How to start:
The best way that I've found to start picking your outfits is to narrow down a color palette! Often, color palettes are used by home design professionals, artists, and more. They're also fantastic for choosing colors for your family portrait session.
Start by choosing 3-5 colors that are neutral
- This does not have to be browns, grays, or blacks!
- They can be forest green, navy, rust, etc.
Avoid too many bright colors! Try and stick to one bright color if you want to choose something "bright"
- Be cautious of choosing magentas/pinks or oranges! In some cases, it can make your
skin look greenish! Every session is different so chat with me if you have questions.
Make sure there is variety:
If your family consists of many people, make sure each person stands out in the type of clothes they wear.
For example: If there are 3 girls in one image, one can wear a dress, the second can wear a jumpsuit, and the third can wear a skirt or capris.
What about patterns:
Patterns are so fun and I love them so do not be afraid to give them a shot! Let's get into what to look for when trying to choose patterns.
Think texture over pattern!
Stripes can do funny things when you view the image and when you send the images to be printed!
Large floral patterns are awesome if the colors are already in your chosen color palette!
Try and have only one person in a print and base a color palette on that outfit!
A Blueprint to picking out outfits:
Here is a great example of how a family can choose their outfits. You do not have to do it this way! This is just the easiest way from what I've heard from my clients.
Start with mom's outfit and build around that!
Shoes totally matter! If you've got one person wearing sandals and another wearing dress shoes, it kind of throws off the look of the photos.
What kind of shoes then...? Classic shoes or barefoot are a go-to! Wearing shoes that work in the location you're in is crucial. In other words, it's hard to wear heels on a hike!
Accessories? Heck yeah! Add hats, jewelry, etc to add color coordination to that color palette you created. If you've got only neutral colors, time to spice it up! Small accents can really make a huge difference.
Avoid matching too much. Have variations in outfits and colors!
Consider having kiddos wear the brightest color. Usually, they pop more in the group since they are the smallest! And if they're not the smallest, that's okay too. This is just a recommendation and is not a must to make your photos look stunning.
Please avoid logos or major text on your clothing! The focus is on you, not what your shirt says!
Try and avoid everyone wearing jeans!
Choosing whites? Make sure they are the same tone of white and that it isn't stark white.
Bring backup outfits for your little ones...just in case!
Long dresses and skirts look amazing in photos!
Again, try and put only one person in a subtle pattern!
"Yes" to layers, always!
DO✅ | 😥DON'T❌ |
Keep it Simple | Logos |
Flatter Your Shape | Heavy Patterns |
Relaxed & Natural | Everyone wears the same outfit |
Coordinate | "Wing It" |
Be Yourself | Try New Styles/Go Out of Your Comfort Zone |
Inspiration:
The following photos are not my own, but they show wonderful color palette options! If you want to dress more casual, feel free! There are plenty of ways to mix and match outfits and colors!
End Notes
I hope you found this useful! If you are trying to go for the matchy-matchy look, that's awesome and I think it's super cute, still. If you were looking for variety, don't forget to have fun and mix it up. Remember to ask your photographer where session locations are so that you can try and coordinate your outfit to the background. This isn't something you need to do, but some of my clients have found it helpful. And most importantly: be yourself! If you aren't comfortable in your outfit, it'll show in those pictures!
Talk soon,
Grace from Lihong Photography
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