What to Wear for Fall Family Photos - Kitchener Waterloo Photographer
Today I’m answering the number one question I get asked: what should we wear for our photos?
Read on for some of my best advice in general, and some specific tips for fall!
Tip #1: Dress the most difficult person first.
If you’re like me, the most difficult person to dress is yourself! But there’s a key reason this is my #1 tip: you need to feel like you look awesome if you’re going to love your photos. So if you’re the toughest person to dress, start with something you feel amazing in, and build everyone else’s outfit around what you’re wearing!
Generally speaking, especially if you do most of the clothing shopping for your family, you’ll be able to find things that fit everyone else well, and the most stress comes from finding something for yourself to wear.
We want the whole process to be stress-free, so start with the toughest part (whether it’s yourself or someone else) and build from there.
Tip #2: Solid colours always photograph well, but also consider patterns and texture!
Nothing screams fall like plaid and sweaters, am I right? (Okay, also pumpkin spice everything, but please don’t come dressed in pumpkin spice!)
If you’re not sure what to choose or how to combine patterns and textures for a group, solid colours are always a safe bet.
Please, please, puh-leeeeeease, don’t wear graphic t-shirts or any large logo. They draw the eye like nothing else, and take attention away from your beautiful faces. Stick with solid colours, or a plaid/floral/other allover print.
So, how do you combine patterns and textures? The key is in contrast. If you’ve got someone wearing a small floral print, a large plaid is great on someone else. If someone’s wearing a chunky knit sweater, a finer knit cardigan is great on the person beside them.
Tip #3: Look coordinated, but not matchy.
No more white t-shirt & jeans outfits for everyone in the family, okay? That look had its moment, but it’s a bit dated now. Time to think coordinated outfits instead of exactly the same clothing items!
To start, choose a couple of neutral colours. For fall, I like grey, black, cream, khaki, or blue denim.
Then, add pops of colour in different places on different people. Saturated jewel tones are popular for fall, so think burgundy, mustard, teal, and rich purple.
When you’re considering where to add your colours, remember that you’ve got tops and bottoms, and also accessories and layers.
I find you can get lots of colours of leggings for little girls, and increasingly a variety of colours of pants for boys and men as well, so get creative with colour placement!
Tip #4: Consider your background.
Let’s make sure you won’t blend in with your background! I tend to edit fall photos to really bring out the changing colours of the leaves, but I still recommend you avoid wearing green (especially green tops) if you’re doing photos on a trail or with any kind of green backdrop. There’s always some green in the background, and green has a tendency to blend right in, especially when it comes to shirts. We want your face to stand out, and having contrast with the background helps big time!
So, there you have it: four of my favourite tips to help you look your best in your fall family photos!
Don’t forget, I’m an expert, and I’m here to help. I can give advice on colour and pattern coordination, and you can even send me photos or hop on a video call and show me what you’re thinking of wearing! And of course, at your photo session, I’ll pose and position you so there is visual balance in the photo, based on who’s wearing what. All you have to do is show up looking great and have fun!
