Ahh yay! You’ve booked your photo session. SO stoked! Since you’ve already invested in these fresh new photos, let’s make sure YOU are looking fresh too! Whether you’re choosing outfits for your whole family, or for a couple’s session–I’ll leave you a few tips here. I want you to feel like yourself AND look cohesive but not *too* matchy-matchy, ya know? Keep on reading for outfit ideas & pics of some of my fave combos from this year so far! And of course, if you’re one of my clients, you know you can always send me photos if you need help brainstorming!

 

A few basic things to keep in mind when choosing outfits for your session: 

Where are these photos going to be used? If you’re putting large prints on the walls of your home, think about the colors in your house. What will match best with your decor? Earth-tones, pastels, blues? 

A little goes a long way! Dressing just a bit fancier than you usually do will seriously take your photos to the next level. You’ve already invested in your photos, so you might as well invest some time to plan what you’ll wear! Odds are, you probably won’t even need to shop for new clothes (but also, if you love a good shopping trip, then treat-yo-self!)

Props, accessories, & pets can add so much personality & fun to a session. Hats, sunglasses, bikes, picnics, drinks, footballs, guitars, etc.  Let me photograph you doing real-life things! Check out this cutie family below to see how they used props to capture all their favorite memories of their family vacation. 

 

After you pick your color scheme, the next step is to look at color value. Value is the lightness or darkness of a color. Especially with large groups, it’s a good idea to stick to either a light or dark color scheme so that no one stands out more than the rest of the group. If you’re having trouble figuring out if the values match, use this little trick I learned in art school: place all of your outfit options next to each other, take a photo, and put a black-and-white filter on it. If one article of clothing looks out of place, then you might want to choose something more cohesive.

Here’s a few more go-to outfit tips:

Neutrals: Mix in some neutrals with your chosen color scheme. Rather than having everyone in color, break it up with khaki, whites, browns. For family photo’s, I’ll often have mom & dad standing next to each-other with kids surrounding, so try not to wear a color super similar to your spouse.

Patterns: I love fun, bold patterns! Try to limit patterns to 1/3 of your group so that the main focus can be on your pretty faces! Consider mixing up textures, too! Sequins, pleated dresses…the more movement the better!

SHOES!! Guys! I have to emphasize this one… I die a little bit inside when I see everyone’s outfits come together perfectly, and then BAM. All the dudes are in crocks & sketchers. Such a tragedy. Maybe I’m being dramatic… but you’ll thank me later for this reminder. Guys’ shoes are the most often overlooked thing. If you’re wearing dress clothes, I’d highly recommend you either throw on a pair of dress shoes, or just go barefoot! (personally I love the barefoot vibe!) Let’s build those calluses!

Accessories are an awesome way to add pops of color to more earth-toned outfits. For hat’s, however, I’d recommend neutrals so they don’t altar your skin-tone.

Hair & Makeup: Use this session as an excuse to get all dolled up! And then make your man take you on a lil’ date afterwards! I can recommend some awesome hair & makeup artists locally, or just do it yourself! Either way, wearing a little extra makeup & styling your hair makes you look polished and often times, more comfortable in-front of the camera! If you plan on hopping in the ocean/ river at the end of your session, wear waterproof mascara & bring towels!

Last but NOT LEAST: Flowy dresses! They are romantic. They are flattering. The way the wind hits them is MAGIC. They make you want to dance. They are the best thing. Literally the perfect occasion to whip out your flowy dress. When in doubt, wear a flowy dress. Thank you for coming to my Ted Talk.

I hope this post gave you some inspo for your session! And to my client friends, you can always call me if you need help choosing what to wear! Stoked to make some magic with you soon!