What Should We Wear for Autumn Family Photos?
/One of the first questions I get asked after someone books an outdoor family photography session is:
“What should we wear?”
And honestly, I completely understand why.
You want everyone to look like they belong together without looking too matching. You want the photographs to work beautifully in your home. You want the children to be comfortable. And, ideally, you don't want to have to buy five completely new outfits just for your session!
Autumn is actually one of my favourite seasons to style because there are so many gorgeous colours and textures to work with.
So if you've got an autumn family photography session coming up, here are my biggest tips for choosing what everyone should wear.
Start with a colour palette
Rather than choosing one colour and putting everyone in it, choose a small palette of colours that work together.
For autumn, I love:
Cream and oatmeal
Warm beige and camel
Muted greens
Rust and terracotta
Soft browns
Mustard
Burgundy and deeper berry tones
Denim
You don't need to use all of them!
Choose around three or four complementary tones and spread them across everyone's outfits.
For example, Mum might wear a cream knit with a rust skirt, Dad could wear beige chinos with an olive shirt, and the children could pick up some of those same shades through their outfits.
Everyone coordinates without looking like you've deliberately dressed as a matching set.
Think texture, not just colour
Autumn is THE season for texture.
Chunky knits, corduroy, denim, wool, knitted dresses and layered fabrics all photograph beautifully outdoors.
Texture adds interest to your photographs without relying on patterns or prints.
Layers are also really useful because British autumn weather isn't exactly predictable!
A cardigan, knitted jumper or little jacket can become part of the outfit while keeping everyone warm enough to actually enjoy the session.
You don't all need to match
Please don't feel like everyone needs to arrive wearing jeans and matching white shirts!
I always recommend coordinating rather than matching.
Look at everyone's outfits together before your session. You want them to feel as though they belong in the same colour story without being identical.
If one person's outfit has a pattern, use colours from that pattern to help choose everyone else's clothing.
That usually creates a much more natural finished gallery.
Be careful with patterns
Patterns aren't completely banned.
A subtle floral dress, checked shirt or delicate print can look lovely.
The problem comes when several people are wearing competing patterns at the same time.
If one person is wearing something patterned, I'd usually keep everyone else's clothing fairly simple.
I'd also avoid large logos, slogans, cartoon characters and very bold graphics.
They're often the first thing your eye notices in a photograph and I want your eye to go to you, not the enormous superhero on someone's T-shirt. 😂
Don't forget about shoes!
Shoes are one of those things people spend ages choosing approximately three minutes before they need to leave the house.
And then realise the children's bright trainers don't quite work with everything else. 😂
Your shoes will be visible in plenty of your photographs, so think about them as part of the outfit.
Boots, neutral trainers and simple shoes usually work beautifully for autumn sessions.
And because we're outdoors, please choose something everyone can actually walk in comfortably.
Dress your children like themselves
This one is really important.
If your child has never worn braces, a bow tie and a flat cap in their life, their photography session probably isn't the time to introduce all three.
The same applies to beautiful dresses that are incredibly itchy or shoes they're desperate to take off.
I want children to move, play, cuddle, explore and be themselves during family sessions.
Comfortable children are generally much happier children.
And happy children make much better photographs than an amazing outfit ever will.
Start with the hardest person to dress
If you're staring at five empty outfits laid across the bed and don't know where to begin, start with whichever person is hardest to dress.
Quite often that's Mum!
Find something you feel genuinely comfortable and confident wearing first.
Then build everyone else's outfits around that.
It's much easier than trying to find your own outfit at the end that somehow works with four completely different things you've already bought for everyone else.
Think about where you'll display your photographs
This isn't essential, but it's something worth considering.
If your home is filled with warm neutrals and natural colours, choosing similar tones for your photography session means your finished images will naturally work beautifully on your walls.
That doesn't mean you need to dress according to your sofa!
But if you're investing in family photographs because you'd love to display them around your home, thinking about the overall colours can help create a really cohesive finished gallery.
What if I'm still not sure?
Please ask me!
You don't have to figure everything out alone.
If you're booked for a family photography session with me and you're torn between outfits, you're always welcome to send me photographs of what you're considering.
I'd much rather help you beforehand than have you worrying about whether everything works together on the morning of your session.
Autumn family photography in Bedfordshire 🍂
Autumn will always be one of my favourite times of year for outdoor family photography.
The colours, cosy layers and softer autumn light create such a lovely backdrop for relaxed photographs without needing lots of props or complicated setups.
My family sessions are relaxed and natural, with plenty of movement, cuddles and interaction rather than expecting everyone — especially young children — to stand perfectly and smile at the camera for an hour.
If you're looking for a family photographer in Bedfordshire, Hertfordshire or Cambridgeshire and would love to update your family photographs this autumn, you can find more information about my family photography sessions on my website.
Phoebe x
Phoebe Berridge Photography
Newborn, baby, maternity & family photographer in Ickwell, Bedfordshire