Figuring out what to wear to your family photoshoot is not easy and I know it can be stressful, so here are some tips from a local Rhode Island family photographer (that’s me!) for selecting the right outfits.

How to Dress Your Family

First, you need to decide what kind of feel you are going for. If you are wanting a warm color palette, consider mustard, brown, rust, cream, burgundy, and taupe. If you want a lighter, more pastel palette, choose clothing that is neutral and light toned. Colors that would look great for this are cream, beige, gray, muted pinks and purples, rose, and light blues. If you are looking for a more dark and moody look, choose some moodier colors, but mix in some lighter colors with it to keep it from looking TOO dark. Another idea would be to choose a couple pops of color, but keep the rest neutral.

PLEASE DO choose well-fitting clothing and something that you feel confident in. I would suggest starting with the pickiest person’s clothing first, then build everyone else’s outfits off of that. You want to coordinate, but not match. So I wouldn’t recommend just saying “We’re doing rust,” and then going out and getting tons of the same colored shirts for everyone. Get a textured knit sweater in rust, a gray shirt for another, a cream floral dress with mustard, pink and rust for another person, a mustard lace dress for another, etc. See where I am going with this? The goal is to look good together without being matchy-matchy. Change up textures and prints.

AVOID! Stay away from thin, close together stripes (it has an odd effect in photographs), small plaid or buffalo prints (also looks weird in photos), large logos, cartoon characters, or words on your clothing, as it detracts from the main subject of the photo: you. Stay away from too many super dark colors, as it makes photos look dull (especially black, avoid black as a base color of an article of clothing unless it’s pants). Also avoid neon colors like the plague, they make color casts onto skin and it’s not pretty. Don’t do this to your photographer ;).

Don’t forget to coordinate shoes! This is usually the thing most people forget about, and it really makes a difference. Know what always looks amazing? Brown shoes. Stay away from athletic shoes and shoes with neon colors, even on the soles. Wear shoes that go with the style you are wearing. Unless your session is in your home or on the beach, and in that case, ditch the shoes!

I know that was a lot of info to throw at you, but if you need ideas, please check out my Pinterest Board for inspiration (I pin things pretty often, so the most recent pins are most likely available to purchase if you want. I try to pin a variety of price ranges, too).

Also, feel free to send me an email or text if you need help deciding. I love when clients send me wardrobe photos!

Styling Hair

Quick note on hair. Keep it loose and flowy, rather than tight and pulled back. I’d rather your child showed up in 2 day old braids than tight french braids. Messy hair is more inspiring and fun to photograph than perfect hair! But really, if it looks good in wavy curls, then do it because that’s going to photograph the best. And if it’s windy, it will look amazing! For boys, just do what they normally do!