THE DOS AND DON’TS OF CHOOSING OUTFITS FOR HOLIDAY PHOTOS

photography tips

Sep 10

Need some help with family pictures outfits?

It’s November! Which means it's the time of year to start thinking about holiday cards and family pictures! AND those family picture outfits. As crazy and stressful as family pictures can be, they’re such an amazing thing to have and be able to look back on throughout the years.

If you want to create frame-worthy holiday pictures, it helps to put some time and effort into deciding what you want to wear. Your outfits will help set the tone for your portraits, so it’s important to choose wisely.

If you are feeling concerned about what to wear, stick to these dos and don’ts and you’ll be just fine.

holiday picture outfit do’s

- Check the weather. First things first, make sure you check the weather the day of your session. While looking great and having the perfect outfit does matter, you being comfortable should be a priority. Also, try to coordinate to the colors of the season. For example, fall typically means warm colors while winter may include more cooler tones.

- Do consider the backdrop. Whether your shoot is in a studio or in a specific location that you love, think about the backgrounds you’ll be posing in front of before you settle on outfits for your session. Busier backgrounds require simpler outfits.

- Do coordinate. But don’t make your outfits match 100%. Coordination doesn’t mean that everyone in the shot should look the same, it simply means that the colors, patterns, outfit style matches. Try mixing it up with 2-3 solid colors and one bold pattern, or just stick to complimentary colors.

Additional tip: Choose your outfit first! Pick something out that you really like, and then plan any other outfits around it!

- Do incorporate something cozy. Winter is about cozying up to the people you love, so try and add a cozy item of clothing to your outfit. Think textured sweaters or a scarf with an interesting knit. Maybe even bring a blanket to wrap up in! Remember textures are your friend!

Pinterest is a great source of inspiration if you want to look at a few color schemes that you can use for your upcoming Christmas photo shoot. I created a pinterest board with a bunch of outfit coordinations to help you decide!

CHECK OUT THE PINTEREST BOARD FOR OUTFIT IDEAS HERE!

holiday picture outfit dont’s

- Don’t overthink it. Christmas is the one time you don’t need to be overly realistic. Yes, you wouldn’t normally wear a jacket and snow boots indoors but this is definitely the one time you can, particularly if you’re posing in front of a fun backdrop.

- Don’t over-accessorize. There are a lot of fun accessories and props that you can add to a Christmas-themed shoot but it’s also easy to overdo it. If you are going to wear gloves, hats, and your favorite coat, make sure the patterns don’t take away from the people in the photo and that the coats don’t make you look too frumpy.

- Don’t use logos. Try to avoid shirts with large logos, words, or graphics on them, as they can be very distracting, or clash with other things. Aim for solids and basics instead, and just add accessories (but remember, not too many).

- Don’t make them (or you) feel uncomfortable. Perhaps the most important tip. if the people in the photo feel uncomfortable in their clothing, it’s going to show in your photos. Pick outfits that everyone feels comfortable in as this will result in the most natural smiles and an array of fun shots.