One of the questions I get before a photoshoot is related to what is best to wear for outdoor family photos. This is why I decided to write this post, where I explain few things to consider when choosing your wardrobe for a photoshoot.
Once you know what to look for and how to think about wardrobe per season, the stress gets out of the way, and you enjoy the journey. Making your best choices, will ensure that these portraits will last forever and will make you proud looking back at your family memories.
Dress for the season at your outdoor family photo shoot
The time of year that you are having the photoshoot is a really important consideration. Certain colours and types of clothing work best in particular seasons.
- In the spring, pastels and light fresh blues, greens and yellows are a great option.
- In summer, warm pinks, yellows look beautiful, as do cool sky blues, mints and aqua. For something glitzier, you’ve got the choice of champagne, rose gold and ivory shades.
- Browns, rusty oranges, golds and creams work really well in the autumn.
- Warm reds and jewel colours such as emerald greens, teal and mulberry are perfect in the winter.
Everyone should be dressed for the same weather. You want each piece of clothing to have a similar look—light, flowing and airy pieces during warmer months, with one or two layers for the cooler times of year. The weight of each outfit should blend well with the next.
Aim for a coordinated look across the family
Another really important consideration is how the family will look pictured together. What you are aiming for ideally is a cohesive, consistent colour scheme without looking too ‘matchy’.
The natural, outdoor photos that I will take of you and your family will look so much better if you have thought through in advance how you will incorporate your chosen colours into everyone’s clothing, but in a subtle way.
Gather your outfits together and lay them on the bed, this is a great way to see if they coordinate together. My role is to guide you through, so feel free to take a picture and send it to me, I am always happy to help you make the best choices.
It is a lot easier to change and swap the outfits while they are lying on the bed than making your family change their clothing once they got dressed, which can be quite frustrating, especially when you have children and you are time constrained.
Choose a colour palette to wear for your outdoor family photoshoot
When putting your family’s wardrobe together, try choosing no more than three or four colours to keep things cohesive. Certain colours complement and really pop against each other. Paired colours such as red and green, blue and orange, and purple and yellow are considered complementary colours.
From here, explore different hues within your colour selection. Red doesn’t have to be the candy apple shade we all might think of initially, but instead that of soft springtime flower petals sitting against its darker green leaves.
It is not necessary for the whole family to wear the same thing, or for everyone’s outfit incorporate every single colour from your colour scheme. The goal here is to be cohesive not identical.
People tend to think white is a colour you should avoid. This is rooted in year’s past and is simply not the case. White can work well in our coastal environment. But, there are colours that tend not to work well in outdoor family photos.
Black, neon or extremely bright colours should be avoided. We don’t normally see these in nature, and they tend to look out of place, so it’s best to keep clear of them. Save the black for a more formal occasion.
Don’t forget the small details
The last thing you want is to show up on the day of the big shoot only to discover that your child has worn their favourite pair of Christmas novelty socks, and they’re going to be clearly visible in all your photos.
The smaller details of an outfit, like socks or hair accessories, can be easy to overlook, but get it wrong and they’ll stick out like a sore thumb in your photographs. So, be especially careful and oversee every aspect of your child’s clothing. This will ensure that no fashion faux pas manage to sneak into your photos.
There also a few things to avoid when getting ready for your photoshoot. Avoid anything with visible logos. This tends to be distracting and dates the images quickly.
Don’t get a haircut the week before the session to avoid that freshly cut look. Don’t have everyone wear the same outfit/colour. Don’t wear your Fitbit or other large watch that doesn’t complete your look.
Mix and match textures and patterns for your family outdoor photo shoot
Solid colours work well in photographs, adding layers and textures can be a great way to add more depth and detail to your photos. Additionally, layers can also be added or removed if conditions change.
Utilizing layers also tends to look better than bulky jackets. So, it’s a good idea to include layers in your planning, especially if your photo shoot is at the beach or near the water where weather can change quickly.
However, when it comes to patterns, a careful balance is required. While a bold pattern on one family member can be a striking feature, having too many clashing patterns within the whole family’s outfits can result in visual chaos. The goal is to create harmony among all family members while allowing each individual’s style to shine through.
Mixing and matching textures and patterns, while considering each family member’s individual style and the overall colour scheme, can result in a family photoshoot that’s not only visually engaging but also truly represents your family’s unique bond and character.
Reflect your personal style
During your outdoor family photoshoot, I’ll be aiming to capture natural photos. Which means that I want them to reflect who you really are. While that doesn’t mean that you need to ‘dress up’ for the occasion, anything too far the other way means that you potentially won’t look your best on camera.
My top tip here would be to keep the overall look smart-casual. Anything too formal will look unnatural and will be uncomfortable for you and the kids.
So please don’t force your children into shirts buttoned up to the collar if they aren’t used to wearing them or shoes that rub their feet. Don’t wear anything that’s either too tight-fitting or too baggy. You want your clothes to be flattering, and make you look your best possible self.
You’ll be looking at the pictures for years to come so choose your clothes wisely so that you won’t regret your decision later. Basically, simple, classic clothes work best, and this is true whether you’re having your family portrait session outdoors or in the photography studio.
Don’t be afraid to find inspiration online for your outdoor family photo outfits
Pinterest isn’t just for finding poses or cute ideas for props. It can be a great resource as well for planning outfits and picking out themes. I keep in touch with my client through emails and social media in order to keep them updated and answer any questions they might have before the photoshoot.
I hope that these tips I have shared about what to wear to your outdoor family photoshoot have been useful. As you’ll probably already know, I love photographing families outside all year round.
Remember, I specialise in outdoor portraits of not just families, but also newborn babies, children of all ages, and pregnant ladies too.
So, if you’d like to secure a slot for your own outdoor portrait, please get in touch as soon as possible, I cannot wait to meet you.
