If you need help learning how to include color and coordinate your family’s photo session outfits, you’re in the right place.

It’s winter season in Southern California, and while we still get sun… It usually also means less color in the natural landscapes.  If you need help learning how to include color or find the right balance and coordination for your family’s photo session outfits, you’ve come to the right place.

One of the most common questions I get as a family photographer?  “What should I wear to the photoshoot?” “How do I dress my family for the session?”

I realize coordinating your family outfits can be stressful. To help, here are a few of my best family’s photo session outfit tips.

1. Pick two to three primary colors for your family photo outfits

The key to creating a cohesive ensemble is selecting two to three primary colors.  Intersperse these colors throughout your family’s outfits.  This will keep the whole look visually intriguing,  cohesive, and complementary.  In the example below, you’ll see the two primary colors selected here are dusty pinks and earthy greens.  You’ll also notice these colors echoed in the landscape photo – greens, neutrals, with pinks to pop.  Most often you want your clothes to complement the background and vice versa.

2. Play with fabrics and patterns in your wardrobe 

Once you have your primary color palette selected, explore and play with them!  You can try playing with different textiles and fabric densities (e.g. chunky knit vs. light cotton or linen, etc).  You can also try different color saturations within your color palette.  Example: a dark forest green knit and a muted heather green cotton fabric. 

Another thing to note is that fabrics that flow and drape well photograph beautifully. Especially when you incorporate movement, a top, bottom, or dress that moves is great to illustrate movement.

A really great way to create a cohesive ensemble with your family is to incoporate a pattern or two that contains multiple colors within your palette in one clothing item.

Don’t be afraid to play a little bit outside of the (color) lines – explore different patterns with colors that loosely follow your color palette and you’ll be surprised to find how well they work with the rest of the ensemble, so long as you use your color palette to guide you.

3. Tie everything together with neutrals and accessories for a cohesive family ensemble

Now that you’ve selected the clothing items for all of your family members, tie it all together with neutrals and accessories!  Mixing in healthy dose of neutrals helps to ground the look and prevent it from being visually heavy.  Adding in neutrals with color also helps keep the focus on what is most important – you!  Neutrals like oatmeal, cream, off white, beige, different saturations of brown and grey are all really helpful for creating a balanced look.  

Layering in style elements like jewelry, scarves, a statement hats, shoes, belts, hosiery (e.g. knee socks on a little one) are all also great ways to add character and dimension to the overall look.

One last note- don’t forget to consider your furry family member.  Incorporating a leash and collar that coordinates vs. clashes with your family outfits can really bring that added element of style to your entire ensemble.

Client wardrobe to kickstart your family outfit coordination

If you don’t love the idea of buying a new outfit you’ll only wear once, I’m with you!  I  recommend my clients purchase items they love and can see themselves wearing beyond the photo session.  That said, I do offer my client closet for all of my clients.  This includes bump friendly dresses to flatter expecting mothers and post partum mothers as well.  If you’d like to learn more, feel free to leave me a message below!

Lastly, have fun!

The last thing to remember, is to have fun with your wardrobe.

Your outfit is one way you can put your own personal touch on your images, so have fun and choose items that make you feel like the most confident, beautiful, best version of yourself.  Dress the way you want to document and remember yourself and your family’s beautiful story for years to come.  

Also, just to make things that much easier, I offer complimentary access to my client closet for all of my booked clients so there’s just one less thing to worry about.

If you’re still stressed about your photo session and need more ideas on how to prepare, check out my blogpost all about how to prepare yourself and your family for a successful session here!

Additionally, if you’re considering bringing Fido, you can check out my blogpost here regarding how to prep your pup for a successful session.

Thanks so much for stopping by!  If this was helpful at all, or if you’d like to see or learn more, drop your questions and comments in the comment section below.  I’d love to help if I can!