So. You've found a Photographer you love, booked your session and set a date...now what? The next step in your planning process can often be the most challenging and frustrating one: deciding what to wear. Fashion and styling were my first loves; so much so that, at one point, I considered opening up my own Personal Shopping business. While some of us know what we want and search the internet until we find it, online shopping (and it's unlimited options) can also make the process quite overwhelming. Although what you wear isn't THE most important thing, it is definitely a factor in how your images may turn out. Your photographer should help guide you in your wardrobe selections, so that everyone in your family feels comfortable and cohesive. Here are some tips for how to style your family for your photo session.
Pick a palette of 3-4 complimentary colors and stick to it.
Picking a color palette helps ensure that your family will look cohesive without being too "matchy". We've all seen (or been in) family photographs where everyone is in matching white shirts and jeans. Not only is this not true to life (I mean, do you dress everyone in identical outfits to go grocery shopping?), it doesn't allow your loved ones to show off their personalities. Your session is a time for you and your family to let loose and be yourselves. Sticking to a color pallet will allow your family to wear what they want, but will guarantee that your outfits will photograph well. Pinterest is a black hole of inspiration for complimenting color schemes and wardrobe ideas, so start a board with your ideas and share it with your photographer.
You might also want to consider adding a print or pattern into your wardrobe, as this will help your photographs from feeling too "flat". A floral or plaid can add so much texture, depth, and beauty to a photograph when used the right way. This leads me to my next tip!
Start with one outfit or piece and build from there.
In the fashion industry, we call this the "star". Do you have a gorgeous floral print dress that you love? Does your daughter have a beautiful romper that is a show stopper? Use this piece as your starting point and build all your other outfits around it. You need to be careful, though...not every outfit can be the "star"! This is all about balance; if you are in a stunning plaid dress, you will want to make sure that your husband is in a solid, neutral color as to not clash with your outfit. If you are feeling overwhelmed, finding that one piece that you love and using it as a spring board for everything else will help guide you in the right direction.
Lay out all the outfits together.
This is so important to visualizing how your choices will look when you are all snuggled up together in your session. You may realize that you're all wearing dark bottoms, or you have clashing prints, or maybe too much of one color and not enough of another. Lay them all out on your bed or the floor, and take a picture. Come back to it in a couple of days and question if you still feel the same way about your selections as you did before. You are going to be looking at these photographs for years to come, so taking the time to make sure you love how your outfits look is very important.
Wear something you are comfortable in.
I cannot stress this enough. Wear something you are comfortable in. If you don't feel good in what you have on, it is going to show in your photographs. If you don't feel comfortable in dresses and don't usually wear them, don't start now! Remember that the main goal here is to represent you, as you are, in this moment of time. This means that if you feel beautiful in a pair of your best jeans, then go for it. You also know better than anyone what silhouettes are most flattering to your body type, so stick with what works for you. Don't make anyone in the family wear something that will make them feel awkward or uncomfortable; especially the kids! If you daughter hates wearing skirts but you insist that she wear one, I promise that she will let us know how unhappy she is about it during our session. If your son can't stand a lot of layers, keep it simple. They will definitely fuss more than the grown ups will if they don't like what they are wearing.
Stay away from logos, neon colors, and baseball caps.
Aesthetically, logos, neon colors, and baseball caps don't usually translate into a timeless, beautiful photograph. These things can sometimes make images feel more like a "snap shot" than a professional portrait. If you are investing your money into a family portrait session, you will want it to look as clean and pleasing to the eye as possible. These wardrobe choices can also be quite distracting in an image, especially when you want your love (and not a giant sports logo) to be the first thing you notice in your photographs. Technically, there are other reasons why neon colors and hats can be difficult to photograph, and can result in more time being spent editing your images and making them right in post processing. However, if there is something you would like to include because it is meaningful to you, partner with your photographer to get their opinion on how it could work.
Don't forget about the details.
We can get so wrapped up in planning the big picture, that we often let the little things slip through the cracks. Here are some details to be sure not to neglect before the day of your session:
* Steam/Iron your outfits.
* Have a lint roller handy.
* Shoes...what everyone has on their feet is just as important as the whole outfit!
* Bring water/snacks (nothing that could potentially stain, though) to keep your little ones happy.
Most importantly, don't forget that you are there to have FUN! While the planning can be overwhelming and feel like a chore, don't let it over shadow why you booked your family photo session in the first place. Capturing those moments that make your family so special will be an experience you'll always cherish. The rest, is just the rest!
Below you will find a list of retailers that I love to shop at. They have beautiful items that often work well for sessions and you can get some great deals, too.
*H&M
*Zara
*Old Navy
*Asos
*Baltic Born
*Joyfolie
...and everyone's favorite, Amazon.
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