September 13, 2019

Taking your photos from Great to Spectacular through Color Schemes

Clients often seek advice on what to wear once they book their session.  I say, picking a color scheme is the best place to start when deciding what to wear for your family photos.  Keeping your family’s style in mind is key to choosing your wardrobe.  Personally, comfort is more important than style.  I’m going to shoot it to you  real straight here. Pick clothes that fit and aren’t too tight or too baggy.  Dress your figure and feel confident in how amazing you look!   You see, photos evoke emotions.  If all you remember looking at a photo is how you felt on the day, wouldn’t you rather feel confidence when you hang it in your home?

Equally important though is the style of your home.  Does your home look like it walked out of a Pottery Barn catalogue?  Do you have a beach theme?  Different color schemes in different rooms?  Where in your home will you put these pictures?  Believe it or not, these things play right into your wardrobe choices!

For the purpose of family photography, there are a few specific color schemes you will want to explore when choosing outfits for your family photos: 

High-Contrast Colors

A high contrast color scheme would be one with bold colors or patterns.  Some good examples would be black on white, and vice versa, yellow on black, or greens and reds. The blues against the orange top I wore is a perfect example of a high contrast color scheme.

Low-Contrast Colors

A low contrast color scheme would be colors that are closely related.  This is a great look for the beach, fields of flowers and multi-generational photos.  When you look at a color wheel, low contrast colors are three colors side by side.

Monochromatic

This works especially well with shades and hues of blue.  The way these kids popped off the red barn made the blues a perfect color scheme for their family session!

 

Neutral Colors

Neutral color schemes work great in any circumstance.  They are easy to coordinate as well as accessorize. Neutrals blend well with skin tones and background colors making a timeless looking portrait for your family.  However, accessories are a key component of making this style successful.  You want the style to look effortless, but don’t want blend into the background! Here are some good neutral palettes to point you in the right direction.

Once You’ve Chosen Your Color Scheme It’s Time to Decide What to Wear!

Need More Inspiration?

Head on over to my Pinterest page to see some of my favorite color schemes!

A very special thank you to my friend Rachel Tennant at Hazelnut Photography for taking my family photos over the last several years.  If you are in London and need your photos done, I highly recommend her!