate VS. Matching....there is a difference. 

Use Colors & Patterns

Colors are everywhere around us and bring things to life... why not bring your images to life as well! Again, be sure the colors you use coordinate with each other and you don’t just end up looking like one big rainbow family! When picking patterns, choose smaller ones that won’t distract attention away from the main subject/s. Use patterns sparingly.... if one person is wearing a print, try to avoid putting someone else in a competing pattern. When thinking about texture, choose different ones that will give photos some interest such as lace, corduroy, denim, etc.

Things to Avoid

Avoid large logo’s, emblems and graphics like “GAP” and “Old Navy” because again, these will typically distract attention away from the subject. We want your faces and emotion to show, not promote the clothing company you purchased from! 

Let your personalities SHINE

Perhaps the most important “rule” in my book. The purpose of these photos is to hopefully capture each individual as they truly are, to capture the family, the relationships, and people in the photos just as THEY are. Forcing children to wear outfits that are uncomfortable and unfamiliar to them may cause some anxiety and stress to them, which in turn will inhibit really capturing their personalities during the session. The same goes for adults. Wear clothing that YOU feel good in and the pictures will emanate those feelings. If your child wears a pair of rain boots everywhere he goes, it makes the most sense to have him wear them for pictures as well. Remember, you want to capture everyone as they are NOW. Capture these moments as they are! 

Dress for the season & location

Obviously you want your images to make sense. One typically wouldn’t be wearing jeans, boots, and a jacket to the beach in the Summer so why would you for pictures? 

Dress the part and be aware of your location. For example, if you are shooting at the river, ladies wear a pretty dress and sandals, put dad in a short sleeve shirt and shorts OR pants (which you can also roll up), put your little girl in a sweet Spring or Summer dress, etc. if Mom and Dad are wearing long sleeves baby should be too. You will want to make sure that everyone is on the same page and coordinates in both colors AND styles.

Remember where you came from

Typically, not something everyone will keep in mind before their session. However, I always encourage clients to think about their home, their decor,colors, and style of their homes. Chances are, at some point after your session, you will be ordering prints or digital files. Why not keep your your decor in mind and ensure that it all blends into your home. This will ensure that any large portraits will coordinate beautifully.

Outfit changes 

If time allows it, bring another set of outfits. Again, you will get a lot more variety in your shots so why not capitalize on the opportunity and get the most bang for your buck!

Building Coordinating Outfits

Keeping your location and season in mind

Don’t try and think of everyone at the same time. I find that mom or a little girl makes the most sense since they would typically be the ones wearing a print. So mom will be wearing a floral print dress (small pretty pattern that is)

Now move on to the next person

You will be pulling colors from mom’s dress so begin to think about who in the family would look good in what colors. Dad doesn’t look so good in XYZ since it tends to drown out the tone in his skin. Let’s pick ABC for him instead. And so on.