For our popular outdoor fall Family Photography Sessions, clients often ask for wardrobe recommendations. How to dress is a very personal matter, but we put together this guide so our clients can check out some different ideas from our past sessions.
Some universal things to keep in mind when choosing apparel for a photo session are:
- More important than any single clothing selection is simply making sure that all of the outfits coordinate together. Usually, having one family member wear a red plaid shirt and having another wear a pink floral dress is not a good idea. This doesn’t mean that you need to be super matchy-matchy, but lay all of the clothing out on the bed together and ask yourself: do these jive well together? If in doubt, you can email us a photo of the selections together to us and we’ll give you some input.
- The clothing should move well and not be fussy. Don’t wear something so stiff or tight that you can’t move from a straightforward, upright position. Yes, it’s good to have good posture in photos, and you may look amazing in that bandage dress, but many of the shots from our sessions are natural moments that look best when relaxed and not restricted. You should be able to sit, twist, walk, and raise your arms comfortably in them. Beware of sneaky bra straps and other clothing features that have to sit ‘just so’ to look right. You don’t want to be bothering with fixing your clothes when you’re supposed to be having fun and looking carefree. And you don’t want a shot ruined by a falling bra strap or a neckline that has revealed way more than you meant to when leaning forward. Usually, retouching comes at an extra fee, and believe it or not, we’d rather nail the shot than have to fix it in Photoshop later.
- We tend to recommend solid colors to our clients, as we strive to make images that will stand the test of time. There are always selections that break the rules and surprise us, but this is our general recommendation. Solid colors also help you pop from the background and not blend into it. They also help draw the eyes to the faces in the photo and not on the zebra-print pants you’re wearing. If you adore prints (the love for which we totally understand), it would likely be best if just one person wears a print and the others wear solids to avoid pattern clashing and an overly-busy look to the photos.
- If you want to be totally prepared, you may want to prepare layers for your session. Sessions are usually planned weeks in advance when nobody knows what the weather will bring. There are unexpectedly cool days in the late summer (especially when we shoot early in the morning or late in the afternoon) and surprisingly warm days in the fall, and it will be one less thing to worry about if you are covered for variations in the weather.
- Dress your children warmly enough. I know your daughter looks SO cute in that sleeveless romper, but the photos may not turn out as envisioned if she can’t stop shivering and crying in 45-degree weather. A handful of sessions every year have needed an intermission to get a child to a warmer place because they are too cold. You want to be able to make the most of your time with your photographer! Bring layers if in doubt, especially if you are shooting in a windy area near water.
- Have everyone leave large handbags, fanny packs, and other burdensome accessories at home, if possible. For some reason, grandmas and great-aunts are the most guilty of bringing their purses along to the session. It’s best to not look like a tourist, and you are unlikely to need nail files or reading glasses during the 1- to 2-hour session, anyhow. If you really need a diaper bag, try to pack lightly so you can easily leave it out of the shot as you move from place to place.
Now let’s talk a little bit about color schemes, featuring photos from our fall portfolio. The families below did a really great job putting together their wardrobes.
All photos copyright of arthouse images.
Monotones: Grays
This wasn’t a color scheme I would have thought up myself, but the result was fantastic. The family looks very unified in their various shades of gray, and all eyes are on them. I love the overall muted palette of this shots. Even their dog is in on it.
Monotones: Blacks/Dark Colors
It’s New York City, and plenty of families will be decked out in mostly black and dark colors. Again, the choice of these colors really brings our eye to their faces, and it’s a timeless and classic look that introduces a nice contrast to the photos.
Pop of Color: Berry Tones
Now to my personal favorite. I love how a little pop of red or purple brightens up the photo. It doesn’t only bring emphasis to the person who’s wearing the color, but changes the overall look of the images. Note that you don’t want to overdo this– just one or two family members with the color is just the right amount to add some punch.
Light Colors: Whites/Neutrals
The pop of color was even good for breaking up this blog post a bit! Let’s get back to more examples of neutral color palettes, this time with whites and light earth tones. The light colors really help the subjects stand out from the background.
Pop of Color: Orange
This family had their photo session by the iconic Pepsi Sign in LIC, and I think the pop of orange/red was super smart. I also love their toddler’s adorable intarsia holiday sweater that echoes the red/orange– a great example of using a pattern well. It’s just the right amount of pizzaz.
Pop of Color: Yellow/Gold
This is a dark horse contender for best color scheme. Fall is full of yellows and reds, and I think a pop of yellow/gold is just so harmonious, yet eye-catching.
There are other schemes like forest green, which I think is totally underutilized. I would advise against pastels (save those for spring!) and blue-greens like turquoise and light green, as they will clash with the yellows, greens, and reds in the foliage. Hopefully this guide will give you some ideas as you form your fall family photography wardrobe! And as always, contact us if you’d like to discuss a session for your family!