A lot of planning goes into organizing a family portrait, but don’t let that planning take the fun out of the process. Fashion, pose, and setting are all important aspects of this process; don’t leave anything out. You get to show your family’s personality in a memory you’ll be proud to share for years to come.
Dress in Button-Downs and Jeans
Create a cohesive portrait by wearing the same outfit with a twist: Everyone’s button-downs should be different. You don’t want the family photo to be cheesy. Instead, convey a sense of fun. Go shopping for crisp new button-downs at your favorite stores. Old Navy deals, combined with its wide selection, give everyone lots of options. When everyone gets to choose a button-down, each member of the family displays his or her personal style without interrupting the overall look.
Wear Similar Colors
Image via Flickr by timsackton
Piggyback on a current wedding trend: Everyone gets to wear something different, but you stay in the same color family. Not everything you wear needs to be red, for example, but make sure everyone has on a red accent, accessory, or piece of clothing. This looks especially elegant if you choose a bright color to pop and the rest of everyone’s wardrobe is muted.
Go Black and White
Black, white, and gray clothing creates a classic look, and you can feed into that look by getting your clothes at a retailer such as JC Penney, which offers lots of designer and style options. You and your family will look like you planned the photo without getting too into a theme or too into matching. The best part? You can do casual or dressed-up with this color palette, because lots of clothes from your favorite retailers come in these colors.
Use the Season as Inspiration
Image via Flickr by DoddsPhotography
Put your JC Penney coupons to good use and get seasonal clothes for a seasonal photo shoot. Fall and spring are traditional times to take season-themed family portraits because of the gorgeous colors outside. Get a winter portrait taken when there’s a fresh blanket of snow on the ground for a magical shoot. Summer on the beach with a gorgeous sunrise or sunset in the background is unbeatable, too.
Go Candid
A well-posed portrait will look timeless on your wall or mantel. But make sure the photographer gets a few candid shots of you smiling and looking at each other. A candid portrait shows the love and connection between all the members of your family. Some of the most evocative family portraits aren’t posed moments but rather photos of family members laughing, hugging, or playing together. You can always order a posed option and a candid option, after all.
These family portrait suggestions are here to help you isolate a few unique qualities about your family and to take your family photo up a notch from good to great. You’ll always love a picture of your smiling family, but you want this one to be extra special.
