While the focus of your images will be your face and expressions, I want you to feel relaxed and beautiful so it’s important to wear things that help you feel that way.  If it’s uncomfortable, doesn’t stay tucked-in, only looks good from one angle, keeps coming unbuttoned, or makes you feel self-conscious, it’s probably not the right outfit.  It’s hard to overcome those feelings and restrictions when you are in front of the lens, so making good decisions ahead of time will help get the session started on a good note.   

Some ideas to consider when choosing what to wear: 

• Coordinate but don’t match: Start with one clothing piece that you love - a solid or subtle pattern.  Coordinate the rest of your family's outfits from that anchor point. You can focus on using one color but adding multiple shades of that same color.  Trying to match colors exactly sometimes leads to clashing or looking too matchy-matchy.  Add neutrals to create balance and textures to create interest.  If you are using 2 main colors, ensure they are complimentary in color and tone.  Add enough variety so that everyone looks like an individual and doesn’t look too similar together.  

• Colors: Jewel tones in the fall and winter, pastels and light colors in the spring and summer, and neutrals anytime tend to be softer and more complimentary for most skin tones versus stark white, black, and bright red.  Neon colors can be very overwhelming. Navy blues also often look 'black' in photos.  Dark colors show lint, so be sure to check/clean for lint and stray hairs before the session.   

• Layers and textures: Layers add interest and can provide extra warmth in cold temperatures and softer fabrics tend to look less stiff and wrinkled. 

• What to avoid: Large brand names, graphics, and bold patterns.  

• Tucking: It’s really hard for children to keep shirts tucked in!  A sweater or shirt that looks good when it’s not tucked usually works better and feels more natural for most children.  Rompers for toddlers are perfect!    

• Comfortability: In most family portrait sessions, it's great to be able to vary the height of everyone's faces by sitting, squatting, and leaning - think about how this impacts what you choose to wear.  Most sessions are pretty active and incorporate lots of movement.  Think about whether it’s hard to sit or kneel on the ground, a bench, rock, or even climb a tree in what everyone will be wearing. Everyone should be able to comfortably move, sit, stand, and hug without worrying about what they are wearing for fear of exposing something you don't want exposed in the images.    

• Pulling it all together: Once you think you have good plan, lay everyone’s clothes out in one space (on the bed or floor) and consider if anything clashes or doesn’t look right together.  At any point in the session, you don’t know who might be positioned together.  Does everyone’s outfit look coordinated?  Does anything need to be swapped out?  

• Ironing: Does anything need to be ironed in advance?  It helps to minimize session day stress when the ironing or dry-cleaning are done ahead of time.  

• Unload your pockets: Cell phones, keys, wallets, sunglasses, hair band on wrists...leave as much in your car as possible. 

• Glasses: If you wear glasses, make sure they have clean lenses.  Blue light glasses will look discolored in the images, and progressive lenses that darken into sunglasses are hard to 'see' your eyes.  If you have plain lenses, they will photograph better.  

• Check your hands....if your hands show in some of the images, are you OK with your nails polish and/or jewelry? 

• Remember that these photographs are going to be images that are treasured for generations so it’s worth it to take the time to find something that you love and that captures your personal style.