Tips for Phototastic Family Photos

I've seen so many family photos lately where everyone is dressed the same. You've seen it too, I'm sure; the entire family dressed in navy blue shirts and khaki pants. My own family was guilty of this recently. We all wore jeans with black shirts. Truthfully, it's pretty boring and colors like solid black or solid white are hard to photograph because they lose much of the details in the clothing, such as stitching or embellishments. So here I've compiled a list of do's and don'ts for addressing the issues of the question,

"What should we wear for our family photos?"

Solid colors are better except for black and white.

Avoid patterns and characters. These can be distracting and hard to photograph. The saying, "A little goes a long way," definitely pertains. A little bit of pattern is fine, just not too much.

Accessories are great!

They add to your photos and can be used for fun poses such as the man wearing a tie for the woman to hold, or hats for kids to wear and to peek out from behind.

Gone are the days of matching outfits.

Try selecting coordinating colors and adding complementary colors. The picture below is a great example. As you can see, this family is wearing different hues of blue with some more subtle patterns and a bit of a complementary color in the gentleman's purple shirt. It is very pleasing to the eye, yet each family member still stand out.

Source Fall River Productions, Inc

Look to the interior of your home.

Look at your decorating preferences such as wall colors or curtains and use those colors as inspiration for what you wear. You don't want your color choice for attire to clash with your home's interior since family photos are proudly displayed in the home.

Just because they are called "Holiday Photos..."

This doesn't mean Aunt Jenny needs to be wearing a red sweater with a green scarf and her favorite poinsettia pin. If the clothing is more on the classic side (also avoiding the space/time continuum), then the photos can make a great gift to be displayed all year round and yet still adorn the front of your holiday card.

Have fun with your photos and your attire. After all, you want the pictures to show your family's personality. Part of the love of a great family is the mix of those different personalities. Let them come through in your family photos too.