It's been a few years since we have done a family photoshoot, so when one of my good friends and amazing photographer let me know that she would be doing mini photoshoots at a local tree farm I had to book a spot for our family.
Sure, we have tons of photos of the kids that we've taken on our iPhones but there's something so special about having them professionally done.
I know that one of the most dreaded parts of arranging family photos can be choosing the outfits, so today I'm sharing seven tips that will make this dreaded process a breeze!
1.
Plan Your Outfits in Advance
I like to choose our outfits well in advance.
I'll lay them out and see how they look together, then put them away safely so they don't get dirty or worn out before the photo shoot.
2.
Mix New Pieces with Pieces You Already Own
Buying all new outfits for a family can be very expensive.
I usually like to buy one new piece per family member and use what we already have at home to fill in.
For this years photo shoot, I purchased us all new sweaters {seen in the photo above}, but we will all be wearing pants, hats, boots etc that we already own.
3.
Pick Pieces that Compliment Each Other Without Being Matchy-Matchy
Being Matchy Matchy is so 1999.
But seriously, in my opinion it can look a little cheesy to all sport the exact same outfits.
If you are buying matching sweaters, try buying in different colours and limiting it to only a couple of people in the photo.
For example, I found the most gorgeous sweaters for the girls that I couldn't pass up, so I bought the same sweater in different colours.
Emma will be wearing a light pink and Audrey will be wearing the same sweater in a nice cream colour.
4.
Keep Location in Mind
It's always important to keep the location of the photoshoot in mind.
If you are planning to shoot in front of a White Barn for instance, you don't want to be wearing white and get lost in the photo.
5.
Be Practical
This is especially important when kids are involved.
Your daughter may beg you to wear her favourite short sleeve dress for the photo shoot, but if the pictures are being taken outside in the middle of December, it's probably not the best idea.
You don't want photos of your daughter shivering in her favourite dress haha
6.
Stick to a Neutral Colour Scheme
Think Greys, Whites, Creams.
You can add in Pops of colour with accessories like boots, hats, jewelry etc.
7.
Say Yes To Texture
You will want to avoid big patterns that will take away from the family itself.
Find clothing in a neutral colour that has nice texture to add some visual interest to the photo.
