October 6, 2018

What To Wear For My Family Session?

This is one of the most common questions I get asked! My tips below will work for your family session, senior shoot, or engagement session.

MAMA FIRST

Mamas and ladies, I suggest you choose your outfit first and plan everyone else around you. After all, if mama ain’t happy…! Pick something that you love, that makes you feel confident and shows your personality.  If you never wear color, don’t choose a hot pink blouse for your session.  Conversely, if you are a woman who wears big, bold prints and colors, now is not the time to put on a solid black outfit. Wear comfortable clothing that you can move around in and consider choosing something special that makes you stand out from the rest of the family, like a maxi dress if everyone else is in pants. Avoid overly baggy or overly tight clothing, but aim for well-fitting, and unless you love your arms, avoid strapless and sleeveless tops.

COMPLEMENT

Choose everyone else’s outfits in colors that complement yours.  Matchy-matchy is out, as are the days of everyone in khakis and a white shirt (hello 90’s!).  If you’re wearing a red dress, stay in the same family and have others wear shades of red, orange and pink that complement you.

TRENDS AND TEXTURE

Don’t be afraid of prints and patterns! But do stay away from having each family member in a different, busy print.  It is also best to avoid very fine stripes and tiny plaids, neon colors, character clothing and logo t-shirts.  Do add interest and dimension to your images with varying textures, like nubby knits, faux fur, a silk scarf, lace. Consider classic styles rather than here-today-gone-tomorrow trends.

HOME DECOR

Consider your home, how you decorate and where you intend for your photos to hang. You might want vivid colors for photos that will hang in kids’ rooms, but if your living room is a neutral, subdued palate, you might what the photos displayed there to reflect your minimal style.

SHOES AND ACCESSORIES

Don’t forget the details! Shoes make the outfit, after all. Consider your location (heels and grassy parks don’t mix) and time of year (riding boots with spring-time foliage might look off). Scarfs, earrings, a statement necklace, or a funky hat are great ways to insert a pop of color and personality and can easily be removed or changed out for variation in your session.  Ladies, consider wearing a bit more make-up than usual.

GLASSES

If you normally wear glasses, then certainly wear them to your session. But be aware that lens glare and transition lenses will obscure your eyes in some photos.

EXTENDED FAMILY

What to do for really large groups? I like these photos where the family chose neutral basics and then had various members wear a pop of color in their chosen accent of green.  No need to worry about the exact shade of green, just tell everyone to choose something already in their wardrobe.

WHAT TO BRING 

I LOVE when my clients bring props to their session. Whatever may help tell your story: the blanky that never leaves your baby’s side, the outfit that your toddler has refused to take off all summer (trust me, you’ll laugh about it later!), your older kids’ favorite toys or books or sports equipment. These things will give a picture of exactly where your family is at in this moment in time, and you’ll look back and treasure the memories.

Bring your smile!  This goes without saying, of course. But what I really mean is for you, as parents, to come prepared to model a cheery attitude for your family. Whether you have toddlers or teens, there will be moments where things don’t go as planned. Rather than threatening (“Sit still!  Now smile, darn it!”), tell yourself to roll with the punches. We’ll get better photos of a child being churlish, or mischievous and running away, than of one who has completely shut down or is in tears because he’s been scolded. Parents tend to have high expectations and anxiety on photo day—this puts everyone on edge. Take a deep breath, and allow your body language to tell your kids, “Hey, we’re here to have fun and I don’t care if you behave perfectly or not!”

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