What to Wear: Summer Family Photoshoot Outfit Ideas

It’s always best to start with you either you, mum, or one of the girls in the family.  Why? Well, generally,  a girl’s wardrobes will have clothes which have a wider variety of colours and accessories to compliment them. This means we can pick a colour palette based either on what you are comfortable wearing or on your little girl’s favourite dress! Perfect!

Once you know what you, or your girl, is wearing and so have your base colour, you are now able to mix and match other colours to create the rest of the family’s outfits.  Sounds simple … until you try.  I totally sympathise!  That’s why I’ve created this summer family photoshoot outfit ideas blog.

This colour palette shows some fantastic colour schemes you could use as inspiration to create your colour scheme.

If you read across the chart, you can see some great complimentary colours. I wouldn’t read down the chart though as I think the tones get very similar and then your wonderful family may merge in to one salmon, green or brown group. Always remember to break up the main colour with complimentary ones. Break up each the colours by throwing a cream top or bottoms on someone or sticking on a pair of jeans.

Salmon pink and darker shade of blue combine with browns, to create this look.

The same colours could be used with softer fabrics with a less fitted cut which would create a more fluid, less formal style.

It’s important to think about where you are hanging your pictures.  If you are putting them in a light bright living room, you don’t want to wear dark colours in your

photographs.  If you are placing your wall art in a vibrant nursery you want don’t want to be dressed in white.  You want your images to be noticed!  Luckily, I will discuss all this with you during our pre-shoot consultation, so you’ll have ideas ready to go.

Key Points for your summer family photoshoot outfit ideas:

• Wear complimentary colours, not matchy matchy ones.
• Go for texture and comfort with styles and fabrics.
• Remember to think about your shoes!
• Plan for the weather – sometimes layering works brilliantly with our brilliant British Summers.  You can peel the layers off if its warm or
  put them on if there’s a chill.
• Don’t be afraid of bold patterns but keep them as a single piece and large. Perhaps the pattern on your dress or top but keep everyone else pretty simple.
• Avoid tiny plaid, narrow stripes and little patterns.
• Stay away from extremes – too baggy and you’ll lose your shape.  Too tight and you’ll feel uncomfortable and awkward.  A happy medium is always good.
• Wear outfits that suit the environment of your location.  A tuxedo in the woods is going to look out of place. Take a look at these Surrey photoshoot locations for inspiration.
• Avoid whites – try ivory or another off white shade
• Avoid neons – they make your skin a weird colour!
• Avoid writing and brand logos on outfits.
• Keep it timeless by avoiding obvious tends – your images are an investment.  You want them hanging on your wall for many years to come without your outfits screaming the year they were taken.

These ideas are a great start for you summer family photoshoot outfits.

For even more great ideas and visuals check out this Pinterest Board created especially for those of us who think we don’t have a clue!  Once you’re in the zone, I promise it’s not so bad.  You might even have fun!