Hey - congrats on getting the family together for a photo shoot. I bet you’ve been meaning to do this for awhile. Let me tell you: no one has ever regretted documenting their family at whatever stage of life yours happens to be. I’m serious! Even braces will be a nostalgic memory . . . someday.
But at risk of sounding negative (heck, this whole post is kinda negative, let’s just buckle down & get through it), here’s some simple rules on what you SHOULD NOT wear for a photo shoot:
1. NO WHITE. No one in Colorado should wear white on a photo shoot. White looks great on a beach or somewhere where the sun is way, way less intense. In CO, your white shirt will be the brightest thing in the photo and thus the first thing we see in a final portrait. Yes, I know people get married in Colorado and the bride usually wears white. Let me tell you something about that: it’s really hard to photograph. And when you look at a wedding pic, what do you always see first? The dress.
2. NO WORDS OR GRAPHICS. Avoid graphics and words of any kind on clothing. Our brains are wired to read first, so our eyes search out words before seeing pictures. The thing I want to notice first? Your faces. Let's not distract our brains!
3. NO SUPER LOUD PATTERNS. Sometimes they work, mostly they don’t. Black and white stripes would be a good example. Also, prints that are teeny tiny will sometimes moire in the digital file. You've seen this on local TV when a newscaster wears a pattern so detailed that the video camera can’t capture it accurately and the shirt looks like it’s moving on its own. Unsure if your pattern qualifies? Send me a text with photo and I’ll happily give my opinion.
4. NO MATCHING OUTFITS. Do you all wear the same color normally? When I see a family photo with everyone wearing the same color, I don’t see faces first — I find myself wondering what the odds are of that actually happening. Instead, let everyone showcase their personality a bit. Don’t match, coordinate!
5. CONSIDER THE SHOE. Unless it is appropriate for the whole family to be barefoot, please think about everyone’s shoes. We can try to hide them, but it’s Murphy’s Law that the pair you don’t want to see will end up front & center in your favorite shot. That 3-colors-of-neon athletic shoe your child loves? You won’t love it framed on your wall.
Last, keep clothing simple. The more complicated & trendy the outfits, the sooner the photo will look outdated. Keep in mind that the photo shoot is about showcasing your family, not your clothing.
A favorite from Awkward Family Photos
Is there something else you regret from a past photo shoot? Help someone else by sharing it below!!
0 Comments