What To Wear - Family Sessions | Greensburg, Indiana Family Photographer

So, I get asked a lot about clothing....clothing for the kids, clothing for the parents, what colors look good outside, and on and on. So I thought I would put together a quick post about some clothing tips.

First off - coordinate and don't match! Most families still think they all need to match, and that is simply not true! As a matter of fact, it looks better when you don't all match! You can still get a great family portrait, but you may "blend" together and not show everyone's personality.

The best suggestion is to start with one person in the family and find an outfit you love - then build off of that. Pull one or two colors from that outfit to put the other family members in. One example is my own recent family session. I found this dress and loved it, so then I pieced everyone else together from the teal/brown/jeans combo.

A huge thank you to my dear friend and photog - Angela Jackson Photography

And as you can see - you can do multiple patterns together with some thought. You don't want to do too many though, as that can get distracting.

Here is another great coordinating family:

And another:

A few more color options that go well together, yet allow for individuality:

Adding in lots of textures and layers helps to give the portrait some dimension and everyone a bit of their own personal style.

*For children - try to keep it simple though. Especially real little ones. Too many layers will bunch up on them and will hide their face.

And a few pointers on what NOT to wear (for families or just children):

*Neon colors - especially in the fall. These colors tend to reflect on skin tones and not look the greatest.

*All white shirts - especially when outdoors, as they can "blow out" and be hard to expose for.

*Too many patterns - can get very "busy" and distracting

*Printed t-shirts - they just aren't cool for family portraits

*Color "groups" for extended families - where one family wears matching shirts in the exact same color, and another family does the same with another color.

Be sure to check out my What to Wear Pinterest board for more suggestions. And as always, just ask me if you have any questions! As your PROFESSIONAL photographer, that is what I am here for, to help you plan your session and give you the best portraits ever.