Your family outfits will look the most cohesive on camera when the color palette and wardrobe pieces coordinate, but don’t actually “match.” In fact, I recommend that you avoid thinking about “matching,” and instead think about what “fits” together. This will create more visual interest, and allow each personality to shine through.
How to Mix Colors
The goal for coordinating a family is to visually break up the colors and shades so that you’re not all wearing the same color on top and bottom, unless that’s exactly what you want. Otherwise, the more you can mix that up, the better. I encourage you to think about planning each outfit with “dominant colors” and “accent colors” in mind. A dominant color is a color that you see the most in an outfit, while an accent has a smaller piece of visual real estate. When you’re planning each family member’s outfit, if you can aim for each person to have a different dominant color, and then tie in and vary the accent colors, it’s going to look great all together.
Mixing Up the Pieces
If you have multiple children, don’t feel like you need to put them all in the same type of outfit. For example, one of your daughters could wear a dress and flats, while the other wears a skirt and boots. One of your sons could wear a bowtie, while the other one wears suspenders. Mixing up the wardrobe pieces will create great visual interest in the photos.
Prepping Your Little Ones
Before your session, pack a bag with snacks, water, and any small objects (like toys or lollipops) that might help us get your little one's attention when it’s time for them to look at the camera. If they are old enough to understand you, it’s a good idea to prepare them for what’s to come before the session starts. Explain how much the photos mean to you so they know to be on their best behavior.
A lot of families discuss and pick something fun in advance as a treat after the session if they’re good listeners, like getting ice scream or pizza, for example. It also helps if their bellies are full and they’ve had some good rest beforehand. Once you prepare them physically and mentally, then feel free to give them (and you!) grace! They’re little, and we know that some days don’t always go as planned.
The goal is to make this as fun and stress-free as it possibly can be for you and your family but if it doesn’t go as planned, that is ok too. The most important thing is to capture your family in the moment. It also helps to get the kiddos to play games during the session so we encourage to think of a few ideas that usually work with your little ones.
Some Final Notes
I recommend getting your clothes ironed and bring them hung to the session, especially if it’s an item that can wrinkle easily. In addition, make sure you have nail polish that fits with the setup and wardrobe. It may not seem like much but a loud nail color will definitely show and pop in the photos which can cause distraction and pull the attention away from who’s most important, you and your family bond.
