Family Photography Style Guide

What to Wear for Family Photos

1) Be yourself. This is the most important guideline of all. You want your family photos to reflect your family’s personalities, not someone else’s.

This is your chance to add some sparkle and spice to your usual style, but not completely switch it up. Wearing clothes that you are familiar with and you know work well for you is just one more step to being more comfortable in front of the camera.

2) Compliment each other. This is not the time to break out the matching white shirts and khakis/jeans. We are not on a beach. (And even if we were, we’re still not sure this is entirely acceptable). So, while dressing alike is not recommended, coordinating is entirely encouraged.

Make sure you are all wearing styles that mesh well. For instance, it would be pretty awkward if some of you are dressed for a black tie wedding, while others of you are wearing GO CARDS t-shirts and chucks.

If you do decide to do a clothing change, it’s ideal to have one casual and one dressy outfit, so you get a good balance. Try to make sure the colors you choose compliment and don’t clash with each other.

3) Comfort and convenience are key! Again, being comfortable with what you are wearing helps you to be comfortable in front of the lens. Especially for young children. If your toddler keeps pulling his baby fedora off, or you can’t fully sit because your jeans are too tight, then the discomfort is going to show through in the images.

It’s also a good idea for everyone to leave any phones, wallets, purses, etc. behind because constantly having to set them aside or remove them from your pockets is just plain annoying. Ain’t nobody got time for that!

4) Keep it classy. Mid-drifts, upper thighs, and undergarments should not be making an appearance in your photos. These are the kind of things that will completely upstage you in the photos because most people’s eyes will be drawn to them.

5) Be a chameleon. No, we’re not saying to break out the camo or be boring with your clothing choices. Instead, consider where you will be taking your pictures.

If you are planning on being photographed in a beautiful park or green field, pick a style that is fitting and a color that will pop against the green. If you are going to be strolling on the sidewalks of downtown, you may want to be a little more edgy and playful.

6) Have options. If you are unsure about a certain outfit, bring several options as a backup. Nathan (your photographer), will have some great insight into what works and what doesn’t. Depending on where you’re headed, be prepared for some ninja in-car changing skills!

7) Consider the season/weather. Since comfort is the theme of the day, let’s stay away from tank tops in the snow, and wool sweaters in August.

If kiddos are involved, the quickest way to a tantrum is when they get too hot or too cold. Forget any natural smiles from them at that point!

If you are going to be photographed in the colder months (pre-tan), or if you are naturally light-skinned, then consider colors that compliment your skin tone and won’t wash you out. Also, rain is not always our enemy. Often, when it rains, the clouds make for really great lighting.

8) Don’t fear prints. Prints are fun, and again, show your personality! Balancing out bold prints with solid colors is a good idea, otherwise there will be a whole lot of crazy happening. Prints are also helpful in accentuating parts you want to highlight, and hiding other parts you’d rather not be a point of focus.

Do stay away from logos or distracting text. This is not the time for your son to sport his favorite Transformers shirt.

9) Play with layers. Adding a cardigan, blazer, vest, belt, or jewelry will not only add an interesting and unique element to your photos, they can also be very practical.

You never know what our sweet Kentucky weather will have in store, so having a cardigan to keep the chill off, or being able to shed it if it gets too toasty is a nice option. If young children are involved, be prepared with extra diapers, and backup clothes should there be an unexpected juice-box explosion.

Please do not adopt these guidelines as do-or-die rules, but merely helpful suggestions developed from lots of experience. We realize that we may have some families who want to wear their matching UofL sports gear, or sequins galore in a field of tall grass. And that is totally awesome.

Most of all, we want you to HAVE FUN. When you are enjoying yourselves and feeling at ease, your images will come out great no matter what you are wearing.