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How to dress for a family photo

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Matching colors help unify the image

By Mason Resnick

May 6, 2008

If you’re going out for a family photo, doing it yourself, or are photographing other families, there’s one visual element that will tie the photo together in a nice, neat bow: clothing.


If people dress for a family photo casually with no direction, you will get a visual mishmash and will have a challenge keeping conflicting colors and designs from banging against each other.



Four on the floor: White tops keeps this family together (visually, that is). Notice anything else they have in common? They're barefoot! Photo © Jaroslaw Wojcik/istockphoto.com. Note the seamless white backdrop.

So, as in many things in life, there are three words of advice to follow: Keep it simple. All white is nice. All black can also work. A less formal but unifying look is jeans (and/or jean skirts) and white tops, be they T-shirts, blouses, or turtlenecks. In fact you can mix and match styles as long as the tops are a consistent color. You don’t have to use white, but if not the family should pick a neutral color that everyone has. That’s why white and black are easy colors.


Red-dy for a shoot: This family wanted to wear red--not exactly a neutral color but it worked for them. Note: Although the tops are different the color helps tie the image together visually. Expressions? Poses? You, the photographer, need to coax those out of your subjects! Photo © Juston Horrocks/istockphoto.com.

Make sure everyone’s clothing is free of wrinkles, lint, pet hair, and dandruff (if someone’s got a flaky scalp, black tops are out). Kids might get squirmy and scrunch their clothes, so keep an eye out for them, and if their shirts are getting bunched up, give the shirts a quick pull down to flatten them out just before shooting.
About The Author

Mason Resnick is the editor of the Adorama Learning Center and a lifetime photography enthusiast.

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