Planning Outfits for a Family Photo Shoot

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One of the coolest things about raising kiddos is watching their personalities slowly emerge. It always amazes me how our three, who have more or less grown up in identical settings (with a few moves sprinkled in) can be SO different.  Like most, we have thousands of photos documenting the growth in our smartphones, but we also make it a priority to get professional family photos done every couple years (and we try to coordinate the outfits for a family photo shoot).   

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Now, as the kids are getting older and getting more “themselves”, I try not to make them wear things that aren’t “them” (read: the kids control pretty much everything). We’ve never been the “matchy-matchy” type family, but the Type A, art and design junkie, math geek in me likes cohesion. Margaret Clattenburg of Margaret Clara Photography advises against being too matchy, too.

“Complimentary colors are good and if someone plans to wear a pattern someone else should wear a solid color.  For moms, maxi flowy dresses always photograph nicely.”

Margaret Clattenburg of Margaret Clara Photography

Professional photographers will know how to photograph whatever you wear, but if you’re just getting out the old tripod (or doing the “grab a bunch of stuff and balance the smart phone” thing)…

Here are some things to think about when planning outfits for a family photo shoot:

Find a Signature Piece … and build from there.

It isn’t as simple as picking a color theme:  one person’s “blue” may be drastically different than your “blue”. Just as denim for one may be dark blue skinny jeans, but for another it may be an acid wash mini skirt (and probably not a good one).  Look in your closet, your partner’s closet, your childrens’ closets. Browse some of your favorite online retailers. Find something – ONE THING – that you are drawn to, whether it is for yourself or one of your family members, and one that is authentic to the style of the individual it is for. Something that can be worn even beyond the outfit for a family photo shoot (obviously this box is checked if it’s already in the closet). Now here’s the key: this piece should have the most colors in it and should be a print or pattern.

Focus on the kids first… then the grownups.

For two reasons: 

1. because it’s cheaper/more fun/easier/etc. to choose something your kids already have OR to purchase an item or two to compliment what they already have; and
2. let’s be honest, they’re really the stars of the show anyway, so, best have them looking 100%.

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So following this logic, the signature piece will, 99.9% of the time, be something one of the kids is wearing and the other outfits are built based on this foundation.

When planning the other outfits for a family photo shoot, choose things that have something in common with this focal point piece.  So if your focal point is a pattern with blue, red, yellow, and pink, maybe you select a white shirt with the same red as a stripe.  It’s important that the common thread (see what I did there) “match”, but that’s it.  You could even choose the same pattern in completely separate colors. This is a tad trickier, but in this situation, the pattern is the commonality.

Address the pickiest person/ people… FIRST.

This rule may come into play when picking the signature piece.  But, PLOT TWIST, it also may be the last person you address, which would mean the most neutral of outfits.  It sounds contradictory, but each situation is different. For our family, believe it or not, the pickiest is Benny, our 8 year old.  Rarely is he ever NOT wearing active wear, and when he does, an argument has probably ensued, which has ONLY been resolved through heavy negotiations and bribery. We kept his outfit simple for this photo shoot: white tee and these blue shorts from the GAP.  These shorts are GREAT because they look “dressy” but Surprise! They’re actually athletic shorts. Benny was pretty pumped about it. And Alex… will wear just about anything but must always be sparkling.

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Let the clothes speak… for the individual wearing them.

Don’t put your daughter in a dress if she would rather be in jeans and sneakers.  Don’t put your son in a polo shirt if he hates to be in “fancy” clothes. If people aren’t feeling “themselves”, not only will the shoot not go as smoothly, but the resulting pictures won’t be representative of who you are as a family. You want to look back at the photos and see authenticity, not people playing dress-up (there’s always the beach boardwalk old time photos for that!).

Location, location, location… may not be *that* important.

You don’t need to go anywhere exotic to get great photos. Afterall, it’s merely a backdrop for your display of love! If it’s important to you, go to a location with meaning, but I have honestly seen some great locations on the side of the road. The *timing* of the shoot, however, is key.  “Unless you want really contrast photos, never plan for between 10-3.” says Clattenburg. But if you want to shoot within those hours, she recommends somewhere with taller trees to diffuse the light.

Golden hour falls between an hour to an hour and a half before sunset (or after sunrise).  Plan accordingly!

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For extended families…the same rules apply.

Don’t be too vague or too specific. If people want detailed instructions on what to wear, they’ll ask (and then you can send them what your nuclear family is wearing for reference); otherwise give people the freedom to wear what they feel comfortable in for. 

Comfortable people = happy people = great photos.  

Tell me in the comments below, do you have regular family photos taken? How often?

A giant, love-filled thank you to Margaret Clattenburg (Margaret Clara Photography) for sharing her wonderful photography skills with us. As usual, we could not be more in love with our family photos. If you’re on the hunt for a wedding/family/newborn/maternity/birthday/you-name-it photographer, reach out to Margaret via her website or any of the social media channels. You will not be disappointed!