Tips for styling your next session

Outfits are the part everyone overthinks. Good news: no new wardrobe or color theory degree required. Pick pieces that coordinate, fit, and feel like you. Stuck? Just ask. Talking you off the wardrobe ledge is half my job.

Choose a few complementing colors and build around them. Pick two or three hues that coordinate well. What are your family's favorite colors? Avoid dressing everyone in a single color; a mix adds dimension and depth to your images.

Pick one or two patterns and go from there. You don't want the whole family in patterns, so start with one piece, a patterned dress, say that features colors you love. Then pull those colors for everyone else's outfits.

Be comfortable. Make sure everyone's clothing fits well and suits the weather. If you're too hot or too cold during your session, it's hard to look relaxed and happy in the photos and that goes double for the kids. When you feel good in what you're wearing, it shows!

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Do: Wear layers! Layers add dimension and depth. In warm weather, layer with accessories belts, necklaces, bracelets. In cooler weather, reach for cardigans, vests, scarves, boots, and hats.

Do: Wear clothes that fit. It's tempting to size up on kids' clothing so they can grow into it, but for a session, well-fitting pieces photograph far better than baggy ones.

Do: Start with one outfit and build from there. Choosing every outfit at once gets overwhelming, so begin with one person and let the rest of the family's colors follow. And it doesn't all have to be new shop your closet first!

Don't: Wear neon. It doesn't photograph well and reflects onto skin no one wants a bright yellow glow!

Don't: Match. Matching is out, coordinating is in. It doesn't have to match, it just has to GO outfits should complement one another, not be identical.

Don't: Blend into the scenery. For outdoor sessions, go easy on colors that echo the background lots of green in a leafy setting will swallow you up. A few pops are always fine!

Don't: Go head-to-toe in solid black or solid white. Used intentionally they can look striking, but a full black or white outfit tends to flatten out and lose dimension on camera so break it up with layers, texture, or a second color.

Outfit and Color Palette Examples