The number one thing I get asked by clients is - what should I wear to my family photo session? The simplest and easiest answer to that is - whatever feels good and is authentically you. It’s often helpful to dress yourself first and once you feel great you can have everyone complement you. A lot of the time we can leave ourselves til last and end up panic buying something that we actually regret. So this time, for the photos with you in them, start with you. In the carousel of images you’ll see I’ve selected different family photography sessions - none of them the same style - they have all dressed to suit their style, but simply, and that’s what works.
Here are my top 5 tips on what to wear:
Choose 3 or 4 colours that look good together and use that as your base. Think about where you will be - in-home, in a green park (avoid red - it’s very easy to look Christmas themed wearing red in a very green park), or at a beach when picking your colours. Think about colours you actually like. Another thing to consider if you’re planning on printing and displaying your photographs in your home is what will work well with your interior. The colour chart below is a great guide to choosing a palette, it’s from a brilliant article by Geneva Vanderzeil on Collective Gen.
Don’t match. Unless you’re recreating a family photo from the 80s or 90s then jeans and white tees are no longer recommended for family photos. Be yourselves, show some personality. Your family photographs will be much more vibrant and engaging if you have pops of colour and different looks.
Limit patterns & avoid logos. While I do love prints, heavy plaid or patterns can distract the eye. Avoid slogans, cartoon characters or logos on t-shirts. They can be distracting to the eye and also means your photos won’t be timeless.
Add texture, layers and movement. Wearing textured clothing can add depth to your images and especially in winter and autumn chunky knits and fabrics look wonderful when paired with neutrals and pops of colour. Layering is a great idea too and can give you variety through your gallery. We can do some with jumpers and jackets and some without. Dresses or skirts are wonderful because they flow and add movement. A little breeze or moving from room to room and the photograph takes on a little magic.
Plan ahead and avoid last minute hair cuts! Life is busy and it’s easy to forget about planning but family photographs will last a lifetime and are an investment so do take the time to consider how you want to be captured. Treat yourself to a new dress or something that makes you feel great. Maybe wear your old faithful but get a blow dry the morning of your photographs, you don’t need to do make up but a blow dry always makes you feel great. Avoid last minute hair cuts, they are almost always regretted! Don’t worry about bumps, grazes, pimples. We can take care of those.
Most important of all is to be yourself and have fun. Some of my clients like to take photos of their clothing options laid out on the bed and send it to me for advice. I’m no stylist but as a family photographer I am happy to help and have a good idea what will look good on camera.
For more inspiration of some of my favourite outfits from sessions, and mood boards, you can check out my Pinterest board.
Colour chart via Collective Gen article by Geneva Vanderzeil on choosing a colour palette for your wardrobe.
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