Let me tell you a little known secret of knocking your family session out of the park – what you wear matters.
I can work all my photographer magic, get adorable laughs and smiles, create perfect connections with spectacular light all in the most beautiful location, but if you have not planned ahead and styled your family for the day, it all just sort of falls apart.
So what should you wear? And how does one even begin to start styling a whole family? Well, as a former fashion stylist, this is an area that I completely enjoy so let me share some tips along with a few photos of families who have knocked it out of the park.
First, start with your location. What would you normally wear there? If you are outside at a park, you will likely be sitting on the grass, laying on a blanket and maybe chasing kids through a field. So what would you put on for a day park? Start there and polish it up a bit. Dad in a casual button down and jeans, mom in a cute top with jeans and kids in nice school clothes is a good place to start your thought process for an outdoor location.
So now you have an idea of what you are looking to find. Next is the actual items and coordinating them with each other. You will want everyone to coordinate – not match.
Try thinking of it in the same way that you would put together an outfit for yourself. When I style myself, I start with the favorite piece that fits my mood for the day and build around that. I pull out colors from a printed piece to coordinate, then decide if I need any layering for interest and depth, pull out some personality in my shoes and finally add a little pop with accessories. And that is exactly what you want to do when working with the whole family for a photo session.
Personally, it never fails that there is a piece I fall in love with for either my son or my daughters that I just know they have to wear. That is the starting point. And more often than not, that piece will be have a print or multiple colors. There is my color scheme which I pull the remaining outfits to coordinate. Pulling colors out of one piece for the rest of the family insures that everyone will look coordinated without a lot of though to if the colors “work” together. I like to stick to a three and a pop rule when it comes to color. Denim or neutral pants don’t count but outside of those, sticking with three colors (pulled from a pattern or piece someone is wearing) and then small touches of a POP – we will get to the pop in a minute.
So now the outfits are starting to come together. Next up is layering. When styling a family, “layering” takes the shape of looking for varied textures. A chunky knit, flow lace or sparkled sequin does a lot to bring contrast and variation to the overall feel of the image. It is important to have a variety of textures in the fabrics to avoid a flat photo.
Now it’s time to look at the shoes. The last thing you want is for everything to be perfect and then to have a distraction with the shoes. Make sure they are fresh and clean. Both shoes and socks should blend in with the bottoms you wear or pull attention for a reason! If I notice your shoes, make sure it is because you love them and want to show them off.
And finally, accessorize with a POP! These pieces will pull attention so use them wisely. A bright necklace on mom to accent her face. A bright belt on your big girl. The layer under your sons shirt. Just a few touches to add some personality.
Now lay it all out on the bed together. Check that you have all the accessories, bows, ties, socks, every detail planned out. Tweak anything you need to until you love it. And most importantly, try it all on and be sure everything fits properly. Kids clothes should fit exactly on photo day. And everyone should feel happy and confident in their looks. Nothing creates a better smile than confidence!
XOXO
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