Selecting the perfect outfit for your family photo shoot can be challenging and stressful. As a Denver family photographer, I get it!!!
Here you will find some great suggestions on how to dress for your session.
How to Dress
YES!! PLEASE DO: Dress so that you all feel comfortable, confident + beautiful in your outfits! This is the most important thing!
Start with the pickiest person's outfit and build the other outfits around it. You want to coordinate, but not identically match. Don't pick one color (ie, rust) and dress everyone in the same tone. Instead, pick your main color then dress someone in a textured knit sweater in rust, a gray shirt for another, a cream floral dress with mustard, pink and rust for another person, a mustard lace dress for another. The goal is to look good together without being matchy-matchy.
Change up prints and textures.
NO!! PLEASE DO NOT: You should avoid thin, close together stripes (it has an odd effect in photographs), small plaid or buffalo prints, large logos,
cartoon characters, or words on your clothing, as it distracts from the main subject of the photo: you + your connection.
Also avoid Black, Neon, Bright White, Bright Red, or Bright Blue-- in most cases these colors are too loud, and tend not to photograph well!
Don't forget to coordinate shoes! THIS IS IMPORTANT!!
Great color combinations
pick a palate and run with it!
Warm color scheme's are my favorite!! If you love this type of color scheme, you may want to consider mustard, brown, rust, cream, burgundy, and taupe.
If you prefer a lighter and more pastel palette, opt for neutral + light-toned clothes such as cream, white, beige, gray, muted pinks. purples, coral, rose, + light blues. For a darker and moodier look, you can choose darker colors, but it's essential to balance them with lighter shades to avoid excessive darkness.
Neutrals always win!
Sticking to all or mostly neutrals is the easiest route to take because all neutrals go together, so you can't mess it up! Neutral colors or earth tones go with almost anything, and I suggest using a lot of neutrals, and only a small amount of more bold colors. The brighter the color, the less there should be. Neutrals are things like off-white, gray, cream, taupe, etc. You can even create outfits using only neutrals and it looks really good. But adding in some color is great, too!
Patterns are great!
Florals: You can find so many different kinds of florals that look amazing in photos! Smaller, spaced out floral patterns look awesome, and so do larger florals.
Stripes: I love stripes as long as they aren't skinny and close together. Thick stripes, or skinny stripes that are spaced out look amazing.
Subtle Shapes: Subtle is the operative word here. If you're going to have a pattern like this where the shape repeats throughout the item, you want the colors to not be too different (So don't do black and white or something like that).
DON'T UNDERESTIMATE THE POWER OF TEXTURE
Textures can really add a lot of interest in your photos, but in a more subtle way. Textures should not be overlooked, and are an amazing way to show different dimensions in your photos!!! Add as much texture as possible! You can't have too much (unlike patterns). Some textures I love are lace, corduroy, knits, chambray, gauzy or crepe fabrics, velvet, swiss dots, and waffle cloth.
STYLING HAIR
Keep it loose and flowy, rather than tight and pulled back. Messy hair is more inspiring and fun to photograph than perfect hair! For boys, just do what they normally do.
MATERNITY
Let's show off that beautiful bump you've been growing!!! Here's what to look for: a dress/top that is tight on top, just above your belly. We really want to accentuate the bump, so wear a dress or skirt that flares out just above the belly. You don't want it to be tight underneath the belly. I love a flowy skirt that allows lots of movement. I think it looks more flattering and it also gives you something to play with/swish around.
IF your still reading this...
…and feel completely overwhelmed, start with one outfit—probably yours, mom! Choose something you love and feels flattering on you, and then coordinate a few other colors and build from there. Remember, these photos are about you, your family, and the love and connection you share! Having great outfits is the icing on the cake! If you feel comfortable and confident about how you look, you are much more likely to love your photos. I share all of this advice because I want your outfits to compliment and help make the photo, not detract from it.
Please don’t stress :) Reach out if you have any questions. Let’s document these sweet moments and preserve these memories!