Let's Talk Clothing for Family Sessions...

When it comes to family sessions, in particular, I am often asked for input on wardrobe choices. And that's completely understandable. I mean, it's not everyday that we try and get every member of our family spruced up and looking good... and looking good TOGETHER.

I figured that the blog would be a great place to post the advice that I often give by phone or in person. Regardless of whether you're planning a session with me, it may help you to have these tips in your back pocket this fall.

Let me preface this advice by saying that there is no one magic formula. And these tips are simply what I believe, based on my own experience photographing families. Ask someone else -- even another photographer -- what you should wear, and you may well get a different answer.

I was out this week looking for some things for my own family to wear in our photo, and I thought that they would provide a good illustration of my main points.

POINT ONE: Start with one or two neutral colors.

In our case, this was navy. Specifically, it was a navy dress that I picked up from crewcuts during a sale a couple of months ago. I love it, and I've been keeping my daughter from wearing it too often so as to minimize the potential for yucky stains (something her clothes meet up with quite often). If you don't want to go with navy, think about black or gray or brown.

Then I took a trip to Old Navy. This store is great for putting together outfits that are coordinated but not match-y, and usually at a pretty good price. Which brings me to...

POINT TWO: Add in a "pop" of a bright color or two.

In our case, this was a lighter blue and a bright green. And I broadeded my neutral palatte to include gray.

Here's how I arrived at that decision: I went first to the boys' department and hit the sale racks. There was a nice collared shirt on clearance, which is white with very thin navy and green stripes. Then I checked the $7 polo shelves. I grabbed a navy shirt in my younger son's size. I'd hoped for the lighter blue, because the navy shirt means he probably can't be right next to his sister in the photo, but they were out of that in his size. No big deal; navy is fine.

(And please excuse the cruddy quality of these photos; I wasn't too worried about making them technically beautiful.)



Then I found a pretty little gray sweater for myself -- also on clearance. And after that, I found a couple of pullover sweaters that would work for my husband. I was feeling a bit indecisive, and both of these included the navy and brighter blue. (He never buys clothes for himself and needs new sweaters, so in this case getting two was practical.)

Wouldn't the cream-colored one look good in a photo of just the two adults?



Now, at this point, you may be thinking that this is all well and good, but you don't want to buy new clothes for your whole family. That it's just not in the cards. I totally get that.

Which is why I urge you to surf Old Navy and J. Crew and The Gap and any other clothing sites that you like. Often, they show groups of kids or mixed ages together, and the clothes they are wearing obviously photograph well together. Maybe you already have something similar, or you could borrow something from a friend who does.

POINT THREE: Have fun, and don't hesitate to toss in an extra accessory or two.

These items may or may not work in a group photo, but they could be fun to add in for other shots. My son's shirt -- the one with the thin green stripes -- doesn't really have a lot of green, so I'm not adding any more of it into the family photo. But tossing a green scarf around my neck and some cute and funky striped leggings under my daughter's dress can change things up and open up fun options for mom-and-daughter pics or pics of either of us with Mr. Long-Sleeved Shirt.



Again, you absolutely do not need to purchase new things for your whole family. Starting with a neutral color or two, and then adding in a brighter color or two, can often be done with what you already own (or can borrow). I just opted to pick up a few things on sale that we needed or would make great use of anyway.

Besides these tips, here are a few others that I typically share with families. Again, these are things that I've found to be true in my own experience.

-Avoid overly busy or loud prints or graphics. These can be distracting in photos. Loud black and white prints, for example, will take away from the lovely face above it.

-Same thing for big logos. Same reason, plus they can date your photos.

-Wear clothes that are "you." That is, don't wear something -- or put your kids in something -- that isn't something that you'd normally wear. My own sons love collared shirts, but my brothers HATED them growing up, and you could usually tell in pictures.

-Don't wear clothes that are too small or tight or uncomfortable. It's hard to be comfortable and natural when your clothes are pinching, and clothes that fit into that category (no pun intended) usually don't look flattering in photos, anyway.

-In general, sleeveless shirts are not going to be your best friend. If you have rockin' toned arms, then great. Go for it. But in general, most women, in particular, benefit from a little sleeve. :)

That is most of my advice, all summed up and probably more detailed than you'd like. But if you still have questions, or want to talk over anything, I'm more than happy to help.