Wardrobe Suggestions for Family Portraits:
• Stick to solid colors. Patterns of any kind (plaids, stripes, florals & logos) are distracting.
One exception is if you have chosen a special theme such as favorite sports team.
• Long sleeves are best. Small children and ultra casual sessions are the exception.
• Skirts should fall past the knee when seated.
• Choose no more than two colors as your theme - a neutral and an accent.
• Accessories should fall within the color keys as well. Socks, shoes, belts, etc. should not be
considerably darker or lighter than the clothing.
• If possible, arrange all of the clothing and accessories together on the furniture in the room
where the portrait will hang. This will let you see if there are any pieces that don’t
coordinate well, and will show you how the colors blend with the decor of the room.
• Avoid large pieces of jewelry which may reflect light back to the camera lens.
• Avoid having your hair cut less than a week before the session.
• Have some “back-up” clothing choides in case something doesn’t coordinate well once
everyone is together. This is especially important for an out-of-town family who may not
have a chance to look at the clothing all together before the session.
