As a professional family photographer, I am often asked what to wear for family photos. We all know the weather in Cleveland can be crazy- I’ve had snow for Mother’s Day sessions and almost 80 degrees for Christmas sessions! I want you to be comfortable and wear something that reflects your family’s style, but I have some tips that will help your photos look great.
For family photo sessions, I recommend choosing outfits that coordinate, but don’t match. To best accomplish this, treat everyone’s clothing as if it were all one outfit. You can start by choosing an inspiration piece- a plaid or patterned piece- and then select the rest of the clothing to compliment that piece. Try to stick to two or three colors, keeping in mind the season and location of your photo shoot. Lay everything out on a bed and make sure nothing stands out too much. Add some texture with layers, ruffles, knits, embellishments, and accessories. Don’t forget your shoes and socks, they will show! A few things to stay away from are logos, neon colors, and thin stripes as they do not photograph well.
For newborn sessions, I recommend wearing solid, light-colored neutrals so that the baby can really be the focal point of the photos. Check out this post for more information on what to expect at your in-home newborn session!
Remember to do a last minute check for anything you might be forgetting that you do not want in your photographs such as a hair rubber band or Apple Watch on your wrist!
Here are some great examples for some inspiration. If you are interested in a family portrait session in the Cleveland or Akron area, contact me today for more information and to get on my schedule! And if your session is already booked, feel free to send me photos of outfits you are considering when planning your session- I would love to do anything I can to help make your photos look great! I hope these tips on what to wear for family photos helped and I can’t wait to start planning your family portrait session!
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