What to wear for a summer family photo session

My clients often ask me for tips on what to wear for outdoor family photo sessions and I figured it would be helpful to prepare a guide on what to wear for a summer family photo session.

Summer is a great time to have your family portraits taken. I personally love outdoor photos with so much beauty around us: natural light and lush, blooming trees, lavender fields and so much more.

Often times clients wake up on the day of the photo session and scramble to throw something together. But! Professional photographs are something that requires planning in advance. If you are spending money on professional family portraits, please take some time and think over the outfits for every member of your family. Simply because these photos will hang on your walls and make you smile every single day. So yes, the outfits matter.

Here are 10 Do’s and Don’ts on what to wear for a family photo session:

1. Do not dress everyone in the same outfit.

Your clothes should reflect your personality, so wear the clothes what reveal your character, but don’t over do it. You aren’t posing for a catalog ad, so you don’t want your clothes to “steal the show”.

2. Coordinate, but do not match your colours.

Start by picking one main color for your family outfits and two accent colours. All three colours should be in the same color palette. Incorporate different shades of these colours into everyone’s outfits. Here are few examples of it:

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3. Consider the location of your photo session when picking your clothes.

The location is vital when it comes to picking your family members’ outfits. Various locations call for different outfits. You may want to wear more classy clothes when you pick the urban setting for your session. On the contrary, you would look better wearing casual clothes in lavender fields and blooming orchards. 

4. Pick the right colours!

This one can be tough, so I encourage you to consult your photographer when picking the main colours for your outfits. These colours would depend on two things: your photographer’s style and the location of the shoot. Every photographer is unique in his/her vision and artistic expression. By looking at your photographer’s portfolio you can get a sense of the color scheme for your outfits: pastel, nude, bright or bold colours.

Also, do consider the location when choosing the colours for clothes: you may want your clothes to match the main colours of your location. Example: if your session is taking place in lavender fields, you may want the main color of your outfits to be purple (any shade of it).

5. Wear layers

Layers are great for creating textures and adding depth to your pictures. Depending on your style, weather and location you can opt for a few different things. Here are a few ideas on what you could use to create layers in your outfits: jean jacket, vest, throw on.

6. Hands up for accessories!

Similar to layers, accessories are great for enriching photographs and adding characters to your family members. Here are few examples of accessories that you can use in your photo session: scarf, hat, necklace, earrings, bracelet, headband, belt.

7. Choose fabric with texture.

Eyelet, linen, denim and lace all photograph beautifully and would most certainly add some extra vibe to your photographs.  

8. Avoid clothes with logos.

Logos look very distractive in photographs. They make your photographs look less classy and more like a commercial for a certain brand. Avoid them at all cost.

9. Limit patterns.

Patterns are good in moderation. Small patterns can add character to your photographs, but too many patterns can make your portrait look overly busy. Here is a good example where patterns are well used 🙂

10. Think classic.

Remember that you are going for a professional photo session and yes, these portraits would be different from the snaps you take with your phone.  You would probably want them to end up on your walls. So, by choosing simple classy looks, you would create timeless photographs suitable for any printing need you may have in the future!

Check for useful tips on how to prepare your kids for a family photo session here: https://www.liraphotography.com/did-you-know-saviez-vous/how-to-prepare-your-kids-for-a-family-photo-session/