5 Tips For Choosing Summer Outfits For Your Family Photos

Summer is seriously my most favorite time of year to photograph families. If you follow me, it’s no secret that I am obsessed with the colors and light this time of year. It’s the perfect time to have some fun with your outfit choice and colors. I’m sure I’ve gotten the attention of many of you at this point, because sooo many of you ask, what should we wear for family pictures??

Check out these 5 tips for choosing outfits for your family’s summer pictures …

1) Wear something comfortable.

It’s great to look cute, and you absolutely should, but if you (or your children) are wearing something that is uncomfortable or needs to be readjusted every time you move, it will show in your pictures. Trust me on this one, make sure it’s comfy!

2) Don’t dress everyone in the same outfit or color.

Instead choose a color family, and then go from there. It’s ok to mix solids with patterns as long as you don’t go overboard and the colors coordinate. In fact, I’m a fan of patterns in clothing. It adds dimension to your images.

3) Choose a color scheme that suits you and your family.

I have this thing with dressing my family in blues and teals. Despite the fact that we live in west central pa, our home has a very coastal feel to it. I wouldn’t hang large images of our family wearing christmas colors because it would clash terribly in our home. It’s a definitely something I think about when choosing outfits.

4) Socks.

Let’s talk about socks and shoes… they matter. This often becomes just another thing to think about when shopping. If you’re not into shopping for cute shoes, or making sure everything matches down to socks, or just go barefoot!! It’s summer!

5) Lastly, when you’re choosing your family’s individual outfits, make sure they each suit the person you’re dressing.

One of my wild things refuses to wear anything sleeveless. I could force him to wear a tank top for pictures but at the end of the day, I want to remember who he is at that time. If I forced him to wear a tank top, it would totally go against “him”. My daughter is so much more girly than I am. If it were up to me, I would typically choose an outfit that was a little less frilly, but again, that’s who she is right now. Try to keep personalities in mind when choosing outfits! I actually wrote an entire series on documenting your child from showing emotions, favorite things, personalities, and relationships through images (if you missed that series- go check it out!). You can see I put a lot of stock in showing the real person in front of the camera.

lorrin sell is a working mother of 4, and knows all about the rushed lives most of us live. She has photographed families all over the east coast, and teaches parents all over the world to capture their everyday on her blog and through online courses. She believes photography makes it possible to find the beauty in the messy, imperfect madness that is life with kids. You can follow Lorrin on Facebook, Pinterest, Instagram, and Twitter