Prepping Your Family
Because they won’t be little forever.
Coordinating the Crew
As you’re coordinating your outfit with your family, keep in mind that your outfits will look the most cohesive on camera when the color palette and wardrobe pieces coordinate, but don’t actually “match.”
In fact, we recommend that you avoid thinking about “matching,” and instead think about what “fits” together. This will create more visual interest, and allow each personality to shine through.
How to Mix Colors
The goal for coordinating a family is to visually break up the colors and shades so that you’re not all wearing the same color on top and bottom. The more we can mix that up, the better. We encourage you to think about planning each outfit with “dominant colors” and “accent colors” in mind. A dominant color is the color that you see the most in an outfit, while an accent has a smaller piece of visual real estate.
When you’re planning each family member’s outfit, if you can aim for each person to have a different dominant color, and then tie in and vary the accent colors, it’s going to look great all together.
For example, if you’re wearing a blush dress, soft blue earrings and nude heels (blush being your dominant color), then he could wear a navy coat with a white button-down and gray pants, paired with brown leather shoes and maybe even a blush pocket square (making navy his dominant color). Your daughter could wear a soft blue top with a white tulle skirt (making a soft blue her dominant color) while your son wears light beige pants with navy suspenders and a white button down (making white his dominant color).
Each person having their own dominant color while still incorporating a few touches of the others that will pull all the looks together. This will break up the color visually and highlight each personality.
Most of our moms choose their dress first, and then build the rest of the family’s outfits based around that.
Remember, we recommend selecting those softer, lighter tones and avoiding those ultra-bright, bold colors. (unless we’re in the studio, then it’s free game on color)
The camera loves shades of soft pink and muted blues, mixed with sophisticated light neutrals like heather gray, creams, leather brown and white. Feel free to vary the shades of the colors, too. That softer color palette fits beautifully into a natural environment, and can easily be paired in so many different ways.
Mixing Up the Pieces
If you have multiple children, don’t feel like you need to put them all in the same type of outfit. For example, one of your daughters could wear a dress and flats, while the other wears a skirt and boots. One of your sons could wear a bowtie, while the other one wears suspenders. Mixing up the wardrobe pieces will bring great visual interest to the photos.
Prepping Your Little Ones
Before your session, pack a bag with snacks, water and any small objects (like toys or lollipops) that might help us get their attention when it’s time for them to look at the camera. If they are old enough to understand you, it’s a solid plan regardless of their moods. Our goal is to make this as fun and stress-free as it possibly can be for you and your family!
Final Note
We know we just gave you a lot to think about. We created this guide to help make your portrait session experience something you’ll look back fondly on for years and years to come. At the end of the day, though, the location you choose and the outfits you select won’t matter nearly as much as the memories you make together. Y
Our future memories are the most important thing to us, and we want your session to be a time for you to just be yourselves and enjoy it. Have fun together. Laugh a lot. And we’ll take care of the rest!
Portrait Session Checklist
1. Set date, time and location with k.H.a.
2. Review guide for style tips
3. Schedule hair and nail appointments.
4. Choose your outfits
5. Pack a bag with:
– Flats or flip-flops for walking between photo spots
– Second outfit (if you’re doing two)
– Touch-up makeup
– Water bottle (for warmer sessions)
– Coat or cover-up (for colder sessions)
– Snacks for the little ones
– If you have a toddler or younger, small eye-catching toys (or lollipops) to hold their attention
I can’t wait to see you.
