You’ve booked your photo shoot with me! You’re excited…and then you think about outfits and you start stressing. If you’re anything like me, you quickly remember that your 3-year-old daughter only wears clothes that are either head-to-toe pink or include multiple unicorns, bunnies or puppies. It’s overwhelming.
Please don’t stress about your outfits – I’m here to help! I’ve got a few tips for how to make choosing your family’s outfits as painless as possible.
Be Yourselves
You can go and purchase new clothes if you like, but don’t go buy a boho maxi dress if you’re a ripped jeans kind of girl.
Coordinate, Don’t Match
Please don’t all wear blue jeans and white T-shirts – this isn’t 1999. Instead, think about colours and patterns and how they go together. Make yourself a palette and work around it. For example, we had a family photo taken and we needed to make sure our unicorn daughter was happy, so I took her to my wardrobe, let her choose a dress for me and then we found one of hers (with bunnies) that matched. The boys in our family don’t care, so we just coordinated their outfits around ours.
Get Studio-Ready
If you’re coming into my studio, I would suggest that at least some of you wear lighter colours. Because the space is bright, the photos tend to feel more balanced if you’re wearing softer tones.
Consider Your Home’s Style for In-Home Shoots
Work with the feel of your home. You should try to match with the feel of your space. If you’re eclectic in your décor style, your clothes can be, too, but if your house is minimal, make sure your clothes aren’t overwhelming for the space.
Avoid Logos
The focus of this shoot is your connection with one another and your faces. We don’t want anything to be distracting, so aim to keep it simple.
Be Comfortable
We will be moving and playing, so you don’t want to wear clothes that constantly need readjusting. Being comfortable in your clothes will help you be more comfortable in front of the camera, too.
Make Sure Clothes Fit Well
You might have an aesthetic you’re after and you really want someone (maybe yourself) to wear a particular outfit. But if your clothes don’t fit properly, they won’t look good. Especially be aware of waistbands cutting in, kids’ pant legs being too short and babies in oversized onesies.
Simple Is Best
If it’s a choice between plain and patterned, go plain…unless, of course, you always wear big bold prints! Being yourself comes before simplicity.
If in doubt and you’re really stressing out about this, just send me an email and I’m happy to help 🙂
👋 Hi, I'm Amanda
I take pictures of people. Usually women. Often with babies but sometimes alone. I also take pictures of families, kids, and couples. Please get in touch if you’d like me to take pictures of you.