What to Wear for your Fall Family Photo Session!

Fall is the busiest time of year for photographers! The most common question I get is "what should we wear for our fall photo session". While I do provide a prep guide for all of my family sessions, sometimes it is a little easier to see a breakdown of what to wear and reasons why the outfits photograph well!

My number one rule is to pick mom's outfit out first! Sure, you can have a color scheme in mind for the whole family but it really works to your advantage to pick your wardrobe first to ensure you find something that is flattering on you. From there you can pull colors, textures and prints for everyone else that compliment you!

The second rule I like to go with is to aim for coordinating outfits rather than making everything matchy/matchy. Coordinating outfits allows for you to have some variety when everyone is together for a full family pictures without people blending into each other. I also love the idea of this when breaking down your session into groupings. What I mean by that is to think about how the outfits you are choosing will look together when you get images of just mom/daughter, mom/son, siblings, dad/kids, etc. You want to make sure you have a nice mixture of lights, darks, patterns and textures.

And finally the third rule is to try and include a print/pattern; think floral, stripe, paisley. A texture; cable knit sweater, corduroy (this is hot this year!), ruffles or lace. And detail accessory; a belt, or even just make sure one outfit or shirt has buttons.

Please remember that rules are sometimes made to be broken so if these don't fully work for you, that is OK. They will at least get you thinking of where to start.

Let's get to work breaking down different outfit selections and why they work!

Mom in a dress is always a favorite! It is always flattering and it just adds some movement to a session.

This is one of my favorite examples to share because it really incorporates everything I mentioned above:

Mom - print dress

Dad - long sleeve henley (this is a favorite of mine for dads). Go one step further and you can add a blazer of this.

Big sister - simple shirt with ruffle detail and a textured skirt.

Little Brother - clean and classic button down shirt tucked in with a belt.

When you pair each family member with each other you get a great balance of color, texture and details!

Holiday sessions happen in the Fall so I am including this!

All of the same principles apply here even though it's an indoor session.

Here is what I love about their wardrobe choices:

Mom - not a dress but a skirt so it still has the flowing nature. You get a little bit of print on this with dots and also texture!

Dad - I love that he went festive with green but didn't make it Christmas tree green so he is not blending in too much with his surroundings. His shirt is also a quarter zip so it adds a small amount of detail.

Sweet baby girl - what is not to love! A festive plaid which brings in the pattern and then her little bow that coordinates and adds a little detail.

Again, when you pair each family member with each other you get a great balance of color and texture without one color being too overwhelming.

I know, dresses are not for everyone and that is perfectly fine. You can absolutely achieve a beautiful look while wearing jeans.

Mom - a great pair of non-ripped jeans. A simple turtleneck that brings in a pattern and an adorable hair accessory!

Dad - cable knit sweater adds texture and it is the same color as the strip of moms shirt.

Little boy - So many great things here. A nice khaki pant to help breakup the jeans. A button down festive plaid brings both detail and pattern and then one step further with the blazer!

Don't forget that you can layer your outfits. The blazer on the little boy is a great way to add a little more detail but if he wasn't into it then his button down would have been just great! For moms, a nice blanket scarf can be a great way to add that extra layer as well.

When thinking of color schemes for your session you definitely want to keep in mind what your location is. Are you outdoors with lots of foliage or maybe a location like Phipps that has a little more architecture. For an outdoor session this time of year we probably wouldn't go with a bright pink so you don't look too out of place for the season. You also probably wouldn't want too much yellow or orange so you don't blend in with the changing leaves if you have selected a spot specifically for the changing leaves.

Studio Inspiration!

For studio sessions this year you have two choices. Here are some suggestions for how to pick your colors.

Luxe Loft, this is a darker and moodier vibe. You can absolutely go with a festive red but keep in mind that some of the details are dark purple so you want to flow with that color scheme and not clash too much. Also, think about wearing slightly lighter colors so you do not blend into the background.

Urban is a much lighter setup. You can almost get away with any color combination for this studio! The space is pulling greens from the trees, navy blues and browns. Choosing a darker green could absolutely be an option and a personal preference for me would be a more muted red. Because I love blue and am always drawn to that color it could certainly be an option for this setup. Leaning more into a navy and it would coordinate so well with the backdrop.

Here are some of my favorite places to shop: Amazon, Target, Old Navy, Baltic Born and Lulu's (those last two are for mom!)

I hope this breakdown helps you to narrow down your wardrobe for you upcoming session! And of course, if all else fails please feel free to text me your ideas. Always happy to give input!