The easiest way to plan your wardrobe for a family photo session

“What shall we wear?” This is the question I get asked the most when my clients prepare for their family photo session. And even though I do have some great advice for you, there is something I want to tell you before I answer this question: outfits don’t play a major role in my style of natural, emotive photography! During my photo sessions, my aim is to capture the connection and emotion in your family in a way that makes you not even think about what you are wearing in the picture. I don’t want to capture a perfect outfit, but I want to capture a feeling, the uniqueness of you and your loved ones as you are at that moment in time.

Having said that, there are a few tips that I give my clients and to me the easiest way to plan your wardrobe is the following:

Start with one outfit and plan the others around it. And when I say one outfit, I mean yours, mama! Let’s face it, mums are usually the ones behind the camera, the ones that document all the little moments that happen in day-to-day life. So this photo session is your time to shine. Choose an outfit that you feel comfortable and beautiful in, and then choose the other outfits to complement yours.
Choose a style that represents your family. If you are a very sporty, active family, you will not come across as yourselves if you are all suited and booted to the max.
Don’t match outfits, just coordinate them. Choose a diversity of colours and patterns that complement each other. Wearing identical outfits, can look pretty cheesy very easily to be honest.
Avoid crazy graphics and neon colours. They can be quite distracting no matter how much emotion and connection we create in your images. :)
Layer up! Not just because of our infamous Melbourne-weather that can change any second but also to create more depth and an interesting mix of patterns and colours.
Finally, make sure that everyone’s clothes fit properly and that everyone feels comfortable. Because too small or too big, baggy clothes will show in the pictures as will unnatural movements because your clothes are uncomfortable.

And this is about it. If you have any particular questions before your session, I am always more than happy to help.

Here are some photos of a recent family photo session that I did, where I just love how all the other outfits complement mum’s gorgeous summer dress.