If you want a beautiful, classic light and airy look for your family portraits, I’ve got some tips for ya!

Any time you book a session with me, I offer wardrobe or a styling consultation where I give special attention to your specific needs, but here are some general tips…

Choose light colors

Choose soft, flowy fabrics

Choose dainty patterns

Choose multiple different patterns

Choose fabrics that aren’t skin-tight

Achieving a light and airy look in family portraits isn’t necessarily intuitive. Some people, like myself at some point in the past, believe that in order to get that look, you just have to put everyone in a white shirt and light khaki pants!

Wearing all white will absolutely give you beautiful family photos:

But the good news is that you can totally sprinkle some creativity in there and still get the look you’re going for!

Here we go…

Ok, so choosing light colors for a light and airy look may seem like a no-brainer, but as someone who loves color, I find myself getting really out of hand when choosing outfits for family portraits.

I start out with a light, pastel color for one family member, then before I know it, I’ve got highly saturated outfits spanning the entire visible electromagnetic spectrum and I have to scrap it all and start over.

Next is to choose soft and flowy fabrics. If the fabric feels soft and flowy, it will look soft and flowy in family portraits.

The fabric doesn’t matter. It can be cotton, rayon, polyester, tulle, etc. The important thing is how it looks and feels.

Choosing dainty patterns is a great way to create very soft texture in your family portraits. I say this as someone who loves big, chunky patterns on most other surfaces.

But big and chunky on clothing creates more of a loud and bold look, rather than light, soft, and airy.

Ok, mixing it up and giving everyone a different pattern is an easy way to create beautiful texture in family portraits. I absolutely love blending patterns and textures together. It creates a lot of interest.

For example,

Mama gets a tiny floral print on her dress,

a daughter gets eyelets,

another daughter gets swiss dots,

Dad gets pinstripes,

a son gets a light, solid color,

another son gets tiny boats or alligators or cars,

and baby gets a crocheted outfit.

This being said, your family’s outfits do need to coordinate in color, theme and style.

No need to sweat this if you book with me – all of my photography services include a personalized styling consultation!

Last, but not least, try your hardest to avoid skin-tight outfits. This isn’t to say that your outfit can’t be form-fitting in flattering areas.

For example, a form-fitting bodice for Mama can really highlight her physical beauty. And babies in onesies are always safe!

But kids and babies in bubble rompers, little girls in flowy dresses, and Mama in soft and inviting maxis make the sweetest, softest, lightest, airiest family portraits.

Have you dressed your family in a way that created amazing light and airy family portraits for y’all? I’d love to know!