What to wear for family photos

I like to try and follow what I call the “Three Colors + POP” rule:

1.  Pick three colors (one being a neutral)  and put together outfits with those colors only.  More than three colors can seem a bit busy.  Here, they picked Green, Red, and the neutrals being black & gray. 

2.  Add in an unexpected POP of color.  The youngest son's striped sweater and the middle son with his red sweater fit the bill.   Be aware that this POP will become a focal point in the picture, so I wouldn’t advise adding this color in an area that you don’t want others to look at too closely.  I had to make sure to get a smile out of these little cuties because your eye is instantly drawn to their sweetness. I also put the oldest son in the middle to balance the bright colors with the more neutral solid colors. 

{I must make a disclaimer: RULES CAN BE BROKEN.  I am preaching to myself here.  However, I will say that these guidelines generally work well to produce a a cohesive, vibrant family portrait; a modern take on the whole “matching white shirts and blue jeans”, if you will.}

Other tips:

Proper clothing coordination is critical for a successful family portrait. The goal is for all clothing items to coordinate together, just like when you put together your own outfit. It's a good idea to pick a scheme of 3 or 4 colors to draw from, avoiding pieces that exactly match. 

1.  Think coordinating, not matching.  Again, unless you want your family picture to look straight out of 1990, try to not match outfits exactly. Although, it can be done, for instance with twins.

2.  Try and pick colors that complement the surrounding environment.  Navy blue and white are classic color choices for a beach session. Greens and browns, "earthy colors" work lovely with grass and trees.

If you want to take this one step further (if you plan on displaying this picture in your home), try and choose colors that will compliment your home decor.  My home is decorated with a lot of neutrals; thus, I would never pick neon colors for our outfits.  Of course I’m exaggerating, but you get the point.

3.  Use your brightest colors as accessories.  You don’t want the brightest colors detracting from the most important part of the picture:  the PEOPLE!

4.  It is ok to mix solids and simple patterns.  I know a lot of photographers might argue with me on this one, but I like to think that SIMPLE patterns add interest and texture to a picture.  The youngest son has a striped pattern sweater and it works just fine with the solid colors.  If you stick to a color scheme, everything just naturally blends together.

So, that’s it!  Hopefully, the above tips will help you do a little advance planning for what to wear for family photoshoots to create a beautiful family portrait you can be proud of.