I’m so excited to be on the other side of the camera in less than two weeks! One of my favorite photographers, Rebecca Rice, is coming to Albuquerque for Balloon Fiesta and is going to take our family pictures while she’s here. Not only am I thrilled to work with her, but I just can’t wait to be in the pictures with my family during my absolute favorite time of year in NM. With family pictures comes outfit decisions though and despite knowing what styles, colors, and patterns photograph well, I had a really hard time with this! Knowing that I have some expertise and still found it challenging, I thought it would be helpful to write a blog post for others going through the same thing. So, if you’re looking for inspiration for outfits for family photos, you’ve come to the right place!

3 Tips for Deciding What to Wear

Tip #1: Start with the Person Who Is Hardest to Dress

If I’m being honest, I don’t love shopping for clothes for myself. I used to, but then I had kids and just started having way too much fun dressing them. There are so many cute options for them, which means they’re the last ones I should be considering when coordinating outfits for photos! My husband is a champ and will wear whatever I ask him to (within reason of course 😉), which leaves me to own the title of “Hardest Person to Dress” in my family.

Because of this, I started with myself. I wanted a dress, but since October mornings in Albuquerque can be pretty chilly, I opted for white skinny jeans and a top instead. Like I said, I’m no fashionista, but my mom insisted that I can still wear white after Labor Day, so I’m going with it – thanks, Mom! In order to add some visual interest to our photos, I chose a shirt with a print. It’s mainly white, but has a green, blue, and lavender floral print on it. This print leads me directly to Tip #2.

Tip #2: Choose Coordinating Colors

I don’t love the photos where everyone wears the same thing. There’s nothing wrong with everyone showing up in jeans and white shirts, but that doesn’t add a whole lot of visual interest to a photo. So, after choosing the first outfit, I recommend selecting a few coordinating colors. Because of my light and airy style, I prefer light colors to dark ones. As such, I started looking for clothes for my kids and husband that were some combination of white, green, blue, and lavender. I ended up with with khakis and a medium blue shirt for my husband, khakis and a light blue sweater for my son, and an adorable green jumper with a white shirt and tights for my daughter. We girls have coordinating ankle booties to wear too!

Tip #3: Accessorize!

Now that I have our outfits selected, it is time to think about accessories! I haven’t finalized them quite yet, but we’ll wear some combination of earrings, bracelets, watches, and hair bows. Depending on the location and weather, you might also consider, scarves, vests, jackets, hats, or other jewelry. Anything that adds a little extra interest to your outfit and photos!

If you have a session booked with me and are struggling with what to wear, let’s chat! I’d love to help you figure out something that is both flattering and photographs well. Above all else, it’s most important to be comfortable, so we’ll keep that in mind as we choose outfits for family photos too.

Interested in more tips? Check out other education posts on my blog!