You know how when you’re flipping through a magazine, and you come across a feature and you see a family and they all look so put together and coordinated, but not matchy-matchy? Their personalities shine through and you really get a sense of each person’s individual style.
This is not an accident. It’s called “styling” and every magazine shoot is styled by someone, and they usually get a credit for it! I’m no master stylist, but I know what looks best in the type of lifestyle shooting I do.
First off, everyone needs to wear clothing that fits them properly, flatters the figure, and is age appropriate. Unless you’re at a wedding, chances are your three year old will look silly in a tuxedo–and moms will look silly wearing the exact same outfit as their teenage daughters.
So, this brings me to my next point. Don’t try to match. Just stop it. I hear you thinking “but how will we know it looks good together if it isn’t all the same?!?”
Do you and your spouse dress alike every day? Do you have the same favorite color? The same favorite music? If the answer to any of these questions is “no,” then tell me why on earth you would want a large-scale art print of the two of you dressed in the exact same outfit? What does that say about who you are and what you like? Not a thing.
But there have to be common interests somewhere. Are you outdoorsy? Sporty? Musically inclined? Pick a theme and run with it (not too far, now, we’re not doing caricature here)
Outdoorsy? You know jeans and boots are a good starting point for the whole family. Maybe mom and the girls can wear scarves and some fingerless gloves. Dad can rock a plaid shirt and the boys can wear long sleeved t-shirts under a button down. Pick a color palette that works with your theme: dark greens, browns, burgundy, mustard, cream.
Musical? How about a slightly edgy grey and black base with jeans for the guys, and jeans or black casual dresses for the girls. Don’t forget to layer and accessorize–practicality might say that big earrings and necklaces or a chunky cuff bracelet get in the way of your every day life, but they can be a fun way to show your personality on a photo shoot.
Sporty? How about using a favorite team’s colors as the inspiration for your shoot? Taking my college colors of blue and white into account, I might dress my family in jeans, put a blue sweater on my hubs, a white sweater for myself with a blue scarf, and dress my twin sons in jeans in blue plaid shirts. The idea isn’t to look like a cheerleading squad, but maybe pay a little homage to a favorite team.
Not everyone will fit into one of those three categories, but you get the idea. Have fun, and feel free to ask for guidance if you need it–bring a few outfit choices for everyone if you want to cover a few different looks or if you aren’t certain what would look best.
