Family Portraiture Style Guide
Take a deep breath, mama. Finding a great outfit combo for your family session doesn’t have to be (too) stressful. I’ve got you. Let’s break this down into a few simple steps.
1: start with what you know you like
I always begin with this question: how do you decorate your home? What colors do you use? Calming neutrals? Bright pops of fun color? Are you more traditional? Modern? Funky? Coastal? The colors of your home are where we begin for two reasons. One, you know you already like them. And two, if your photos match your home, you’re more likely to hang them on the wall! Win-win.
2: PIck one outfit you love
I usually suggest this be mom’s outfit, but it doesn’t have to be. Choose one outfit that is a non-negotiable and start there. Have a dress you look stellar in? Wear it. Saw this to-die-for sweater for your 4 year old at Baby Gap? Perfect. Decide on the first outfit, and the rest will fall into place more easily.
3: BUILD IN LAYERS
Once you’ve decided on your color scheme, and built your first non-negotiable outfit, begin to add in layers. Start with neutrals, carefully adding in colors that fit in your already-chosen color scheme. Denim, gray, khaki, and black all make great neutrals. Feel free to mix and match neutrals as well, so not everyone is wearing the same color pants, for example. Then stick with the colors in your color palette to build outfits from there.
4: add a pop of color
Don’t be afraid to add a pop of color somewhere! Maybe it’s a scarf, or fun shoes. Maybe dad’s shirt collar is a fun color or baby’s dress is bright yellow. A pop of color makes your photos interesting, so not everyone looks the same. If you do add a pop, though, try and add it in small doses and in more than one place. You don’t want dad’s shirt to be the only pink thing you see, because your eye will be drawn only to that shirt.