Hey, loves! I am so excited to be sharing some of my tips + tricks for getting amazing family photos! It’s about that time that all of us ladies start planning out our photos for our holiday cards. Below I am going to share my tried and true tips for getting amazing, frame worthy family photos! We aren’t taking our photos for a couple of weeks, but I wanted to get this post up after getting an overwhelming amount of family photo tips requests from you guys via my instagram story poll! I hope this post gives you some great ideas + inspiration!
Coordinating Family Photo Outfits For Fall
Fall family photos are probably my favorite ever. I love the clothes, the mood, the colors, just everything. There is SO much that goes into these pictures and we want to make sure everything “goes” + everyone looks cohesive. Coordinating everyone’s outfits to match, without being too “matchy matchy” is key!
Deciding what to wear
First, I decide what the vibe is that I am going for. I’ve done it all- formal, casual, cozy, you name it. In this particular throwback above we decided to keep the look a little more casual. Honestly I think I am leaning more towards this vibe for our looks this year, as well. I always start with my look first. I mean, no one else is as picky as the woman of the family, right?!
Dresses are my go-to. I’m a dress girl and think they are just SO simple, yet look so put together. If my dress is more casual, I’ll pair my husband in some jeans with a nice sweater, jacket, and/or button up shirt. I’ll normally keep most of the outfits neutral with a pop of color that goes nicely without being too “loud”. For instance, I wore the mustard yellow dress, but it wasn’t too loud and was the perfect color to bring all the neutrals together, without being “blah”.
Choosing the location
The location totally depends on the vibe that you choose. If you are dressy and want a modern look to your photos, you would go with a sleek, classic spot. There’s also the dressy, “romantic vibe” that could be shot in a meadow or gorgeous mountains or even near a beautiful beach or lake scene, etc… you get the drift. Cozy photos look great at home or in outdoor gorgeous scenery. Since we chose to keep the above shot a casual vibe, we went with a pretty outdoor scenery, which in our case was beautiful fall leaves and lots of green!
The possibilities are endless and I suggest if there is a special place that is meaningful to you and your family, then go for that spot! For example, we have also loved shooting in a well known or “popular” spot in our cities. In Michigan we shot at a really popular school called Cranbrook and in Houston we shot at a beautiful library downtown. We love looking back at these photos and knowing exactly where we were living at this time- those locations are so special to us! You can allow the location to determine the style you are going to try and capture.
The photoshoot
Let’s talk posing! I of course love a few nice posed photos, but my favorites are always the candid, real photos. I love the ones where we’re laughing, playing, and really having a good time. To get a fun laugh/smile out of Tru for the above shot, we did his favorite thing and swung him and we just love that captured shot and will treasure it forever. Have fun with it, don’t stress, and let your kids have fun and I PROMISE those will be the best shots.
We shot the above with Jennie Slade and she will be taking ours again this year. I can’t wait to have some family photos taken with Tatum now, as well! Jennie does a fabulous job of setting the mood, keeping things fun, and capturing those special and tender moments that you will always treasure! (Fun fact: Jennie has shot all of my “big” life events- think senior photos, college cheer tryout head shots, engagements, wedding, college graduation pics, Tru’s first birthday, family photos, etc. It’s safe to say, WE LOVE HER!)
Family Photo Tips
Trust your photographer and their suggestion of time & place. Natural lighting usually works best, but I always trust my photographers to know when the best time of the day is to shoot. Always check the weather forecast, as well! You don’t want to shoot when it’s too windy, for example!
Don’t bring treats that will be sticky or color your kids’ mouths! Opt for maybe bribing with a toy 😉 That’s what we plan on doing for ours for Tru.
Make a smart shoe choice. Don’t think you can get away with comfortable/natural looking photos with heels in a rocky scene- it just doesn’t work!
Have your make-up compliment the outfit. I usually will wear a little more than my normal everyday make-up routine because sometimes make-up can get washed out in pictures. And for my liking, I want to look a little more “special” in the photos. If you are going for an everyday look, definitely go for what you feel comfortable in. Confidence is key when taking photos and when you feel good, you will look so good… so rock it, mama!
Family Photo Outfits
Below are some items I am loving for possible looks for family photos! I hope this post was helpful and that you got some good inspiration for upcoming family photos. As always, thanks so much for stopping by! If you pick any of these items, please tag me or send me a photo! I would LOVE to see 🙂 XOXO
