How to Dress For Your Family Portrait Session
If you’ve already downloaded my What to Wear Style Guide, then you probably have a pretty good idea of how to dress for your family session. However, there are a few things you might have missed or that may not cross your mind when selecting your family’s outfits for your photoshoot. Here is a list of what NOT to wear to your family portraits.
Text or logos. Words or logos can distract from the feeling and focus of your family portrait. A good family portrait will focus the viewer on the faces of each family member, not the images on their clothing. Choose something simple that compliments the color tones you have chosen but doesn’t take away from the emotion and expressions on your family members’ faces.
Inappropriate For the Weather. I cannot stress this one enough! In Colorado, the weather can be quite cold during the winter and spring months, and chilly in the mornings even during the summer. I know families really want to show off their cute outfits but nothing ruins a family photo faster than a kid who is cold and uncomfortable. If you or your child feel uncomfortable during the session, it is going to show on your faces in every shot. Dress in lots of warm layers, winter hats, scarves, and coats for really cold weather. Remember, it’s always colder up in the mountains than it is in the town of Durango, so if we are going up North, be prepared for chillier temps. I suggest onesies and long sleeves underneath thick sweaters or dress coats, leggings or thermals underneath pants, and a mug of hot chocolate waiting in the car as a little incentive!
Dresses, Skirts, and Overalls for Toddlers or Babies. I know that sounds crazy but when you hold a small child or baby wearing a dress or overalls, the outfit will always bunch up and the child ends up swimming in it. Overalls are a constant struggle when you are doing poses holding a child because they always come up around their face and you will be constantly trying to pull them down. Same for dresses, when holding a baby you will be constantly trying to pull the dress down from around their neck and face, and back around their bottom so their diaper or underwear doesn’t show. I suggest rompers or pants for kids that will be held a lot during a photo shoot and to save these kinds of outfits for later.
Athletic or Bright Colored Shoes. If you have small kids, this is pretty much all they wear. However, shoes are really important for an outdoor session and something like Frozen, Paw Patrol, or neon tennis shoes (even the soles), can really ruin the entire look. I suggest footwear that have only neutral tones. You can’t go wrong with solid browns, black, or grays! Don’t forget to think about socks too. They will likely show at some point. If you have opted for a studio session, barefoot is fantastic!
Clothing that Doesn’t Fit Well. During a family session, you and your partner will be moving a lot. You might be throwing kids up in the air, bending down to pick them up a lot, sitting down, and running around chasing them. Be sure to test your outfits out with some movement and verify that your shirts don’t come up to high when you reach your arms up, it doesn’t fit oddly when you sit down, or it isn’t something that will be too revealing. You want to wear an outfit that you don’t have to be constantly adjusting during your session. Same goes for kids. Make sure they can move and play freely in their outfit without having to fix it every time they move.