What to wear for a Family Photo Session
Spring is in the air here in SE Michigan and family photo season is here! Boy, what great time to be a Metro Detroit Baby and Family Photographer...the flowers are just coming out and they are stunning!
One thing I have learned the past few years, from my own experience and from feedback from my clients, is that choosing wardrobe for family session (especially extended family photo sessions) can be stressful.
As a full service boutique studio, I want your photography experience to be as fun as possible so I am here to help! We can chat by email, phone and I will even pop by to help...and I recently reached out to a local Grosse Pointe stylist, the Blonde Mom, to come up with a special add Personal Stylist Option for my clients. This opportunity is perfect for someone who has toyed with the idea of working with a stylist but for whatever reason has tired one yet.
Even if you are not a client, I have a few simple tips on how to choose your photo session wardrobe.
Tip 1: Pick a pallet of 3-4 colors where at least one color is a neutral (neutrals are wonderful at pulling everything together). Then plan everyone's outfit around those colors. Having a pallet is especially handy when planning an extended family session.
Tip 2: Remember to think about where you your photos are gong to be taken. For example, this spring I have a number of sessions in daffodil fields and I am encouraging my clients to choose a pallet that complements the yellow, blue and green natural elements that will be with them in the photo.
Tips 3: Think about your end goal for the session. I am a big believer that when planning a session (location, time of year, wardrobe) it is important to think about what you plan to do with the images. I would approach the planning differently for wall art for a playroom vs a large piece for over the fireplace.
Tip 4: This more of a method than a tip, but I like to dress my son in cute colorful clothing...often checked, plaid or festive button down shirts or a thick striped sweater. So I often choose his shirt first, use 3-4 colors from his shirt to set our pallet then plan my husband's and my outfits around him. My husband usually has a coordinating shirt or sweater and then I often select a neutral or soft colored top for myself.
Tip 5: This is more of a Rule than a tip...t-shirts are fine, particularly solid color ones but stay away from anything with words or a graphic on it (unless there is something very intentional about it "like best big brother"). Not because of how it looks, but often when posing for a photo, part of your shirt might get twisted or covered or cropped and words and graphics of get lost...they also have the ability to date a photo and often my clients are looking for more of a timeless image.
A few examples:
Navy, tan, white, and variety of pastels/soft colors - and the clever mom that put this wardrobe together did something very similar a few years for a session with me in an orchard. So not only does her family coordinate here but they coordinate with a past session, making it easy to mix and match images from the two sessions on gallery wall or in an album....not necessary, but a nice touch.
Navy, tan, pink, purple and grey - in this case my very thoughtful client picked a color for each person...navy for those who want jeans, tan so her dad could wear his favorite pants, grey for her husband's pants and an easy go to neutral, and pink for her and her daughter. I came up with the idea to add purple for a touch of color that would go well with the pink.
Black, white and red - a classic and stunning combo! My client here brought her eldest daughter out on a special mom/daughter shopping trip to pick out a special dress. I still remember her saying "As soon as she settled on the black and white dress, I knew I was going to be in Red!" What I really love about this wardrobe selection was the balance...you have one girl in black in white, one in all three and one in all red and the boys dressed the same.
There are numerous possibilities for color pallets and wardrobe selection out there. If you are a client of mine and have an upcoming session and you are reading this because it is a pain point for you, please call me...I am here for you!
Navy, red, and camel and they used the toddler as an opportunity to bring in a extra splash of color with his multi-colored shirt...you can see a bit of golden yellow and a light yet bright blue. That little splash of color is subtle, yet really adds something to the image.
