What To Wear Wednesday

    Lately, I have realized that my blogging is not up to par with what it could be and needed an intervention.  Looking at sessions is great but I, along with other photographers know that potential clients are looking for more direction than just where to stand when taking their family photos.  This brings me to one of the most common questions I receive, what do we wear?  This simple question can really make or break your photos regardless of the skill level of your photographer.  Clothes can either enhance your best assets or show your worst flaws.  It is however, not just due to your body, but due to the way the camera and photographs translate people and objects.
    This brings me to my newest blog installation of What to Wear Wednesdays!  Because clothes are so important in photography, it gives me great pleasure to shine a spotlight on this area and help clients bring out the best in my sessions with them.  You might have heard in the past about some hard and fast rules with what to wear for your family portrait sessions, or any photography session for that matter.  Times are changing and so are some of the views on these former rules.  Up until recently, clients were told for everyone to be wearing the same bottoms and same tops in order to get the best looking family picture.  This rule is no longer and has become a thing of the past as many people have steered away from the "matchy matchy" look these photos created.  I for one, am glad. 
    Also, certain colors and even patterns were avoided and I believe this was due to certain studio background set-ups.  You know the ones, with the busy, almost neon blurry streaks? Yep, those.  The same ones many school companies used.  I believe backgrounds were so busy that they often clashed with anything other than very simple outfits.  Now that outdoor photography has become so popular, backgrounds have become more natural and simple so as not to distract from the most important aspect of the photograph...YOU! 
    The set I have presented for this first edition of What to Wear Wednesday is a perfect example of where wardrobes and photography are headed.  Coordinating your color palette is key and sticking with 2, 3, or 4 colors keeps things simple and easy to manage.  Here we have used blues, reds, and whites...not only patriotic, but perfect for upcoming Valentine's Day.  

Here's why this works:

1. No large distracting words or logos (This rule rings as true today as it did 20 years ago.)
2. Reds are the same tone. (I didn't combine orangy reds with burgundy but instead, kept the same shade and tone of red.)
3.  Denim, whether skirt or jeans were all a very close shade. (No acid wash with black jeans!)
4. All are either short or long sleeve. ( I tend to have my clients steer clear of sleeveless clothing.)
5. Each family member coordinates with one another. (The key is to think of each outfit combining to one outfit, all outfits work together to achieve a streamlined look.)


I hope you enjoyed this week's installment of What to Wear Wednesday and I can't wait to be back with some more ideas for your next family portrait session.