What to Wear for Fall Outdoor Family Portraits | NJ family photographer
We are being blessed by a lovely warm October, so outdoor sessions are going rather pleasantly. I wanted to write a blog post about what to wear for fall family portraits for an outdoor session because this is a question I'm getting from a lot of you.
Here I will share my couple of cents and link some images that are good family wardrobe combinations that I like.
1. FIRST DECISION TO MAKE: What is the look you want to go for? Upscale, fun, artsy, vintage, outdoorsy, warm and fuzzy or light and breezy...
When coordinating family outfits, you should keep in mind that everyone's look should speak the same language. You can't have one wearing thick sweaters and winter accessories while another is wearing light and breezy fabrics. You can't have mom in an evening gown when dad is wearing a plaid shirt and lumberjacks. You get my point :)
2. PICK YOUR PALETTE.
Warm or cool. Pick one.
3. DO YOU WANT TO CONTRAST OR BLEND WITH THE SCENERY?
If you prefer a bit more of a pop, go with creams or whites or a deep warm color so you glow against the colorful fall foliage. If you would like to be in harmony with the scenery, then pick a color from nature that we are likely to find a lot of in the spot where we will be shooting.
(Tip: tell me ahead of time if you love yellows or reds or oranges, and I will try to find a spot that has mostly your favorite color)
4. GO SHOPPING IN YOUR CLOSET.
Decide if you are wearing jeans or dresses or corduroy pants. Decide if you are wearing sweaters or jackets. Decide if you are wearing winter accessories.
Put together what you have and see how they look.
Pick a couple of neutral colors, one darker tone, and one main "color", and maybe some coordinating secondary colors.
Tip: Don't overdo color so that you don't look like a bunch of autumn Easter eggs. There will already be plenty of color in nature, so you want to minimize distractions. After all, it's about your family and not the outfits.
| Examples of neutrals: | Cream, beige, gray, tan |
| Examples of darker colors: | Denim, brown, navy (try to coordinate with the neutral in terms of warm or cool) |
| Examples of main colors: | Mustard yellow, mauve, brown, olive green, moss green, rust, sienna, burnt orange, deep red, burgundy, warm yellow, maroon |
| Examples of secondary colors: | Choose a neighboring second color to your main color or add similar tones of your main color. |
5. CONSIDER THE TEMPERATURE.
It's no fun trying to let your true self out to be captured by the camera while clenching your teeth or shivering.
I try to have back up warmth in my bag for you, but please remember to dress accordingly. Remember tights or socks or inner shirts if the weather calls for additional layers.
6. LAYER.
When outdoors, we are not always able to have access to a changing facility. It's a good idea to layer your outfits and bring easy to change accessories, so that we can get a few different looks in the same session. This will give you more variety to choose from for your wall portraits and also add more fun to your family album.
7. BE OPEN TO PLAYFUL & EXTRAORDINARY OPTIONS.
I always like to add in a touch of "artsy" or "whimsical" to my photo shoots.
It's a lot of fun when we add a crazy tutu dress, an extravagant crown, some vintage materials or hand-made knits to a session as a second or third look once we've already gotten our every day look taken care of.
I believe this makes the shoot so much more fun, and it gives you an option to get a Fine Art Portrait out of your outdoor family session.
This image on the right is one of those fine art portraits I'm talking about. I made this dress and head piece just for her, and this beautiful little lady absolutely rocked her shoot!
Tip: I will always ask for your favorite colors and feeling about certain looks before the shoot, and usually show up with something hand-made just for you. If you have some cool or crazy ideas, bring them on!
8. REMEMBER TO BRING OUT THE REAL YOU!
If you have a particular style that makes you "you", try to keep loyal to that in a tasteful way. We want your portraits to look beautiful, but more importantly, we want them to tell YOUR STORY to the next generations. The same goes for the kids. Let them pick some items they LOVE, and they will be more likely to give us their best smiles during the shoot.
Hope this is helpful! Happy fall and happy memory-making everyone!
-Love,
Pamira
Below is a link to some wardrobe combinations I pulled together from Pinterest. You can refer to them for inspiration if you like.
Click here to go to Album of coordinating family wardrobe images for inspiration
Click here to view board on Pinterest
Disclaimer: the Pinterest pins are NOT my photographs. I am not connected to, nor do I endorse, the makers of the images, pin boards or the manufacturers of the outfits in the images. The selection is for inspiration only.
Pamira Bezmen Photography is an award-wining, full service portrait studio in Essex County, New Jersey, that specializes in maternity, newborn, and family photography as well as professional and glamour portraiture. Pamira services the New Jersey, New York area, and also photographs in Istanbul Turkey, for part of the year. For availability and information, you can contact Pamira by clicking here.
