Congrats! The fact that you're reading this blog makes me SO happy. You booked your session (yay! what season did you pick? Spring, Summer, Fall or Winter??) and you are taking the time nail your family's styling. Love it! Styling can make or break how you feel about your family photos. It's an important decision that can be very simple if you know how to tackle the project. Once you know what to look for and how to think about wardrobe per season, the stress gets out of the way and you enjoy the journey. I'll be happy to guide you as we discuss color palettes, fabrics, favorite stores, and styling tools. Enjoy!
Estimated Reading Time: 8 min
Styling Drives The Mood
Just a fun exercise. Imagine the photo below with 2 kids wearing athletic gear. Would it still feel like a scene out of a fairy tale book? Styling is what conveys the ultimate mood of a portrait. The candid moment captured reaches its full emotive potential when styling works hand in hand.
Now that you're convinced about how important styling is in a photoshoot, let's dig into the in & outs of what to wear for family pictures :)
I wish I had known these when I booked my first family session back then when I was not working in this industry. If you don't have time to read it all, here are some basic tips on what to wear for family photos, regardless of season and location
Love it, I get this question asked all the time! For outdoors family photography we shoot outside so you can find your best inspiration looking at Mother Nature. Each season brings its signature color palette, work with it by picking 1-2 dominant colors and then mixing it up with accent colors and neutrals.
I LOVE bold colors yet there is a big hidden secret, neutrals colors work AWESOME year-round. You can't go wrong with them. It's always a safe bet, just remember to mix them up.
When thinking about colors, regardless of the season, think about muted tones of the colors you love. Those tones photograph much better than very bright colors.
Think of what colors to wear first and then add textures!
I'm writing one blog per season, we deep dive into everything you need to know about wardrobe for that specific season. Here is all you need to know about what to wear to your Spring Photo Session. And what to wear to your Fall Photo Session. Summer and Winter styling blogs coming soon.
Has the thought of picking outfits kept you from booking family photos? When you hire a professional photographer like ATP, you get the whole deal, a white-glove experience! What does this mean? we do the work for you. We style your family. Yep, you heard it correctly ❤️. In this blog, you can learn all about my fun styling process.
Today, I'll share my secrets with you :)
Pinterest is your best friend when thinking about styling. Many photographers have their own boards that will help you navigate wardrobes and you can be reassured that what you see as a PIN photographs great. You can check out my Styling boards per season ~ links below.
Thinking about buying or assembling clothes might be keeping you from booking a family photo session. I hear you, it can be scary! I'm here to share the exciting news that some photographers like myself do the work for you! We take the load off your hands by offering styling services. You heard that correctly, we style your family!
Woohoo! Yes, we have tools such as Style and Select that help us preselect outfits for the entire family. Based on your style preference, we take the lead and send you a couple of options that work great together. The best part? everything comes with the links to the stores :) It's a white-glove experience for sure. Things you see are in stock and ready to buy.
Did you ever wonder why some photographers have portfolios in which every family is perfectly styled? Is no coincidence! We handhold throughout the entire process, for some we select the outfits, for others we guide, and for some, we just give thumbs up. All the families that ATP photographs have been styled, there are no surprises on session day! ❤️👍
Some dresses are just too gorgeous and professional photographers offer them as part of their client closet. The selection is limited but don't hesitate to ask your photographer! You might be delighted to find out what she/he has to offer. Below is an example of a gorgeous dress that is part of my client's closet. I offer dresses that can work in every season, colder weather? add a chunky cardigan :)
Mom! always mom. But why?
After mom, I recommend doing the kids, and then the other parent.
By the way, Moms can ROCK a photo session in jeans. Don't feel pressured to wear a dress. We (photographers) are obsessed with dresses given all the movement it adds. But jeans can work wonders. Follow your heart ❤️
Here is a list of my go-to stores for each category. My recommendation is to start shopping at least 6 weeks out, this will give you enough time for shipping / exchanging sizes as needed. Some stores like James have long shipping times, yet the wait is SO worth it!
I hope today's blog helps you navigate styling. I promise that it will be fun and exciting, when the boxes start arriving with UPS you'll do a happy dance.
The anticipation and prep are already a part of your photo session! Best advice? Let your photographer into the loop, we have a perspective that can help you decide, taking the stress out of the indecision. If your professional photographer offers styling services (like ATP does), relax and enjoy the journey. You're up for a white glove experience, you'll receive complete wardrobe options with links to the stores.
Use your Pinterest as inspiration, check your closet (you might have things that work AWESOME!), and shop with enough time.
Happy Styling!!!
Love,
Andre
Andre Toro is an award-winning family photographer based in Lexington, MA. She calls her style Real Art Photography, which she defines as Fine Art inspired by candid moments. Andre is a passionate soul, obsessed with human connection, and emotive storytelling. She believes love is raw, messy, and beautiful. To inquiry about booking a photo session, please contact her at andre@andretorophotography.com