What To Wear To Your Family Photoshoot
Most mothers that book a family photoshoot with me ask me the same question, what should my family wear to the session?
I love helping with this and have some simple tips, which I’ve outlined below - that can really help you pull together complimentary family outfits. I do find it helpful when Mum finds an outfit she loves best first, or if there is a special item of clothing that you have for another family member eg: patterned baby romper, that way you can build the rest of the family outfits around that piece.
Choose your colour palette
I always suggest choosing 3-5 colours to work with. Neutrals and soft colours are the easiest to style cohesively, bold and bright colours can be distracting and stand out too much particularly in the outdoor nature environments I shoot in. Find one outfit you love and build the rest of the families outfits from there. If you have a patterned outfit you have chosen, you can pull colours from the pattern to inject into other family members outfits. It’s also wise to think about where you will be displaying these photos in your home, will the backdrop and your clothing colours match in nicely with your home decor?
2. Choose a feature pattern
I recommend only one family member wears a patterned outfit, the rest wear block colours that compliment the patterned item. Having too many patterns mixed together can look distracting and busy. You can sometimes get away with using two patterned outfits as long as they really compliment each-other, being similar colours, or one having a really subtle pattern.
3. Add some texture
It looks so good when families add textured clothing to their styling, think knit or waffle fabrics, linen, corduroy, lace etc. Adding texture just adds interest and depth to your photos, Having some items of clothing with movement helps think flowy skirts and dresses.
Comfort is a must:
Ultimately wearing clothing you feel comfortable and beautiful in will be best. It will make you shine that little bit more during your shoot.
Wearing clothing that is uncomfortable or not something you would normally wear will show in the images. It’s also a must to make sure kids are dressed comfortably for the shoot, make sure they are warm enough and have appropriate footwear for the area we are shooting at.
Things to avoid:
Clothing which has large graphics or brand name logos on it. These will date, they will stand out and be distracting in your photos
Styling the family in ‘matchy matchy’ outfits, think white tops and jeans - this look is a little dated and wont reflect your families unique style
Too many patterns. If everyone wears something patterned its going to look super busy, best rule to follow is one person wears a pattern, two at most
Clothing that doesn’t fit you well or is restrictive, you want to be comfortable in your shoot and be able to run with the kids and cuddle them comfortably, you also dont want your bra straps showing in ill fitting tops / dresses
To get a fake tan or not?
I would advise against it. I personally tend to warm my photos up a little anyway which will add a nice golden glow to your skin. Getting a fake tan can throw orange into your images, you can stand out as overly tanned compared to your family members and you can get tan rubbing off under your arms/onto white clothing.
Should you book hair and make up for your photoshoot?
This is really personal preference, I personally do get my hair and make up done for family photos, mainly because I am hopeless at doing both those things myself and having a nice blow wave makes me feel better. So I opt for soft beachy waves and super natural make up, I dont get fake lashes or anything just a nice glowy makeup look. You want to feel like yourself during your shoot, so if you barely wear any make up ever you might feel best going make up free, or like me opting for some make up that is super low key and natural. If doing your own hair frustrates you, it is easier to book in and get an expert to style your hair, again naturally.
Clothing examples that work
This is me and my fam at our family shoot, I chose to wear a dress that had a cream and beige floral pattern. I then chose a beige dress that had movement for my daughter, white tip and tan shorts for my partner and brown textured corduroy overalls for my son. This combo just works, we are all similar in colour tones, there’s movement and texture and the hat adds some interest too. We opted to go barefoot as we were at the beach but when we walked in the scrub first we wore brown and gold footwear.
My clients nailed the colour palette and texture adding here, and the colours compliment the scenery so well. Baby Teddy even had an earth green dummy! Next level styling here.
Beautiful colour combo here with a really subtle feature floral print.
Styling in the cooler months means you can bring in knit jumpers, leggings and boots. There are two patterned outfits in this mix but they work, they are subtle and complimenting colours.
Mama in a dress with pattern, boys in complimentary neutrals - a winning combo.
This stunning shot it a result of having a hairdresser and a makeup artist in the family. The ladies styled their own shoot bringing florals and a beautiful rug that complimented their clothing choices and makeup.
It takes serious consideration and effort to pull of an extended family session styled to perfection. This family did so well, browns, whites, greens and soft pinks were the chosen colours. Note even the footwear was taken into consideration.
Linen, soft neutrals and a subtle patterned dress. So timeless.
Dont forget that baby wraps, blankets and picnic rugs can be part of your styling.
Need more inspo?
Visit my Pinterest page for lots more styling ideas for your family photoshoot.
Or email me, I love getting text messages or emails from clients showing me their clothing ideas asking for my input.
