What to Wear for Family Photos in Austin?
“What should we wear?” is probably one of the first questions people ask me after booking family photos. And I totally get it! You’re already trying to get everyone dressed, get the kids out the door, make sure nobody spills on themselves, and somehow also look like you did not just spend the last hour yelling “WHERE ARE YOUR SHOES?” Listen!! Don’t overthink it!
Coordinate. You don’t have to match.
You do not need to put everyone in white shirts and jeans. You can… You do not have to. I always think family photos look best when everyone looks like they belong together without looking like they were necessarily assigned a uniform.
Let’s start with Mom’s outfit because somehow we are always the hardest ones to dress. Then build everyone else’s outfits around Mom’s. Pull colors from that outfits, add a few complementary tones, and everyone gets to look a little different. The goal is for everything to make sense together.
Location matters!
You do not want to be constantly itching your ankles if you know you are a sensitive person who will be running around in long grass. I want you to feel comfy no matter where we are because I am trying to capture the ease you feel amongst your family, not the discomfort you feel because you’re cringing at the flower petal that just brushed your mid thigh. You know your limits, you know what makes you freak out, you know what you need to cover in order to feel and look as effortless as possible in your photos.
Movement is your friend.
This is a big one for me because I do not want you to be standing perfectly still during your session. I am going to ask you to walk, run, skip, maybe jump, lift up your kids, sit in the grass, dance, snuggle. It will be really sad if we can only get one type of photo because you’re wearing something so constricted that you cannot properly interact with your family.
Flowy dresses, linen, soft cotton, loose sleeves, skirts with movement - anything g that does something the the wind hits it or when you move!
For kids, put them in something they will actually play in but leave athletic wear at home. If your child has been instructed not to stain or wrinkle something, I am already in a loosing battle. Come to our session knowing that if you’re outdoors, your clothes will likely reflect that after our shoot.
Texture is SO GOOD!
Linen, knits, gauze, denim, embroidery! Sweaters, a worn in pair of boots! Texture adds so much interest without needing a giant pattern or something loud - however if you have a bold patterned sweater you love - rock it!
If you and your family gravitate towards neutral, texture helps differentiate you all!
Be careful with patterns but you don’t have to avoid them.
I love a good floral dress or a little patterned kids’ outfit. I would not put every family member in a different bold pattern. A great way to stack patterns is to have ONE person in an outfit with a bold pattern so that the visual weight is on them, then have others wear smaller patterns. This really helps disperse what your eye is seeing in the photos.
ZERO LOGOS.
I am not here to play. If you want logos, I am not your photographer. Sorryyyy. I just cannot. This isn’t an ad or billboard, it’s your family. And unless you have an ancient family crest you've embroidered onto everyone’s collar, I don’t want to hear it.
Black is… controversial let’s say.
I don’t hate it but it hides your figure and it will be unflattering on camera in a way that you won’t be able to initially tell in person - unless you are wearing something very form fitting.
Be yourself!
I am photographing you to capture where you are and who you are right now in this moment in time. I’m not capturing who you wish you were - although i’m not against playing a little dress up. Just promise that if you play dress up, it’s an outfit YOU picked, not an outfit that someone else on social media picked for themselves.
I want you to look at these photographs years from now and be able to instantly recognize yourself. Some other things to avoid are fresh spray tans, a new hair color you’ve literally never had (and may end up hating in two days), bright and bold makeup you’re only wearing because it’s a photoshoot (again, you want to recognize yourself… unless there’s a dress up theme going on), outfits that would be appropriate in a club setting (trust that you may feel sexy, but it may not read seamlessly next to your 6 month old chunky baby who is significantly less club appropriate than you).
Come comfortable and cute. Wear whatever YOU want but really put genuine thought into what everyone is wearing. Harmonious tones, patterns that play well together, colors that describe you, outfits that make actual sense for you. I’ll take care of the rest!