Hello!  

Probably the most frequently asked question I get from customers concerning their family portrait sessions is 

"How do I dress everyone for our pictures so they look good?"

I will answer that question for you in this article!

The basic principles for choosing outfits are:

1. Dress for your environment.  For instance if it's going to be cool at the time of your session, make sure everyone is dressed for the same weather.

2. Choose 3 - 4 colors to build everyone's outfits around.

• Notice in the fall session picture above the ladies are in blue and the guys are in green. 

• And in the Christmas picture below the ladies are in one shade of red/black and the guys are in different shade of red with a little bit of black/gray mixed in.   

• Here is a link to a color scheme guide for each of the different seasons.

3. Avoid pictures and slogans on clothing.  They can be very distracting and could take away the beauty from your pictures.

4. Make sure your children's clothes fit them well.  Make sure they're not too tight so that they're uncomfortable and fidgeting the whole time.  And on the flip side don't get them too big to where they are tripping and falling and crying and getting dirty before your pictures.

5.  Embrace layers and textures.  If you can include lots of layers and textures in your outfits, you can remove the need for coats which gives a cleaner look.  Think thick cardigans, scarves and jackets instead of one large coat.

There you have it, 5 basic principles of planning what to wear for your photoshoot.

I hope you found this article helpful!  I know it can be very stressful to coordinate clothing before your session and I will do my best to help you in any way I can.

If you have any questions or comments, feel free to contact me any time!

Jonathan

Text or Call Me! (540-793-0798)

Email Me! (jonathan@mess-e-photos.com).