Style Tips & Clothing Guide For Your Family Session

Now the fun begins! It’s time to choose clothing for every member of your family. Well-coordinated clothing can take an image from good to fantastic, so you must dedicate some time to choosing outfits you’ll love seeing on your family time and time again. I know how daunting this task may seem, and that’s why I offer in-home consultations before your family’s portrait session where we can go through your closets and I help you figure out what to wear.

A few tips when it comes to clothing-

Coordinate, don’t have everyone match! You want your outfits to feel cohesive without having everyone matching exactly. An easy way to begin is to choose two colors and use shades/tones within those colors. A third color can be introduced if you feel you don’t have enough variety, but try to limit this color to small accents/accessories, if possible. Find that it’s easiest to begin with the most challenging person to dress. Once you find an outfit that you love for that person, it will be easier to find coordinating pieces for the rest of the family.

Add Layers and Accessories Once you have your base, you can add layers and accessories for added interest to the overall picture. Things to consider: cardigans, sweaters, bracelets, necklaces, earrings, headbands, hair clips, hats, scarves, etc.

Things to Remember Please be sure to iron or press your outfits before the session. Remember that depending on the pose, socks may show! Your shoes may also be in the images, and therefore we discourage flip flops or crocs/natives. Wear temperature-appropriate clothing that’s comfortable and make sure it fits properly. Please have clean, trimmed nails. This includes children. Manicures are optional, but always nice!

Things to Avoid In general, you do not want multiple subjects in the image in patterned clothing. Too many patterns can be a distraction and may compete with each other. Also, thin, tight stripes can cause something called Moire, a wavy distorted effect in the fabric. We want the focus to remain on your beautiful family, not one person’s clothing so bright or busy patterns should be avoided. I know this is not clothing, but just a reminder to please not get a tan/sunburn right before your session.

Once we’ve chosen your outfits, I always lay out all of the pieces together to ensure that the outfits coordinate nicely. If we like what we see, we’re all done and ready for our session!

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