One of the most common questions I get asked during the planning stages with my clients is “What should we wear?” Advice on what to wear on your photo shoot has changed over the years. No longer are white shirts and jeans on everyone the trend. I am more than happy to discuss your clothing choices, help you narrow down your decision or give you a direction to focus on as well as make sure that your clothing coordinates well with the locations chosen for your photo shoot!
#1 Choose your colour palette first
Pick a palette of 3-4 colors. Let this be your starting place. Think in terms of tones: blue tones, earth tones, neutrals, pastels, etc. Everyone in the family can express their own sense of style within the chosen colour palette, and the whole group will coordinate beautifully.
Your home is where it all begins. This is where your family make so many memories. Where your children feel safe, loved and where you all a spend a lot of time together. We want to help you create emotional imagery of your family for you to display in your home, for you to enjoy today, tomorrow and forever.
So, let’s create this photoshoot with intention, so that when your artwork is up on your walls, everything looks aesthetically beautiful!
#2 Be Inspired by your Home
Choosing a colour palette to compliment your exisiting decor in your home is a great start.
Take inspiration from your home when choosing a colour palette for your family’s outfits.
#3 Don’t Match. Coordinate
Now this doesn’t mean everyone has to 100% match with khaki pants or jeans and a white shirt! You want to complement each other’s outfits by choosing colors that work well together. I find that if everyone is wearing the same clothing, people will all tend to blend in together and there won’t be too much pop and life to the images.
Muted tones look beautiful together in a family picture. When picking patterns, choose smaller ones that won’t pull attention away from the main subjects, and only put one person in a pattern. When thinking about texture, choose different ones that will give photos some interest such as lace, corduroy, denim, and knits.”
#4 Layering
One of my favorite “tips” for clothing choices! In the Summer months, this may be more difficult to pull off but during all of the other seasons, definitely layer your outfits. Not only will it provide more visual interest in each photo but it will also allow a lot more variety in your shots and poses. Have a ton of images of yourself in just your dress or cute top and jeans? Throw on a little sweater or jacket and a hat and you have entirely different look.
#5 Fit your style to your location
Always keep your session location in mind when choosing your outfit. If you’ve selected a more natural environment, choose something a bit more casual such as a maxi dress and opt for casual footwear like flat sandals or boots.
#6 Keep make-up natural
You will want to avoid using very heavy makeup, but a bit of color on your lips, eyes, and cheeks will help bring you to life in photos. Be sure to bring some lip gloss with you as well for touch ups as there may be lots of smooches in story from your partner and little ones!
#7 Be Timeless
For some fashionista’s, this may be a difficult concept, however you are going to want these images to stand the test of time. Pick outfits that aren’t considered too trendy, but will be able to be enjoyed and displayed for many years to come.
#8 Plan Ahead
Make sure you have given yourself enough time to think about all of the details of your session. Plan ahead so that #1 you can truly think about your photos and everything you want out of the session, #2 you aren’t rushing and stressing out right before your session, and #3 if you have decided to go for a new look for your session or someone gets a bad haircut, you still have time to fix things if you need to.
#9 Shop at the same store
Make sure you have given yourself enough time to think about all of the details of your session. Plan ahead so that #1 you can truly think about your photos and everything you want out of the session, #2 you aren’t rushing and stressing out right before your session, and #3 if you have decided to go for a new look for your session or someone gets a bad haircut, you still have time to fix things if you need to.
#10 Add Texture
The cooler months give us plenty of opportunity to add texture to our photos. Think scarves, knits, beanies and ribbed tights. It’s these textures that make our photos come alive! Get creative, and let your personalities really come in to play here!
