What to wear at a photo session
For some families, just getting out the door can be a feat in itself. Much less making sure everyone is pressed and dressed in the perfect outfit! It can be difficult to decide what to wear for a photo session so here are three tips to take the stress out of wardrobe decisions:
1. Pick a palette
It is good to pick a color palette that will work with different textures and prints. It is not necessary to have everyone in the same outfit, and in fact doing so can create ambiguity in the picture (especially if all white or all black - as these colors are difficult to separate visually in a photo). Pick a few of your favorite colors and pick diverse outfits for each member in the session. For example in the picture above they each have a raspberry, blue, or beige color in their outfit. This creates cohesiveness in the photo and allows them all to match even though they aren't wearing the same thing. Feel free to have multiple colors too, here are some color options that may help you narrow down your selections:
Navy blue, coral, white
Turquoise, brown, white
Beige, dark blue, brown leather
Mustard yellow, blue denim, maroon red
In each of the options above there is a cool color (blue, green, purple), a warm color (yellow, red, orange), and a neutral (black, white, grey, brown). The key is to pick a dominant color (either cool or warm), a matching neutral, and then select the other options (warm or cool) to add pops of color. Feel free to mix up solids, textures, patterns, and prints to shake it up.
2. Stick to Classics
Now that we know what to look for in colors, let's figure out what is important for style. Some of us remember the fashion fads of the past and may have a glitter-poofy-sleeved dress lurking in the back of the closet. Items that are part of a fad may not be best suited for photos. If this is something you want to hang on your walls for years, then you don't want something that will look dated in 10 years because of your clothes. Stick to clothing that can stand the test of time, such as basic wardrobe pieces with simple patterns, solid colors, and a nice cut. That way you get more out of your investment and will want to hang the picture on your wall for years to come.
3. Be yourself
In complete contradiction to my last tip, wear what you want to wear. If you are uncomfortable in your clothes you will have forced smiles, uncomfortable poses, and basically you'll look like you're counting the minutes until you can hop back into yoga pants. Just don't do it. Because you know what is 10 million times more important than a perfect wardrobe in a picture? A genuine smile. I've done it too, I wore what I thought would look best and not what I felt powerfully awesome in... and you know what, I didn't like a single one of the pictures. Then I took a selfie with my hair like a rockstar and all my crazy jewelry and band shirt and I love that picture more than any of the others. Pick an outfit that will make you feel comfortable, powerful, and more like yourself. That's what I really want to capture anyway, who you are and what lights you up.