What to wear depending on your session.

I think my most common question asked is "what to wear"  recently I've felt like a total fashionista which is entirely not me.  However my clients always ask me to help them when it comes to their attire.  I have done blog posts on what to wear before however I seem to never have enough information.  Here is a few key points.

• You don't need to MATCH!  Coordinate yes. Match no.  The days of families all in black shirts and blue jeans is no longer thankfully.  I always help people pick wardrobes to coordinate.  Texture is great.  Color is great.  However most of all be comfortable. 

• No big logos.  Don't get me wrong I love brand name.  However I don't love when dad's show up with a big fox logo on their t shirt.  I have asked people to turn there shirts around or inside out.  So it's usually one of my initial warnings.  It takes away from the people.  It's usually so busy.  For an example of this I am going to show you a photo below.  Now let me explain this photo first.  I was photographing Ciarra for the launch of her website.  My son was with us at the end of the session and he had a day at the park in his play clothes.  Needless to say....imagine this same photo if he had a solid colour shirt on rather than his silly Iron Man t-shirt.

• Pick your wardrobe according to your location and session. Eg. If you are doing a maternity session in the summer light flowy fabrics are the way to go.  See this family nailed it.  If you are doing a winter session definately need to plan for the weather.  Choosing locations that will look good hanging in your house is always something to consider as well.

Hopefully this helps a little as well check out my other blog post about what to wear for more great useful tips.  However if you are stuck, I am always willing to help my clients so feel free to message me.  Talk soon!!

What to wear......

Many families biggest question to me is "what to wear"  This is a very tricky topic, because as much as I would love nothing more than to dress you.  You do need to be comfortable in what you wear.

I like to try and follow what I call the “Three Colors + POP” rule: 

1. Pick three colors (one being a neutral) and put together outfits with those colors only. More than three colors can seem a bit busy. 

2. Add in an unexpected POP of color. Be aware that this POP will become a focal point in the picture, so I wouldn’t advise adding this color in an area that you don’t want others to look at too closely. 

3.{I must make a disclaimer: RULES CAN BE BROKEN. I am preaching to myself here. However, I will say that these guidelines generally work well to produce a a cohesive, vibrant family portrait; a modern take on the whole “white shirts and blue jeans”, if you will.} 


Other tips: 

1. Think coordinating, not matching. Again, unless you want your family picture to look straight out of 1990, try to not match outfits exactly (although I have been known to match just because sometimes it works). 

2. Try and pick colors that complement the surrounding environment. for example If you have an abundance of orchards that look just lovely in the fall and spring, mustard yellow blends beautifully with the trees’ golden leaves. 

If you want to take this one step further (if you plan on displaying this picture in your home), try and choose colors that will compliment your home decor. My home is decorated with a lot of neutrals; thus, I would never pick neon colors for our outfits. Of course I’m exaggerating, but you get the point. 

3. Use your brightest colors as accessories. You don’t want the brightest colors detracting from the most important part of the picture: the PEOPLE! 

4. It is ok to mix solids and simple patterns. I know a lot of photographers might argue with me on this one, but I like to think that SIMPLE patterns add interest and texture to a picture. If you stick to a color scheme, everything just naturally blends together. 

So, that’s it! Hopefully, the above tips will help you do a little advance planning for what to wear for family photoshoots to create a beautiful family portrait you can be proud of.