Tone down bright colors. Bright colors attract attention away from the face and may be reflective.  Avoid wearing bright red, bright pink, bright green etc. When choosing lighter colors, pastels work best.  Pale yellow, pale peach and pale blue work well, especially with jeans. 

Natural Colors look great in portraits. Pick colors that you would find in nature.  Tans, blues, burnt orange, mustard yellow, creams and white all look amazing in portraits.  When building an overall look for a family portrait, I recommend selecting two colors and adding a pop of a third color to make everyone look great together, without looking too matchy, matchy.  Your clothing colors should also work well with your home decor.  After all, portraits of your family make the best art for your home.

Avoid really busy prints. This includes logos. Busy printed fabric tends to distract attention from the overall portrait.  I recommend sticking  with solid color clothing, but don't be afraid to throw in a soft plaid flannel or some other type of soft print on one member of the family to bring all of the outfits colors together and create an overall look.

Don’t over accessorise!  Overbearing or heavily noticeable accessories can be a major distraction. Simple and minimal works best.

Glasses. Eye glasses may or may not be worn. Non-reflective lenses, of course, are a big help. Better yet, sometimes it’s possible to obtain a matching set of frames without any lenses. This is particularly helpful, if your lenses sometimes distort the outline of your face.  Do not wear transition lens to a session.  No portrait looks good with dark glasses.

Make Up, Hair & Nails. Hair styles should be SIMPLE and MUST be off the face. Hair falling down onto the sides of the face create distracting shadows. Bangs that come down too low onto the face will keep light from getting into your eyes (which are definitely the most important part of a portrait). It is always a great idea to have your make up and hair professionally done for your photography session. It will make a huge difference in how you look and feel.  Let us know if you would like to add hair and makeup to your session.  We can book you into our studio prior to your portrait session.  Your nails should be manicured. No chipped nail polish.

Tip. Lay out all the clothing onto a bed. Shoes, socks, accessories – everything should be included! Then, take a careful look at the collection. If your eye goes to any one item in particular, you can be certain that the same thing will happen in a photograph. That item should be changed. Clothing should not be too tight or too loose.  Feel free to take a quick pic on your phone and text it to me if you would like my input.

For additional guidance check out our Family Portrait Guide by clicking here:  Portrait Family Guide

Final thoughts. Your portraits are meant to be enjoyed for generations to come and I want to make this a fun experience for the whole family.  By preparing for your session in advance, you will minimize the stress on the actual day of your session.  I encourage you to have your family help make decisions on clothing and accessories so everyone feels their very best in the portraits.

Please reach out with any questions or if you need our help.