Family Session Styling Guide
What to Wear to Your Session
Creating a beautiful family portrait is both an art and a bit of science. By hiring a professional photographer, most of the technical details are taken care of—but your clothing choice is something that will have a big impact on the final result. How you dress can enhance the overall artistry of your portrait, and it’s worth a little planning. Choosing outfits can feel overwhelming, especially knowing that your portrait may hang on your walls for years and even be passed down to future generations! My goal is to help your family look its best and keep the focus on you, so here are some tips and suggestions.
Clothing Style
For family portraits, I usually suggest a semi-casual look. Choose clothing that feels comfortable and allows everyone to move freely.
Stick with classic, timeless pieces rather than trendy items—this ensures your portraits will stay fresh for years.
Fitted clothing generally works best, as loose or flowing items can add bulk and distract from your shape.
Sleeves are helpful—at least 3/4 length. Bare arms can draw attention away from faces and may make arms appear larger.
Clothing Color & Coordination
When it comes to color, the goal is to complement each other without everyone being “matchy-matchy.” Here are some guidelines:
Avoid bright, neon, or overly bold colors, as they can dominate the image and distract from your family’s faces. Red, orange, and hot pink often don’t photograph well.
Solid colors usually photograph best, while busy patterns, large logos, or graphic tees can be distracting. If one person wears a pattern, try to coordinate the rest of the family in solids.
Dark colors are slimming, while lighter shades stand out more and can make areas appear larger. Dark pants or skirts are always a safe choice; white pants are generally not recommended.
Coordinating Without Matching
Gone are the days of everyone in identical outfits. The modern approach is to select a color palette and build outfits around it:
Start with one or two neutral base colors, such as black, charcoal, or taupe.
Add one or two complementary colors—for example, denim blue, soft gray, or brown.
Choose one accent color—like camel, berry, or rust—to add visual interest.
Everyone can then pick outfits that fit within this palette, creating a coordinated look without looking overly uniform. For an extra touch, consider the natural colors in your session location (foliage, flowers, or season-specific tones) and incorporate one of those into your palette.
For inspiration, do a quick Google search for “family portraits” or visit my Pinterest page to see examples and color ideas.
How Will Your Portraits Be Displayed?
If you are planning on creating a beautiful wall portrait then you want to take your home decor into consideration. Choose clothing colors and style that match the room you want to hang the portrait in.
If you are thinking of Christmas cards you might want to choose clothing that is wintery and seasonal.
If you want to create a keepsake album then bring accessories and props that can be switched out to create different looks.
Textures, Layers, Props & Accessories
When choosing clothing think of adding textures, layers and accessories because they show off your personality and add visual interest to the portrait. They can also can provide a way to create a variety of looks during your session. The challenge is to have these things compliment you but not overwhelm, so don't overdo this.
Choose clothing with textures such as: denim, leather, lace, knitting, embroidery, fur, tweed, smocking, ribbons, buttons, ruffles, etc.
Create layers with sweaters, hoodies, jackets, vests, etc. and bring accessories like hats and scarves. Jewelry should usually be minimal. I generally recommend not wearing watches unless they complement the portrait.
Bring any props you would like to include in the portrait, such as stuffed animals, musical instruments, special blankets, books, etc. I often bring flowers to sessions.
Don't forget about footwear! Boots are a great choice and come in a variety of looks. I really discourage runners, sneakers and white socks
Pets!! Some people love to include their dog in their family portraits. If you are bringing a dog to your session here are a few tips. Make sure your dog has had lots of exercise before the session so it is tired out and read to sit for the portraits. Assign one of your family members to be with your dog during the entire session. Bring a leash so that your dog is secure during the portrait session and can be taken for a walk if needed. Bring a squeaky toy that I can use to get your dog’s attention during the session. You might also want to bring grooming tools, treats, and water.
Personal Grooming
I cannot stress enough the importance of having great makeup for the ladies. It really does make a huge difference in how your portraits will look. If you don't normally wear makeup that's okay, however I highly recommend that as a minimum you wear foundation to even out your skin tone and cover any blemishes, as well as lip balm to make your lips look soft and moisturized. In fact I even recommend lip balm for everyone in the family. If you would like to book a professional make-up artist please contact me.
Wear your hair in a style that is normal for you. Professional hair styling is also a great idea. Unfortunately Calgary can be a windy place, so take that into consideration and come prepared for fix ups.
Haircuts should be done at least 2 weeks before your session. This gives you time to get used to a new style, and for hair to grow back slightly.
Men should make sure to shave before the portrait session.
Inspiration and Ideas
What to Bring To Your Session
We are going to create some amazing photographs of your family, and have a great time in the process, but before your session there are a few things to think about and a few things you need to bring to your session.
Any additional clothing and accessories that we discussed in your pre-session consultation.
A comb, or hair brush and hairspray for touch ups.
Lip balm or lip gloss for the entire family.
Comfortable shoes for walking. We will be walking around to various locations during your session so if you are not wearing shoes that are suitable for this please bring along an extra pair of comfortable shoes that you can slip into.
Dress for the weather. During the summer this isn't much of an issue, but during the spring and especially in the fall the weather can be changeable here in Calgary. Most people don't want to be photographed in bulky sweaters and coats, but bring them along so that you can slip them on when there is some down time during your session. This is especially important for your kids. We want to keep them happy and comfortable so that the session goes well.
Sessions take place outdoors in fields with grass and various trees and flowers, so if you have any allergies you may want to take allergy medication before the session. You don't want to be sneezing, itching and have red, watery eyes during your session. I sometimes bring fresh flowers, or snacks to the session, so if there are any other allergies I need to be aware of please let me know.
Any personal props you would like included in your photograph, such as musical instruments, books, teddy bears, etc.
Personal water bottles and snacks. Sessions can take up to two hours so a small snack is great to have on hand, especially for the kids.
I bring mosquito spray with me, but if you prefer a certain brand please bring it with you.
