Here are some key tips to styling your family for your family portrait session!

A frequent question I get during family portrait season is: What should we wear?

Read below to help you get started on choosing those not to “matchy-matchy” outfits for your session!

KEEP IT SIMPLE:

Choose solid colors over patterns or at least minimize the number of patterns you have in total! You want the photographs to focus on your expressions, your body language and the moment or feeling of the photograph. Patterns tend to draw our eyes away from those important aspects of the portrait! Having one or two patterns that are very simple (flannel, stripes or polka dots) can be fun! Just be mindful of the number of different patterns you select.

WEAR WHAT’S COMFORTABLE
- Make sure you can move around easily in your outfit! You will want to wear something that is easy to move around in. You will want to be playful in your family portraits so that your photographer can capture natural and sincere photographs. Don’t be afraid to wear dresses or dress shirts, just make sure you can move freely in them!
DRESS FOR THE WEATHER/SEASON
- This might be more difficult in the Bay Area as our weather can change pretty frequently AND layers make for a great way to get various looks all in one session! Consider wearing a lighter layer for the start of your golden hour session and bringing a coordinating vest, jacket or sweater to put on as the sun starts to set! Be sure to look up (or ask your photographer about) the weather at your exact location! Weather at the beach might be cooler than the weather in the redwoods where the wind is much less of a concern.

GO FOR NEUTRALS
- When choosing your colors, a very simple way to start is to pick out two neutral tones that you want to focus on. and build in some other colors with your clothing from there. Consider your backdrop, will you be at the beach? Will you be in the forest? This will help you choose colors that allow you to be the focus of the photograph within the environment.
  - Beach/Ocean scenery: navy, white, beige, light grey
  - Forests/Redwoods: dark brown, white, muted green, dark grey
- These colors can be mixed and matched and do not have to be exact! The more neutral the colors, the more the focus is going to be on your expressions/emotions.
ADD A POP (OF COLOR)
- Once you have your neutrals chosen, you can decide to add a pop of color such as a yellow, orange, or blush that goes along with your outfits. Think of something that may be found in different parts of your environment. These more saturated colors may give a fun accent to your portraits!

5 TIPS FOR STYLING YOUR FAMILY PORTRAITS!