As a mom and a family photographer, I know that it can be stressful for my clients when they are trying to style and coordinate outfits for their family. The larger the group, the more stressful it can be. Trust me, I have been there. Typically it falls on the mom or a female in the family. I have heard so many women say "I just can't deal with the hassle of figuring it all out; coordinating schedules, where to go and outfits. I don't even know where to start." That overwhelming feeling alone is usually enough for people to make excuses or to avoid family pictures. I wanted to help my clients get ready for their family photos and take away the stress associated with getting ready for picture day. Did you know that when you sign up to become an EMP Fan that you will receive my Family Inspiration and Style guide? This guide is full advice and example pictures so you can see exactly what I’m referring to! Not only that you will be the first to know about special promotions and offers.
In this blog, I am highlighting my top family styling tips to help get you started and ready for your next family portrait session!
TOP FAMILY STYLING TIPS: CHOOSING THE COLOR SCHEME
First take into consideration the season. Spring is finally here in PA....YAY! So taking the spring weather, and colors in the landscape, the first thing to determine when styling your family is the color palette. For spring, I highly recommend choosing lighter, neutral colors, as well as pastels or jewel tones. Those muted blue colors and soft pinks photograph beautifully, as well as cream colors, light gray, and other neutral, soft tones. These colors also complement the spring Lancaster County landscape beautifully! You also need to take into consideration your skin tone. For example if you are pale, do not wear white or cream; it will only make you look washed out. But maybe a denim blue, salmon pink, or lavender would be more appropriate. Need some inspiration? Pinterest has tons of ideas including colors schemes, outfits to fit your style, accessories and more. I encourage my clients to avoid bold, bright, and neon colors and busy patterns or logo shirts are a hard no! The reason being that they can be distracting and hard to coordinate with other color palettes or outfits. Besides, we want the focus to stay on you!
As you begin to think about the colors you want, next is how to mix and coordinate them. Gone are the days of everyone in jeans and white shirts, or khaki's and white shirts. Matchy - matchy is so1990's and is out. Coordination is in, and the main goal is to break up the outfits so that everyone isn’t wearing the same color on top and bottom. I recommend selecting a dominant color that will be the focal point of the outfit, and accent colors such as neutrals or a punch color to highlight the outfit for each family member’s outfit. Consider accents in jewelry, headbands, scarves, etc.
Most of my moms choose their dress first, and then build the rest of the family’s outfits based on that. I personally alway choose my daughters just because she is more difficult and picky.
TOP STYLING TIPS FOR WOMEN
Speaking of dresses … women when selecting your outfit, when in doubt, say YES to the dress! Dresses or skirts flatter the female body and always look stunning on camera. I love the movement of dresses in pictures. The right fitting dress will give you confidence that is evident in the photos. That said you do not want a dress or skirt that is too short or too form fitting. Keep into consideration that I will be asking you to sit for some poses and if you are uncomfortable it will definitely show in your pictures.
MAKE A STATEMENT
Next, make a statement! Accessorize with jewelry, a hat, belt, scarf, a cardigan or other items. They can add visual interest and layers to your photos. It is a great way to add a pop of color and incorporate a little more of your personality!
Lastly, for the ladies, I highly recommend professional hair and makeup! Trust me, you will be so glad you did. I find this really boosts confidence and takes so much stress away from my clients! They don’t have to worry about their hair curling “just right” or getting up earlier than everyone to have enough time to do their makeup and hair. Hiring a professional hair and makeup artist allows you to actually RELAX and get pampered! A relaxing experience AND confidence-boosting, beautiful, picture-ready hair and makeup, sounds like a win-win to me. If you need a recommendation, I have a wonderful hair and make up artist that I have teamed up with.
STYLING TIPS FOR THE FAMILY: THE MEN
In the same way a dress flatters a woman’s body, a blazer, sport coat, or jacket has the same effect for men. You can’t go wrong with a dress shirt, slacks or jeans, and a blazer. Now I am not saying a formal suit, unless that is the look that you are going for. Long sleeves are more flattering than short sleeves, plus we can add variety by rolling the sleeves up for a different look. Button up long sleeves are my go-to! When selecting a jacket or blazer, you want one that fits you just right – snug, but not too tight.
For dress pants, make sure they are the correct length and and fit appropriately. Just like for the ladies, if you are uncomfortable it will show in your pictures and I will ask you to sit, so take that into consideration if you are planning to wear slim, "skinny" fit pants. Stick to solid colors and steer away from pinstripes or any pattern in order to keep the attention where it belongs!
And socks!!!! If your socks show or will show when sitting, please, please, please make sure they are not white and coordinate with your outfit.
COORDINATING LOOKS WITH KIDS + LARGE FAMILY GROUPS
Now comes the part that I think causes the most stress when styling a family: coordinating all the looks with kids and/or extended family members. The thought of coordinating 4 plus outfits sounds daunting, but I promise it is easier than you think! The outfits will look more cohesive on camera when the color palette and wardrobe pieces coordinate but don’t actually “match”. I don’t even want you to think or worry about “matching”. Think more about what fits together or complements each other. Refer back to my earlier tip on how to mix colors by visually breaking up colors and shades between each person’s outfit using dominant and accent colors. Different shades of the same color work too!
If you have multiple kids, don’t feel like you need to put all the girls in the same dress or all the boys in khakis with a light blue shirt. It’s okay to mix things up and create visual interest. For instance, one of your daughters could wear a dress with flats, while your other daughter could wear a skirt with fashion boots if that is more her style. One of your boys could wear a bowtie and the other suspenders. Mixing up different accessories and wardrobe pieces ties the look together.
In large groups it may be inevitable that someone will have some sort of patterned shirt. Just make sure that they are not too bold or busy, and minimize patterns as much as possible.
Finally consider your location when planning your outfit. If you are in a more natural, landscape setting maybe the heels that you picked for that dress, or a suit are not the best choice. Dress for your location!
Styling your family for portraits can be stressful, but it doesn’t have to be! My goal is always to create a stress-free experience for my clients from start to finish! As always, I am here to help every step of the way! You can always ask my opinion or advice when it comes to styling your family.
I AM HOPING THAT THESE TIPS FOR STYLING YOUR FAMILY PHOTOS ARE HELPFUL. IF YOU ARE READY TO BOOK YOUR FAMILY SESSION OR WANT MORE INFORMATION ABOUT MY PHOTOGRAPHY OFFERINGS, PLEASE CONTACT ME TODAY TO START A CONVERSATION! I CAN’T WAIT TO HEAR FROM YOU!
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