What to Wear for Your Photo Session! Part One: For the Families
When you choose me to capture your precious moments, you're getting more than just someone snapping your picture! I am available to help plan your outfits for your session, and serve as a stylist too! I frequently have families and boudoir clients ask me what to wear, so I figured it was time I make a blog post to help guide you as you start pulling together outfits. This will be a two part blog series so I can focus on family photos and boudoir separately!
The Rules to Styling Your Session: The only real and number one rule is this-- There are no rules! You WON'T fail at this, I promise! That being said, there are some tips I would advise my clients to follow.
Tips for how to dress for your Family Photo Session:
Be true to yourselves! If you live in jeans and absolutely hate skirts, don't wear a skirt just because you think you should. I want your photos to be an authentic representation of you and your family (and I think you do too)! You should look your best, but that doesn't mean you have to be super dressed up either.
Stay away from graphics/big logos/lettered shirts. Solids & simple patterns are more timeless as graphics go out of style quickly (I used to be all about plastering the cool logos from the trendy stores on my shirts in high school, but I would have hated looking back at family photos years later to see myself wearing one). Another thing to stay away form is fluorescent colors. Lime green or yellow shirts will cast that color onto your face and it's not pretty...trust me!
Wear clothes that fit you well and that YOU feel pretty in! Also, for your kiddos, I know it's expensive with how fast they outgrow outfits, but trust me, you will want them to be in something that fits, and not something that they are swimming in or that has to be rolled up.
Always start with mom's outfit first. Mom tends to be the last outfit thought about, but it's easier to start with YOUR outfit and build the rest of the family's outfits around you. Find something in your closet (or #treatyoself to a new outfit!) that you feel gorgeous in, and go from there! I really like maxi dresses or a flowy skirt for an outfit because they photograph really well and are super fun when dancing around in a field (cuz I'll likely have ya do that 😘).
Layers are always a good idea, that way you can adjust to the temperature as needed. Plus they add fun interest to photos and can be a nice way to tie in colors of everyone's outfits. Don't forget to add in accessories and shoes too! You don't want grungy old tennis shoes to ruin an outfit. You could use fun shoes or accessories to add pops of color to neutral pallets (which is one of my fave ways to add interest to an outfit).
Lastly, you can always take a photo of the outfits side by side and send it to me to help! Sometimes just seeing the outfits side by side is enough to see if it works well or not. I am here to assist and can tell you whether a combo looks good side by side and if not, what you can look for to compliment it.