3 things you should never wear for family portraits in Ocean City NJ
I get asked all the time “what should we wear for our portraits?” It’s a tough question to answer. Style is subjective. But there are a few color combinations that do work all the time. There are also a few popular outfit and color schemes that just don’t work at all. I put together a list of the worst outfits you should never wear for family portraits in Ocean City NJ.
Matching Jeans and Polo Shirts
This was really popular in the 90s. Unfortunately it was such a strong fad that it has lingered on over the years. 20 years later and people are still wearing this for their photos. To be honest sometimes this does work. But it is usually with small families and a color scheme that is natural looking.
The one you really need to stay away from is white shirts and jeans or khaki pants/shorts.
The white is very reflective and if everyone has a white top it looks weird. No one dresses like that in real life. It will just look awkward in a family photo.
Too many patterns
This usually happens when there is not enough communication or everyone is too laid back. No one knows what outfits they should wear so everyone shows up in different patterns and styles.
Try to stay away from stripes. Especially if you mix them. If a family member is wearing horizontal stripes and standing next to a person with vertical stripes, it’s going to clash.
Try to stay away from plaid. This is a tricky one. If you know what your doing plaid can work great. I’ve seen plaids work as a matching accent and it was awesome. It also can be disastrous. If just one person in the group has a plaid that doesn’t match it will throw the whole ensemble off. Unless you have good control over what your group is wearing and are really good matching outfits, it’s safer to stay away from plaids.
Exact matching outfits
We touched on this a little in the matching Polo shirts and jeans section. This applies to other outfits as well. Don’t have everyone in the same color tops and bottoms. It creates a weird look no matter what colors you choose. If everyone is there in the same photo you’ll have a stripe across the top of one color and a stripe across the bottom. It’s very unnatural looking. Everyone looks like are in a private school lol.
What outfits should you wear for a family portrait in Ocean City NJ.
Since we’ve told you the outfits that don’t work it’s time to give you some ideas that look good.
Mix and Match
This sound counterintuitive right? Mixing and matching haphazardly can be a disaster. If you pick 3 colors and tell everyone in your group to stick with those exact colors it usually turns out great. We suggest two main colors like white and navy blue. Then pick a pop of color like pastel turquoise, or a pink. When you are telling your group what colors to wear make sure you specify exactly what shades you want. Navy blue might mean different colors to two different people. Send an email or text with photos of the exact colors.
Let everyone wear a different outfit. Some guys can be in white pants with a navy blue polo another might have navy shorts with a light pink shirt.
Mixing it up works wonders.
Some families have chose a mix a of pastel colors. That was nice looking. Pink, yellow, turquoise, with khaki, it has a real light Bahama feel. Perfect for a beach portrait session.
If you have any other questions about choosing the right outfit for your portraits use the contact form below and we’ll be happy to help you out.
If you are looking for a portrait photographer for a family session in Ocean City NJ just ask to see our full price list. Our prices start at 400 and we do offer full digital files. Talk to you soon!
