Lately I've been getting some questions about what to wear to family photo sessions so I thought it was about time to share some information that I've been gathering over the years. Most of this could be applied to family, senior and couple pictures. Weddings are a little different so I'll be covering that in a later post!
One of the best pieces of information I can give you is to have your outfits coordinate, but not be completely matching. Have a color theme that will tie into the location but don't worry about having everyone in the exact same shade. I want to be able to tell the story of your family and although it is a unified group, there are also individual styles to be accounted for so don't be afraid to let that shine through!
There is a time and place for neutrals, especially if you have more then one outfit, but try to find ways to stand out in other ways, for example, this senior has some large jewelry accents and texture to her look from the gorgeous mermaid curls to the ombre scarf. You want to stand out from the background so if you have a brightly colored background (like a graffiti wall for instance), some neutrals can tie the picture together for a more classic look.
Another way to tie in neutrals is to have one person in color (typically the girl) with the other person wearing bits of that color, it provides a good contrast but still unifies the look.
Also, dress for your location, if you are doing pictures in the snow, wear clothes that make sense for the snow. If you wear a summer dress in the snow, it will look out of place and it may also mean that you are cold throughout the session, which you will probably notice when you get your pictures back!
Wear something that you love how you look! If you feel great, it will be visible in the shots. If you go with a look that you normally don't do, you may feel more self-conscious and it won't tell your story, or be authentic to who you are! For example, when we did our engagement session, I decided to tie in a vintage hat at the end. Now I love vintage hats, but I don't usually wear them and when I looked at the pictures I thought, that looks really "off". The pictures were great but I didn't end up choosing those ones to print.
I absolutely adore bright colors and pieces. Since many of my sessions include an outdoor location it's a great way to make a colorful and dynamic look.
This is a great example of dressing to make the best of your location, they tie together for the vintage country look but also stay true to their own style!
A great example of everything from different colors to textured pieces like the lace on the dress.
Here's a great example of dressing for the weather and using dark colors appropriately!
This senior ties in her vintage lace and more of a neutral color with the colorful, interesting background.
I love this girl's style! the color just makes her pop in the photo, plus an example of taking pictures in the gorgeous golden hour lighting. If possible, try to plan for this time of day, it adds so much to the overall feel of the photos.
After giving you some examples of what to wear, some things that I like to encourage people to avoid are neon colors, especially tops because they tend to reflect the color to your face. If you're really wanting to go with white, try an off-white color that is more likely to flatter different skin tones or use other ways to make sure you are the focus like big pieces of jewelry or pops of color.
Thanks for reading such a long post and feel free to leave comments or questions!
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