6 tips on what to wear on a Fall Family Photo shoot!

Oh what to wear on your next family photo shoot!? 

This is such a great question and one I can best answer now that I have been doing family photo shoots with my own family! Let me tell you- it was no easy task for me- that’s why I thought a post on this topic might be helpful!

Tip number 1: I always suggest to start with the Mom’s outfit or the parent that is most concerned with how they look in pictures. Let’s face it, us Moms are usually the most critical how we look in pictures. In hopes to make Moms happy, I always suggest starting with that outfit. So Moms, pick an outfit you feel great in AND is also appropriate for the season.  For example, even though you love one of your summer outfits that might not work for a fall or spring photo shoot. Pick something you feel great in and can also move around in easily!

Once Mom has her outfit picked out, its time to think about the rest of the family members. 

Tip number 2: Do you have a child like mine who doesn’t like certain types of clothes? My seven-year-old son is very affected by the way clothes feel on his body. He loves wearing athletic clothing and pretty much only wears it.  And that type of clothing is not what this Mama dreams of him wearing on family photoshoots!!! But I also didn’t want him to have a bad time during the shoot and I also do not want him to look uncomfortable in pictures. Sometimes you have to pick your battles!  

For the last photo shoot we did as a family, I allowed Jaxson to wear athletic clothing. I was definitely very specific though on what color the athletic clothing it was and did not allow him to wear anything with logos. He ended up wearing a black shirt with gray sweatpants. Was it ideal? No. But he was happy during the photographs and that is better than a cute outfit.

Tip number 3: If you do not have a child like mine and your children are open to wearing anything, look at the pictures I posted in this blog post. Do you notice how no one is matching? Matching is so 10 years ago! A better idea is to pick clothes that are all in the same season and have a color relationship without matching. Pick a few colors that go nice together and do not clash. Sprinkle those colors throughout the articles of clothing in your family.

Tip number 4: Think about the environment you’re being photographed in. If you’re being photographed in a place that has very green grass, wearing clothing that has green in it is not a great ideal. The green shirt will just blend in with the background.  A better idea for a grassy environment would be maybe a deep purple, some blues or some neutrals. Another example of this is if you’re being photographed near some water. You are going to want to stay away from wearing the color blue. 

Tip number 5: Make sure that no one in your family is wearing a color that pops more than anybody else, for example, if your whole family is in neutrals you certainly do not want anyone wearing a red shirt. Accessories are a great place to have bolder pops of color- like a scarf, a belt or a headband. 

Tip number 6: Plaid shirts were all the rage the last few years but not everyone can wear plaid shirts for the shoot, it just starts to look really distracting in the photograph.  Same with florals and stripes. It’s just not going to look great if there are too many florals, too many stripes, plaids or checks. Imagine your trying to match your clothes to go out but now your outfit in made up of many people- think about it as an outfit for your family…but no matching! Haha!

The goal is to wear clothing that people love and feel good in but also doesn’t distract from the expressions of your families happy and gorgeous faces!!

2018 fall mini sessions will be held in 3 different locations- El Dorado Hills, Lincoln and Folsom Lake. Contact me to book your families session and yes, I will gladly help you with your outfit choices!