Family Photoshoot Outfit Ideas: What 10 of My Clients Wore

Family photoshoot outfit ideas: Three little girls hang onto a bar in their backyard. All are wearing linen dresses, one yellow, one green, one floral.

Okay, your family photoshoot is approaching, you feel like you have nothing to wear, you already know your kids will fight your outfit ideas for them, and you want to look semi-cohesive without all wearing matching outfits.

I’ve got you.

I’m going to share a few guiding principles (not rules!) that I share with my Orange County family, newborn, and maternity photography clients when I’m prepping them for their in-home photo sessions.

I’ve sprinkled in 10 different photos with my commentary on why their outfits work so you can see a variety of styles, from sweatpants to nice dresses and button-downs to the classic toddler favorite: a princess costume.

Let’s dive in!

6 Things to Keep In Mind When Picking Your Family Photoshoot Outfits

My main philosophy as a photographer is to capture your everyday, real life as it is. But most families I work with still want to put some intention into their clothes so the whole fam feels good on the day of.

I love helping my clients with family photoshoot outfit ideas if they need a second pair of eyes. This is what I tell them!

1. Shop Your Closet

Mom lays on bed with her three daughters, laughing. All are in dresses: Mom in floral, girls in solid-color muslin ruffle dresses. Photo by OC family photographer Shannon Fisher. — The theme: dresses! Mom is in a patterned white dress while her daughters are in dresses with similar textures (muslin and ruffles). The kids are in different colors that all coordinate with Mom's dress.

The best place to start is your own closet. You do not have to online shop for something new for your photo session.

Think about what you love to wear, and pick something that feels like YOU. When you feel like yourself, you’ll feel more relaxed during the photo session.

My favorite way to choose is to ask yourself: “What makes me feel most like myself these days? What clothes bring me joy?”

That might be casual or it might be fancy. It might be a flowy dress, overalls, or comfy sweats. I have examples throughout this article of all styles.

Once you decide on your own outfit, let the rest of the family flow from there.

2. Color and Pattern Are EncourageD

Family photoshoot outfit ideas: Family of four wears black and white with pops of yellow and burgundy. Photo by Shannon Fisher, OC newborn photographer. — *This family went with casual black and white patterns with mustard yellow pops. There's a burgundy and brown element with the pants, beanie, and baby headband.*

People have in their heads that they shouldn’t wear color or prints for photos. I steer my clients in the opposite direction. It’s totally fine to have multiple colors and patterns happening.

You can go with a color palette, like having everyone in warm sunset colors or dusty pastels. Or you can have it be more free-flowing and just have everyone pick what they love. It looks great when either the kids or the parents have a pop of color.

Here are some examples of color and patterns from my clients:

Mom and three daughters look on as Dad holds chicken that's flapping its wings. Photo by Shannon Fisher, an Orange County family photographer.

Each person is in something different while still staying within one color range (lighter dusty pastels: blue, green, yellow, pink). Mom is in a patterned dress, and the girls’ dress colors pull from hers. There are 3 patterns in play and it all looks good together! Patterns can “match.”

Family photoshoot outfit ideas: Mom wears floral print overalls. Little girl wears a tiara and white dress with colorful appliqué. Son in white shirt. All have temporary tattoos and face glitter.

Here, Mom pops in fun patterned overalls while the kids are both in white outfits with colorful accents (and a tiara!).

Family photoshoot outfit ideas: Mom holds baby to her chest, smiling softly. She wears an olive sweater and wide-leg black jeans. Baby wears olive and blue floral pants and white shirt.

I love the more understated use of color and texture here for this newborn photoshoot. The baby pops with floral pants while Mom is wearing a coordinating olive sweater. I love the shape of these wide-leg pants, too!

A family of four cuddles on the bed. Dad tickles son as both laugh. Mom holds an infant. A dog looks on. Photo by Shannon Fisher, an Orange County newborn photographer.

Loving how all of these patterns together are working! She’s in a textured blouse and jeans, and everyone else has fun patterns in a blue and yellow color scheme.

3. You Don’t Have to Dress Up

Family photoshoot outfit ideas: A mom and son laugh on the bed as the dad holds his son's hands. Mom wears a grey T-shirt and black sweats. Son is in graphic tee. Dad is in a dark green structured shirt. — *This mom wore her favorite sweatpants and T-shirt. It's what she wears every day. She looks amazing!*

Who says photoshoots have to be dressy? If you are wearing styles you don’t normally wear, you might feel uncomfortable and your body language could be off. It’s totally fine to wear jeans and a T-shirt. It’ll help you feel comfortable and like yourself, which will show in photos.

Plus, you don’t have to love color and patterns like I do. If you want to wear neutrals, I’m not stopping you. In photos where an outfit is more low-key, you see the people first, not the clothes. And that’s what it’s all about anyway.

4. Avoid BEING MATCHY-MATCHY

A family of three poses for their family photoshoot. Baby is in dad's arms in a golden orange ruffled outfit. Mom is in a warm light pink dress with her hand on the dad's chest. Dad is in a dusty coral shirt. Photo by Shannon Fisher. — Mom and Dad are in muted shades of pink/red while the baby wears a dusty orange (with the cutest tie-back detail). These colors are all next to each other on the color wheel, so although they're all different, they just work.

Because I don’t love when everyone is in matching outfits or all wearing the same color, I guide my clients to wear different textures, patterns, and colors so each person stands out. I think this philosophy stems from wanting everyone in the family to have a sense of autonomy and uniqueness-- I want each person’s personality to shine on its own.

If you’re freaking out right now because you like things a little more coordinated, here are some ideas. Maybe you coordinate by having everyone in natural fabrics: have one parent in denim overalls, another in linen, and baby in a knit onesie. Maybe the throughline is patterns: you have one kid in stripes, one in floral, and one in gingham. There are lots of ways to look cohesive while making sure each person has their own unique look.

5. Your Kid May Have Different Ideas-- Let It Happen

A little girl in a ruffled pink dress laughs while standing on a kitchen countertop. Her brother in red shorts stands beside her. Mom looks on, laughing. Photo by Orange County lifestyle family photographer Shannon Fisher. — *These photos will always help this family remember the princess dress phase-- I love that!*

I have a client who owns a kids’ clothing company (Sweet Cream, it’s super cute!). She was planning on the kids wearing her line of clothes for this photo session.

On the day of, her daughter would only wear a princess dress, and her son would not wear anything but his red shorts and a plain white T-shirt.

A boy in a green Halo helmet with a copper face shield stands on his bed, surrounded by stuffies. His walls are covered in posters of planes, comics, and rockets. Photo by Shannon Fisher, a documentary-style in-home family photographer in OC.

A little girl in a pink princess dress beams and holds her arms out as her dad holds her upside-down. Photo by Shannon Fisher, a documentary-style in-home photographer in Orange County, California.

I love that she let go of her own expectations and let her kids wear whatever they wanted. The kids were happy, and the photos are hilarious and memorable.

I love thinking of family photos as a time capsule. When looking back, these images should reflect who you are and who your kids are, costumes and all.

And truly, it’s better to have happy kids than perfect outfits.

6. If You Do Want Something New...

Sometimes you want to use your photo session as an opportunity to buy something you’ve had your eye on. I get it! I am all about sustainable clothing whenever possible, and I’d encourage you to only buy what you will wear in your day-to-day life.

If you do want to treat yourself to something new, here are a few brands I love:

Mixed by Nasrin (I wear the Aurelia jumpsuit multiple times a week)
Quince (their jeans are my thing right now)
Sezane (my client Katy wore head-to-toe Sezane for her newborn session-- a few weeks postpartum, a fresh outfit could be just what you need)
Nuuly (got me through my maternity season)

For kids:

Kate Quinn (my daughter lives in this brand)
Young Days (this too)

You’ve Got This!

Family photoshoot outfit ideas: Mom and dad hold their baby on their porch. Baby is putting her hand in dad's mouth. Parents are in navy blue patterns, baby is in neutral ruffled onesie. — *This trio went a bit fancier with a dress, collared shirt, and ruffled onesie, unified by a navy and beige color scheme. A couple patterns and textures happening here!*

Okay, you’ve got family photoshoot outfit ideas and inspiration now! My main ethos: Wear what you love. Go for a bit of cohesion if you can.

Most of all, let the relationships be the focal point rather than the clothes. Your photo session is all about connecting with each other and capturing moments you’ll always remember before they fly by too fast. If you’re in Orange County, California and you want an artful, authentic lifestyle photographer who won’t make you wear matching outfits, reach out to me!