What to Wear: Family Guide

Man oh man. I know it can feel kind of daunting to pick what to wear for photos. Much less coordinating your whole family. Don’t worry, I’ve been doing this for a long time and have developed a good understanding of what looks good in photos, and what does not. I’ve put together this page full of ideas/tricks/tips so you feel confident walking into your shoot. Remember: this is just what I’ve found to work best from trial and error from past shoots, they’re only guidelines, not rules! You can show up wearing whatever represents your family the best. These are YOUR photos - so always keep that in your mind first & foremost. But I also want you to feel educated in what works well together. So here we go!

Ultimately, I want you guys to look like yourselves. Don’t feel like if you don’t follow these guidelines that your photos are gonna suck. The most important thing to me is that you guys feel and look like yourselves, how you normally dress, so you can be as comfortable as possible! Keep in mind that it’s perfectly fine to raid your own closet for clothes. You don’t have to make a big Target trip or re-vamp everyone’s wardrobe (unless you want to of course lol). Just don’t pressure yourself or you will end up over-thinking what you wanna wear. Keep it simple, remember these tips, and trust your instincts! :)

Okay, here are my tips!

Here’s a few guidelines to help if you’re feeling lost about what to wear:

First off, I always recommend to bring options and extras. Who knows what is going to spill (or explode haha) on your way to the shoot. You don’t want to feel like you’re in a bind if something gets messed up. Photoshop can only go so far ya know? So throw a few extra neutral pieces in so you have some backups just in case. Life happens. ;)

Make sure it makes sense…

Think about the conditions and locations we are going to be shooting in and plan around it. If we are going to be outdoors, bring shoes with decent grip, and you won’t twist your ankles in. If we are shooting on a sandy beach, it would look weird if you’re wearing shoes (ps heels are almost always a bad idea in most scenarios, unless you’re freakishly good at walking in them haha). If it’s going to be hot, bring clothes that can breathe more so you don’t have sweaty pit stains in the photos. If it’s chilly, use scarves/hats/boots to layer up. Be as comfortable as you can be!

Movement

Like I said, make sure that the materials you wear will keep you comfortable during the shoot not only for temperatures but also for being able to move around in. If you're in brand new jeans that are still stiff and tight, you might be distracted during the shoot trying to make sure everything stays in place as well as lets you sit and run and move around in. I recommend bringing clothes that are "broken in" so that you'll be as comfortable as possible. I also love when people bring clothing or accessories that can show movement by catching wind, because it adds energy to the photos and looks freaking gorgeous!

Colors

I typically recommend sticking with neutrals & earthy tones. Neutrals doesn’t mean just grays & browns, there’s neutrals of every color (mustard yellow, forest green, navy blue, burnt orange, etc.) Stay away from bright, fluorescent distracting colors. The only colors I typically recommend to stay away from are pinks, bright oranges, and reds. If you have dark or olive toned skin, it might be an exception with the right conditions, but a lot of time it results in people looking really pink or weird in photos. So just try and stay away from those colors if you can, but if you really want to wear something that is pink, orange or red just check with me! If you’re feeling lost, you can check out my Pinterest board HERE.

Patterns

Avoid big, loud, chunky, crazy patterns. The smaller or more subtle, the better! If the pattern is too loud, it will distract from your faces. Flannels are always a yes in my book! I usually try to avoid pairing too many patterns together because, you guessed it, it makes the photos feel a little hectic and distracting from your faces and the location. Also, be sure to iron your clothes before so there’s not huge wrinkles distracting from your faces either!

Props

When I think “props”, my mind flashes through all of the cringe-worthy Pinterest photos I’ve seen of cheesy chalkboards and hobby lobby props brought to shoots. But props don’t have to be cheesy! Props could be a dominos pizza picnic, your family’s pets, blankets, a truck/car etc. If you have props you wanna incorporate, let me know and we can make sure to incorporate them in a non-cheesy way!

That’s all!

If you have anymore questions, don’t hesitate to let me know! If you’re still freakin out about what to wear feel free to email me a pic or two of what you’re thinking, I’m happy to offer specific feedback. But overall, just wear what you’re comfortable in and feel like you in. A pair of Vans you’ve had since 8th grade? Great. A sweater you wore for basically a month straight? Awesome. You do you, boo.