Do's & Don'ts for Session Outfitting
Preparing for your Session
Close your eyes and imagine this. It's fall photo season, and you just booked your first session with New Leaf Photography, and yours truly- me. You're so excited to have booked a photo shoot for family photographs and you cannot stop thinking about the opportunity to show off your beautiful family to everyone you know. Of course, with Facebook and Instagram and every other social media platform already has thousands of personal pictures you've taken of your partner and children, so what's the point? But then you remember that Jacob's eyes are always squinting in pictures. Jessica is only in half of them now because she's away at college, and your partner is REALLY starting to LOATHE their photograph taken. You want new photos done, because, this weekend, all four of you will be in town at the same time and you can all squeeze in at least an hour on Saturday for something fun and different! Let's create a new family memory. Saturday cannot come soon enough!
Something springs to the forefront of your brain. Something you weren't quite thinking would be something to worry about. OUTFITS. Oh no- the photo session jitters. WHAT DO WE WEAR?
This is awful. What colors do I wear? Do I accessorize? Do I wear shoes or sandals? Or boots? What will my partner wear? They only wear a t-shirt with jeans 7 days out of the week. Oh, and how can I get rid of their hat?? They're not going to want to take that off, even if it's just for one photo... I have to instruct the kids on what to wear and get Jacob's outfit all picked out. Good grief. A nightmare. I was NOT expecting this.
We have all been here, and maybe more than once. It can be easy peasy or you're in a cold, hard panic, and there is no in between. I am here to tell you to stop. Worrying. Outfits are easier than you think! Yes, they are one of the most important parts of preparing for your photo session, but I am here to tell you that it's more than manageable! So, I have put together this guide to help you out. Use it as a checklist. Send it to your cousin because she and her family just booked with New Leaf Photography, too. Post it on Facebook to share it with other friends and family you know may need it. Use it as your tool to help you get through this session with as much sanity remaining as humanly possible. Whatever you may need this for, it's all yours.
Let's get down to the nitty gritty and talk about it in depth. By the end of this blog, if you don't feel at least 75% more confident for your day of session, then I haven't done my job and you should email me for an extended three part apology and resignation of my days as photographer-just kidding.
Let's get into it.
DO do the Do's
haha, I said do do...
To put your mind at ease, I've started a list of tips and advice to help you coordinate and outfit your fam. If you're ready to swan dive in head first, begin reading the first tip.
Unless Jacob's wristband or Jessica's hair tie is of sentimental value , make sure you take them off. Comb over these details best you can, because 1) these aren't always super simple to edit out of your photos and 2) you want crisp, clean photos where you don't have to worry about the littlest hiccup like forgetting a hair tie.
If you're worried about tan lines, it can be a lot easier to touch up and blend in a little tan line than it is a thick, black band. It can be done, of course, but this may delay your session's editing process.
For yourself and the rest of your family, make sure to double check for these details and save yourself the time and worry.
Photographs always look best when the group in the photos is color coordinated. This makes your photographs look clean and tidy. If you're someone who loves to organize like me, you'll actually really enjoy putting the thought into choosing your outfits.
Your color scheme should go along with the present season. It's Fall, so choose colors that have an Autumn feel. Mustard yellows, terracotta orange, sage or forest green. Once you have your focus color(s), try mixing in some neutrals to break them up. Breaking up your key colors will create a nice contrast and even out your colors nicely, creating a nice, symmetrical look and feel.
Planning your group's colors ahead of time is a BIG step in taking the weight of the photos off your shoulders. I think this is one of the most common worries. What goes together? Who wears what color? What colors do I choose? If you're stuck and you still haven't been able to think of something, use one of our best tools in the book- Google. Google fall color palettes and choose one that speaks best to you and your family.
One more thing I should mention- try looking for colors that pair well with your hair and skin tone the best. I can guarantee you that you will walk away with your session prints and be relieved that you chose to wear forest green with your auburn hair. Coming from someone who also has auburn hair, I've been there. If you aren't sure which colors go well with your hair and skin tone or even just in general, just ask your brutally honest good friend that only sometimes hurts your feelings- everyone has one.
Please. Pick something you feel comfortable in. If not, and you can make it through the hour session (or sometimes more), by all means go for it. But, for the best results, find something that is physically comfortable to wear. If your family is SUPER into comfy crocs and wants to include them in your photoshoot, have at it! Honestly, that's actually a fantastic idea. Imagine every family member has a pair of crocs and THAT'S your theme. You could build around your crocs for outfits and the quirkiness of it all would just scream your family's personality. Oh my gosh, what ART.
Sorry-back on track. You can even find something unique to your family to show off- a piece of sentimental jewelry, comfy shoes (that go with the rest of your outfit), hats, vests- these are all items you would feel more secure with wearing. In my opinion, feeling secure is the same thing as feeling comfortable. For example, I am most comfortable when I am wearing my statement rings. That's part of who I am, especially my grandmother's ring. I NEVER take it off because that's my own physical and emotional security. I would never have photographs done without it. She is closest to my heart when I am wearing it, which in turn, feels like she is part of my family photos.
When in doubt, it is ALWAYS a great idea to use neutral colors! This could mean different things to different people, however, this could be white pants, tan or beige accent colors and maybe a chocolate brown or gray of some sort. It does not have to be hard when thinking of family outfits! Another idea would be white tees or black tees with denim. Denim is always a cute idea and its casual and cozy for most everyone. Maybe mom could even throw on a scarf for an accent piece to tie everything together!
Could if you Would, But you Can't, So you DON'T!
These tips are to avoid getting your edited session back and realizing that you DO NOT love the way your shirt is looking. Or that you wish you would have chosen a different statement piece. If you're careful and read these tips, you end up falling in love with your session!
Statement pieces can be super cute and fun to play around with, but sometimes they can clash with other styles in the session or just be a distracting color or size. Go a little easy with some jewelry. If you think it might be too big or distracting in the photos, chances are that you're right. It might just be okay for a small group, so don't lose hope! In bigger groups, it's best to keep jewelry and watches subtle.
It may be tempting because what doesn't look good if it's all the same thing? It's aesthetically pleasing! But, for photographs, it can be more distracting and actually clash with all of the other outfits alike. Try breaking up up your colors with neutrals instead! You can refer to the "Do's" to get more tips on how to use neutrals to your advantage.
Even if you're feeling like you want to hide in your clothes for photographs, try not to. I say this because I have had clients that end up looking at their final photographs and are disappointed in what them because about how a dress fit them. Baggy clothing has a tendency to misshape our bodies. This WILL show in photographs. If you are ever nervous about the way your clothes will look, let me know! I will ALWAYS offer advice or tips to help you find something you feel like king/queen in!
Logos are extremely distracting in finished photos! Unless you would like to do a graphic tee theme, I do not usually suggest keeping logos or graphics in photos. Busy patterns can be super tough. It does work if you are surrounded by people dressed in neutral colors! Keep in mind that a busy pattern of butterflies and someone else dressed in a pattern like hearts with polka dots are going to be too busy together and will take away from the memories we are trying to capture during your session. The same goes for crazy and vibrant colors. Consider the season that we are in at the time of your session. Will the colors look good with the theme and season you are going with? Will those colors look good with the surroundings of the location you picked? Ask yourself all these questions to come to your outfitting decision.
ROCK THOSE OUTFITS!
My last and final word of advice would be to EMBRACE the crazy! It sometimes seems like a whirlwind when trying to pull together and organize your entire family or group of people you're getting photographs done with, let alone just trying to communicate with everyone. Once you have a plan for outfits going forward and successfully communicate that theme to your fam, it's a piece of cake! Have fun with it! Enjoy putting all those wonderful colors together and feel good about getting all dressed up and styled with your closest people! This is just another adventure to experience with your loved one(s). OWN IT.
