HOUSE OF PAINT.: What to wear for Family Pictures.

Their are so many great family picture ideas out there with so much fun inspiration. If you are like me, you are planning family pictures soon so you have some for the yearly christmas card. We always seem to plan ours around the fall. Anyway, one of the other things that is hard for many of you and me too is discovering what to wear for family photos. Choosing the wrong outfits can ruin a photograph and the memories you are trying to capture and so it's very nerve wracking to make the right choices. I have been a photographer for a number of years and whether I'm behind the camera or in the photograph, it still can be tricky to choose the right places, outfits, and settings for a family. Here are the tips I have found:

1. don't be too matchy matchy. A number of years ago, everyone's photos were so uniform and everyone looked exactly the same. It was all yellow, all black, all white, etc. They had the black tops and cacky pants. It seemed so uniform that sometimes, the personalities didn't show through. My advice would be to choose something that shows off your family and their personalities. Stay within 1-2 color themes but beyond that, have fun. no one needs to be exactly the same, and really they shouldn't. You are trying to capture your family and the best moments of each person.

2. think about the location and the colors for clothes together. sometimes if you decide where you want the pictures to be taken, it's easier to come up with a color theme and sometimes if you don't think about where they will be taken and choose your outfits and then just show up there, you won't be very happy with the blend between scenery and outfits.

3. try giving the kids a pop of color and letting your husband and you blend a little. Kids personalities are so vibrant and sometimes they are really the center of the photograph. My favorite family photos have been where we have let the kids take center focus by putting them in something bright and colorful and letting us (jared and i) wear gray, black, white or even lighter shades of what the kids are wearing to just blend behind them. It looked great, still showed us off and really let the kids personalities shine through.

4. choose a theme. whether you are looking for rustic elegance or downtown city, or pure country; choosing a theme can also help you discover the best ideas for a photo. I almost always choose a theme (last year for christmas, I chose plaid and vintage: see the photo below). I got some plaid blankets, some plaid shirts for us and an old fashioned red tricycle to really show off the plaid vintage look. I found lots of ideas on pinterest before and then just ran with it.

5. add props but only 1-2. don't use too many props, I see too many in photographs a lot, especially with kids and the photograph looks over-cumbered and too busy. Props however can be great to show off those special things your kids or you love. Try using 1-2 per photo session and use them in the photographs but don't always have them in. Do some with them, and some without. Photo prop ideas could include: balloons, hats, sunglasses, tutus, super hero capes, scarfs, umbrellas, etc.

Ok those are many of my ideas but I found a bunch more from moms, blogger, and photographers that give great examples of awesome photos. here they are. take a look!