Outfit Tips for Gorgeous Family Photos

It’s that time of year again, family photo time, try to act excited!

I can really only handle doing family photos once a year. Even though our photographer is an actual living saint. The process of gathering all the outfits is exhausting. The week before photos I am an absolute nut, driving all over town searching for shoes for the kids, returning things, looking for the perfect headband to tie it all together. It is so stressful! And I know I am not alone in feeling this way! Many of you have reached out to me for help in styling your family for a photo shoot. So here I’ve listed my go to tips and tricks to for picking out clothes for family photos. 

1. Keep it neutral.

Try to keep all the clothes in neutral colors. By keeping the colors of clothes mostly neutral you will create a natural photo that makes the people pop, not the colors of the clothes. I like our clothes to be 75% neutral colors and then add in a pop of color or pattern for the remaining 25%. Another benefit of keeping the clothes neutral is that when you go to blow up these photos and put them on the walls in your home, the photos will match nicely with the existing decor. 

2. Start with YOU.

You are mom, and you are queen. And, let’s be honest, these photos are probably the most important to you. So start by finding something to wear that you truly love and feel good in.

3. Dress your children in things they would typically wear.

….. just step it up a notch. Example: don’t put your daughter in a dress if she hates dresses. If you do this, picture day is going to be rough. And, you don’t need the added drama. Instead find some cute pants, a romper, or overalls for this dress loathing kid. If you have a girl that loves dresses, great! Put her in a dress that’s a step up from the day to day dresses she normally wears. By doing this the kids will feel more natural at the shoot and you’re much more likely to get a great picture. 

4. Keep it in the family.

…. the same color family that is. If you have started pulling things that are earth tones, great. Keep that theme throughout. If your daughter wants to wear hot pink, fantastic. Just make sure that the rest of the clothing colors are the same saturation level. For example, hot pink and rust do not mesh. But hot pink and teal, or hot pink and gold have a similar saturation level and will compliment each other nicely. Remember: Earth tones with earth tones & jewel tones with jewel tones, etc. I love how this family incorporates a different color for each kiddo but keep the same color family. They are each beautiful individuals but coordinate nicely and the littlest ties them all together with the print in her dress. Beautiful!

5. The guy of the house gets dressed last.

LAST. Guys are the easiest so they must let everyone else pick their outfits first and then they get to pick out something. There aren’t many ways to elevate a man’s outfit for photos. But by tucking in his shirt, making sure his shirt is ironed, and adding a belt the man of the house will look polished. And guys, remember to take your phone out of your back pockets!

6. Accessorize the children

This is a great spot to add a little personality or pop of color. And when I add color I still usually keep it pretty neutral like blush or leopard print details. By putting your “pop” in the accessories it won’t overwhelm the photos. For this shoot we wanted to keep all our accessorizes neutral and let the Tahoe backdrop add in the color. So I opted to add in personality with the knee high boots and felt hat that perfectly depict my youngest. For my oldest girl, the dainty pearl headband was more her speed.

7. Don’t overthink it.

…and don’t get too matchy matchy. When every little detail of the photo matches perfectly it looks so unnatural to me. It screams TRYING TO HARD.  The days of buying box sets of jewelry where the earrings match the necklace, match the bracelets, match the underwear are over! Mixing colors and patterns is IN. So find things that compliment one another but not every single item has to match. 

That’s it, those are my tips and tricks for styling your family for photos. If you have any additional tips or questions please leave me a comment below. If you’re in the Austin area, you have no choice but to book a photo sesh with Laura Morsman Photography. She’s the one and only. You’ll thank me later!

Have a great photo shoot!  You got this momma, there’s a bottle of wine waiting for you on the other side.

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