Quick Guide to Family Portrait Outfits
If you’ve invested time and money into booking a photoshoot for your family, you may currently be stressing over making sure those photos look just right. And rightly so! But let me put your mind at ease- it doesn’t have to be overly complicated. Here’s some of my top tips for picking out your family’s outfits.
Coordinate, Don’t Match
This not only helps keep the photos timeless, but it helps add some more contrast and texture to the photos.
Pick 1 Main Outfit and Build Around It
I love this way of building a look! Pick one person’s outfit as the base- usually it will be mom’s. Then pick colors and clothing styles that coordinate with that outfit. For example, in the photo above the mom is wearing a blue and white floral dress. So the girl’s outfit is a light blue dress with brown sandals and dad wore a light blue button-down with khakis and brown boots.
Consider Season, Location, and Where You’ll Display Photos
You want your outfits to compliment everything around you. In the Spring, Pastels are a classic choice. They compliment the fresh lighter greens and flowers outside. White and khaki are always a favorite at the beach, but navy and olive tones may feel more at home in a mountain setting. You can even consider where you’ll hang the photos in your home- if your living room is boho, then preppy style clothes might seem out of place. Btw- booking in the suburbs north of Houston? Check out my top 4 favorite locations!
Avoid Logos, Neons, and Overly Casual Clothes
This is not a good time for your ten-year-old son to wear basketball shorts, crocs, and a hoodie with LEVI’S across the back. We’re taking these photos with the big fancy camera, not your phone. It’s worth dressing up a little for.
Don’t Forget Shoes
As an extension to the last tip, make sure your shoes coordinate with the rest of your outfits and avoid large logos and neons. We want to focus on your faces, not your feet.
Avoid a Lot of Black
Okay, this one is more of a personal preference. But I’d advise avoiding wearing much black if possible. It create a visual black hole in the photo. If you have a goth in the family, I’d lean towards dark brown, navy, or a dark green instead.
Outfit Inspiration
Now that we’ve covered some main points about styling, let’s look at some inspiration!
Always reach out to your photographer with any questions regarding outfits for photoshoots. It’s part of our job! And if you live in the Houston area and are looking for a photographer who will guide you through the whole process, check out my portrait gallery or view my current package offerings. I look forward to hearing from you!
