What to Wear for Photos - 5 Tips From a Pro
One of the hardest things to decide on, once you have pictures scheduled, is what to wear. It's an never ending dilemma of finding outfits that everyone will look good in, without "dating' the image, and making it something that your family will actually put on and feel comfortable in. Being a family and senior photographer based out of Utah, I get this question a lot, "What should we wear?" Below are the 5 tips I tell my clients to apply when choosing your outfits.
1. Color
This is a big one, if you ignore every other tip but this one, I'll still be happy. I tell my clients to choose around 3 colors to pick outfits from. Find 3 colors that flow well together or compliment each other. When in doubt, look at a color wheel. I'm serious. Take it back to elementary school when you learned about monochromatic, analogous and complimentary color schemes. Remember, in the art world, black and white aren't colors, so they don't count. Same applies for picking your outfits, add whites and blacks in to help build up your outfit without it taking away a color slot.
Monochromatic - One color. Chose one color to work with and tie in varying shades of that same color.
Analogous - Three colors that touch on the color wheel. Use any three, as long as they are touching.
Complimentary - Colors across the color wheel from each other. (There's a reason Red and Green look so good together at Christmas)
In the photo above, you'll find an excellent example of a monochromatic color scheme. Even though white and beige are in the outfits, it is still primarily blue. Another thing to consider when choosing your colors, is to factor in where you are going to be taking them. Picking colors that are part of the natural landscape is an excellent and easy way to make sure you look cohesive.
Another easy way to have your colors chosen is to pick someone in the family to wear a print, and from there you simply pull the colors from the design. This is easy to accomplish if you have little girls! Their dresses are always full of beautiful patterns and cohesive colors. Take the picture below for example; by pulling the blues, cream and pinks out it creates a perfect look for the whole family that was easy to achieve.
2. Look at Your Home Decor
this one might not be as obvious, but don't worry, I'm here to guide you through! By looking at your home decor and seeing the environment you want you pictures to be hung in can help narrow down you options. This is where "warm" and "cool" colors come into play. If you refer back to the color wheel, the cool colors are on one side and the warm on the other. Cool colors consists of blues and warm consists of red. Yellow and purple can be either warm or cool, depending on what side they are being paired with. You may love the idea of a blue, purple, green color scheme, but find that it doesn't "go" with your cream, yellow and pink living room. By putting thought into your outfits, your pictures will help complete the look of your space, not draw attention away from it.
Cool Colors (blue, grey, green)
Warm Colors (yellow, brown, red)
3. Layers
This is a big one guys, a little thing, but big. Layering makes all the difference. Wearing a dress? Throw on a jacket, scarf or accessories. Boom. You just upped the classy factor. Button up shirt? Sweater over it or roll and cuff the sleeves. So good. Just imagine you are shopping in your Pinterest closet. Layering adds depth and gives it some dimension. You want depth. Even adding a belt to a dress will do so much for your image!
4. Patterns
Let me just start by saying, "all things in moderation." Patterns are great, they help add personality to the images as well as tie in colors, amongst other things. But if you get all the boys in the same, matching plaid shirt, it's going to be a sea of dizzy lines and our eyes aren't going to know where to look. They will follow the lines from on shirt to the next and miss the most important part of the image; your beautiful, smiling face! I'm not saying rule out patterns completely, just be aware of the rest of the outfits in the group and you'll be fine! Subtle patterns work so much better than loud, bright, vibrant ones. And, as mentioned before, they are a lifesaver when it comes down to picking out your colors!
The two patterns in the above picture are perfect examples layering patterns. The checkered pattern is a loud pattern, while the design on the dress is soft. Having these two opposites help give variety to the picture, while maintaining a steady, cohesive flow.
Here's another example of picking a pattern and drawing color inspo from it.
5. Location
This has been talked about briefly in other sections, but location is a big part in picking out what you are going to wear! There's the obvious; dress for the proper climate and weather - and the not so obvious, what is going to go best with your home and outfits? I'm all about cohesion. When you have something that flows so effortlessly, you are able to focus more on the people and the emotion in the image rather than critique outfit or location choices. That is what family pictures are all about anyways! You! Time of day is another thing to consider when choosing outfits. Golden hour is beautiful and makes everything so perfectly, well, gold! Using that type of lighting to your advantage, you can throw in some yellows to compliment that fleeting moment of the day. Like below!
The red rock down in St. George at sunrise looks pink! I knew that their sweater and shirt were going to look so perfect!
Your photographer will know what locations look like ahead of time. Like the above picture for example. I knew that the boarder along the reservoir as well as the dirt had a red/pinkish tint to it. I was able to advise my clients that Navy and Watermelon would be the perfect compliment to the landscape.
6. Bonus Tip! Wear what you feel comfortable in!
This one is important to remember. If you don't feel confident and comfortable in your clothes, you aren't going to like the way your pictures turn out. There is no amount of photoshopping that can change that. Wear what makes you feel good! Your confidence will radiate through the photograph and you will love how they turn out.
I hope this guide was helpful to you! Leave me a note in the comments if it was! Here's to happy, beautiful pictures!
