5 Tips from a Family Photographer to Get the Best Pictures
It’s that time of year! Fall Family Photos are happening all over the Wasatch and you are desperately wondering what to wear and how to dress your family. I get it. I do the same thing and I literally do this as my job. So I’m going to share my top 5 tips that I give all of my clients who book a session with me.
1. Consider your location first! Think about what colors and other environmental factors you and your family are going to be experiencing. Is it all tan grass and yellow aspens or is it still mostly green and blue skies? Will you be playing in water, so going barefoot? Do you have a long walk-in? Will it be hot or cold?
2. Color Theory! You have three options. 1. Go with a Complimentary Color Scheme. So think the same colors or color family of the location. This will give you a very soft looking palette and your family will blend nicely with the background. 2. Go with a Contrasting Color Scheme. This means picking mostly colors from the opposite side of the color wheel from what your background is going to be. This will make your family really pop and stand out from the background. or 3. Go with a whole neutral palette. This doesn’t have to be boring and it certainly does not mean that everyone wears a white shirt! This is a great option for those whose home decor is very neutral too since you’ll be putting this art on your walls.
3. Start planning around your “hardest to dress” family member. For some families, this is mom! If you’re a mom reading this, yes, I know it’s easy to feel uncomfortable in our skin, but try to put that aside and choose something that makes you feel really gorgeous. Having a photographer with a client closet can be helpful for this, and definitely ask your photographer for some tips. Some years I start with myself, especially if there’s a new dress in my client closet I love. Other years, I’ve started with my daughter because she doesn’t wear dresses and is extremely picky about what she wears so I often let her outfit set the tone.
4. Avoid cheap stretchy fabric in large amounts. Even if it looks good in person, I promise it isn’t going to photograph well. The stretch fibers reflect light weirdly and there’s no movement or texture added to the photos. Your photographer also likely won’t Photoshop out any undergarments lines or body texture.
5. Look for ways to add texture and movement to your wardrobe! Think of layering clothing items, chunky knits, flowy skirts or dresses, tweeds, corduroy etc. This will give so much more visual interest to your photos and really make them look rich and luxe, even if the outfits are casual. I also personally love to have at least one print and normally pull all the other colors from that one item so that our outfits look cohesive, but not “matching”.
