I get this question a lot: "What should I wear for my session!?" I love answering this specific to sessions because of course it changes based on the type of session: maternity, family, engagement, etc and the time of year, but I wanted to put together a post that is a good starting point. Thankful for this sweet family that I have photographed several times. They are always adorable and I wanted to use their session as an example!
When preparing for your session, think: colors, comfort, and compliment.
THINK- COLORS
Guys, look. I like neutrals. Spring pictures? I’m probably going to say dress in neutrals. Christmas pictures? You’re going to hear me say dress in neutrals… Fall? Guess what… =) neutrals.
But here’s the deal. There’s a way to do neutrals. You don’t want to all be wearing white. That was for sure a thing in the 90’s. But… just no.
My FAVORITE colors of clothing in photos: creams, tans/khaki, soft pinks, denims, and rust. For spring pictures, I would lean towards the creams and soft pinks. For fall, add in some rust!
THINK- COMFORT
Something else to remember- you want to be comfortable.
If you’re taking pictures with me- chances are I’m probably going to take you on an adventure. I’ve been known to have you hop a fence, or cross a river, or hike through a field. Whatever we have to do to get that perfect shot! If you can do that with heels on - awesome. Just heads up- be prepared.
You want to be able to sit down too. Some of my FAVORITE poses are sitting down, so keep that in mind when looking at dress lengths.
-Most importantly, find something that you feel GOOD in!-
THINK- COMPLEMENT
You want to add some dimension, texture and interest with your clothing that also complements each other and the background. I typically go for plain, and have one person wearing a print, and/or add in texture with the type of fabric or layering.
Don't be afraid to be bold!
Pictures are a time to be bold as well. Sometimes it’s fun to step a little out of your comfort zone- maybe bring a fun hat for a couple of shots! Or an umbrella! I like to have a few things on hand as well that create a fun picture!
Types of clothing that work well-
-Women/ girls: mid length dresses, skirt with blouse
-Men/ boys: Khakis or jeans, denim or tan button up, t-shirts
Extended Family Photoshoots
For extended family photoshoots, or large families, you want to apply the above concepts of neutral colors, complimenting, and comfort, but there's a little more that goes into it. This is definitely important to think through.
(I borrowed this photo off of Google!)
As a large family, one major thing to avoid is wearing all jeans. This gets chunky and distracts from your faces in the photo. Instead, vary the "bottom half" in length and color. Dresses, jeans, leggings, tights.
Textures: as you see in this photo, some of the girls are wearing a vest, some are in denim jackets, etc.
Also, avoid picking just one or two colors and matching perfectly. Notice in the photo above they have about three in denim shirts, three in rust, three in cream, etc. The color families blend and create interest!
Where do I get these outfits?!
A lot of times you don't have to buy new! I am pretty sure every photo session we've done I've just grabbed something out of our closets that we've worn for Easter last year or have worn to church on Sunday. This is probably because I don't think to photograph my own family until it's almost too late! =)
My favorite stores to shop? Old Navy, Target, Amazon =) We also love getting hand me downs from cousins. Who else loves hand me downs?!
Hope this was helpful! Always feel free to ask any questions- hilarynicholsonphotography@gmail.com! I love helping clients plan for their session!
Until next time- wishing you all the best!
-Hilary