What To Wear For Family Photos

Firstly, let’s address something important. You DO NOT need to wear the same outfits at your photo shoot to show that you are a family. In fact, if you show up wearing the same jeans and white button down shirts, I’ll send you home to change. #sorrynotsorry

But Mike!!! Then what do we wear???

Easy peasy. Here are my 3.5 steps to dressing your family for family photos.

Step 1 - Dress like you’re going to the same event. This means choosing the same level of fancy/casual. If you’re going to a nice restaurant, what would you wear? This would be great for a family photo shoot. Want something more casual? What would you all wear for a Mothers’ Day brunch or if you’re attending someone’s high school graduation? The one time I encourage families to dress the same is if you are wearing uniforms. If you’re a military family or wearing sports jerseys, heck yeah!

Pro Tip : You can go for the juxtaposition and let everyone wear whatever they want. I love doing this kind of shoot. There is no dress code. It not only makes for a really fun shoot, but it’s a chance to tell everyone in your family that you love who they are as an individual and that support everyone’s weirdness.

Step 2 - Everyone in your family has a unique personality. This is a chance to show that your family is a group of unique individuals. One family I photographed all wore neutral black and greys, but they all wore a different pair of Doc Martens. I buy Docs like they’re keeping me alive, so this one stood out to me. One daughter had patent black boots and one had sparkly pink ones. The parents had their own also. Another family I photographed all liked different after-school activities. One son brought a basketball. One brought a hockey stick. Their daughter brought her sketchbook. We did individual photos and one group photo with everyone holding their unique item.

Pro Tip: Your dog is part of the family too. Bring your dog’s favorite toy so we can get that look of pure joy on their face during the shoot. Plus, I just want to pet everyone’s dog.

Step 3 - Let’s talk about colors and patterns. There are only a few things to keep in mind when coordinating colors. First, consider the environment. If we’re surrounded by green, and you wear green, you’ll blend right in. That’s not ideal. Next, everyone’s outfit should be the same level of brightness. If everyone is in dark colors except one person in all white or bright yellow, those clothes will stand out in the image and be distracting. Think of an orange traffic cone in the middle of a black asphalt parking lot. Lastly, busy colorful patterns can also be distracting in an image when everything else is neutral. If one person is dressed like the Partridge Family bus or a 90s dance video, those colors and shapes will jump out in the image. This is how our brains work. We see the brightest, most in-focus, and highest contrast elements in an image first.

Pro Tip : Most shoots last about an hour. You can always choose a more neutral look for part of your shoot, and then glam it up for part. If you want this to be a fun and pleasurable experience, allow everyone to participate in their own way. This is one of those ways.

Step 3.5 - Relax. Breathe. Focus less on the outcome and more on the experience. Play. Have fun. If one of your kids wants to dance, let them dance. If your husband wants a few photos with his favorite hat, let him. We can take more formal posed images, and then we can capture what it truly means to be a family.