Newborn Photography Frederick MD

What to Wear to your Family Photo-Session

By far the most common question I get from my clients is, “What should I wear?”  The short and sweet answer I give, is something cohesive, yet not overly matchy.  Choose 2-3 colors for your family pictures that go nicely together.  In this self-portrait I took of my uncooperative, but adorable boys,  I built the colors off of the dress that I was wearing, which worked well for this shot I took on our vacation in Maine.

Here is a more recent one, with my now *slightly* more cooperative boys, that I began by building off of the colors in my scarf. I do typically recommend starting with the moms outfit when doing family photos, because honestly we tend to be the most particular (and hardest on ourselves) about our looks.

Accessories can really make it!  Scarves, hats, chunky necklaces, etc. –all of these things can take your look to the next level.  Hats can be used as a prop and to add some fun variety in your shots. Pick your colors and then fill in the outfits with some color with the accessories.

Layers and texture work great, particularly when working with a neutral color palette.  Think fur, ruffles, lace- these all add depth and dimension to the overall image. I am totally loving the Boho Chic look Joyfoile has the most adorable flowy dresses and jumpsuits.

Shoes are important!  Sneakers don’t photograph well, unless we are talking about some cute Converse that go with the feel of your look.  As a self-proclaimed shoe lover, I can assure you, shoes can make or break a look.  I am a huge fan of tall boots, some cute ballet flats, Converse or even bare feet.  I love heels but be sure to bring some flats too.  We typically do a bit of walking during my sessions.

Also consider what you plan to do with your images!  Think about your decor in your home.  If your home is primarily neutrals you may not want to wear bold colors.  Here is an example of some wall art displays I created from my families photo-sessions.

• Clothes with logos, characters, or words.
• Don’t have everyone wear the same color. If you show up in all white shirts and khakis, chances are, I will cry;)
• Overly bright colors of fluorescent colors. These just don’t photograph well, and take attention away from the subject.