A session should portray more than just smiling faces, it should portray the personality of those in the photo and oftentimes that can greatly be achieved through clothing. 

Below I will be going over not only wardrobe style, but what you can do to help me as your photographer to make your family session a memorable and joyful experience. By doing so I will be better able to capture the best of you, in your family photos!

Coordinating outfits for family photos can sometimes be tricky! Follow these helpful hints to make your session style flow smoothly from person to person.

WHAT TO WEAR:

1. VARYING COLORS: Stick with 2 - 3 colors max and make that the theme of your wardrobe. If your colors are blue, gray and green it's okay to wear different shades of each color, just stick with the overall color scheme.
2. THE MOOD OF COLORS: When choosing your 2-3 colors decide on the mood you want your photos to portray. Blues and greens are more calming, while yellows and oranges are more exciting and vibrant. You can use Pinterest to find the right color combinations for you and your family!
3. ACCENT COLORS AND PATTERNS: Want some extra flare? Accent your color scheme with an additional color or a specific pattern and choose a few people to wear those patterns or colors. If one person is wearing a polka dot dress maybe someone else can wear a polka dot scarf. Or if someone is wearing a purple bow in their hair someone else wears purple earrings. You can choose this accent color (or 3rd color) by choosing the complimentary color (the opposite color on the color wheel) to the main color in your outfit. 
4. HOW TO ALTERNATE COLOR THROUGHOUT WARDROBES: Scatter your color choices. By this I mean alternate where on the body each color appears from person to person. In other words, avoid the idea that it's twin day at school. Example: your son wears a light blue and white striped shirt and brown jeans, dad wears a beige button up shirt and dark  jeans, and mom wears a dark blue sweater over a light blue and white striped dress with brown boots.  
5. CONSIDER YOUR LOCATION: When choosing what colors to wear consider your surroundings as well. If you are shooting in a park full of greenery you might want to stay away from wearing green tones in order to avoid overwhelming your image with one color. Instead choose a color that is complimentary (or opposite on the color wheel) to the color mood of the location you are in.
6. COMPLIMENT YOUR ENVIRONMENT AND THE SEASON: Be aware of your surroundings and the time of year. Are you going to be surrounded by the darker green and brown tones of the trees or the airy blue and sandy colored pastels of the water? What is the typical temperature for the time of year you are shooting? Is it summer where a sun dress is appropriate or winter where you want to bundle up and layer? 
7. LAYERING CLOTHING: Speaking of layers... use them! Layering your clothing adds depth and interest to any outfit. Sweaters, scarves, vests, socks peeking out of boots, statement necklaces etc... lots of options here!
8. AVOID BRANDING: Avoid clothing with logos or words on them (just a rule of thumb). If you are trying to get a message across like "I'm going to be a big brother" or "I'm turning one" consider using a sign or prop instead that cannot be wrinkled or hidden and therefore unreadable with movement and varying camera angles.
9. COMFORT: Be comfortable. Avoid wearing something too out of the ordinary that you might feel self-conscious in.
10. THE PERFECT FIT: Your daughter might have the cutest dress that she almost fits into, but the sleeves go past her hands and it's just plain too big. Save this for a different session. This might compromise an otherwise good family photo.
11. EMPTY YOUR POCKETS: Please remind all family members to take phones and wallets out of their pockets before our session. They will not be needing them for the next hour or so anyway. Girls please remember to take hair-ties off of your wrists. And try to keep sun glasses off of your face for at least 30 minutes before the start of our session to avoid marks on your face.
12. GLASSES: Sometimes there can be a lot of glare in glasses. If you do not need to wear glasses please remove them. If you do wear them and they are tinted glasses please make sure you keep them out of the sun before our shoot so they are not tinted when the shoot begins.
13. ONE LAST CHECK: Before the session begins double-check hair, makeup, teeth, and crumbs on the mouth for the kiddos (baby wipes are a good thing to bring along for this). We can adjust accordingly as we go, but these are useful things to remember right before we begin!