Let me tell you about a session that almost went sideways before I even picked up my camera (and yes, it has to do with family photoshoot outfits).

Everyone had arrived. The golden hour light was doing exactly what I needed it to do. And then I spotted it — one family member in a bright neon orange shirt while everyone else was in soft creams and dusty blues. Not coordinated-but-different. Just… off. The kind of off that your eye goes straight to, even in a beautiful field at sunset.

We made it work. We always make it work. But I spent the first twenty minutes mentally rearranging everyone to minimize that shirt, which meant less time doing what I actually came to do — capturing the real, alive moments between these people who love each other.

Outfit choices don’t just affect how a gallery looks. They affect how a session feels. When clothing is fighting the scene, I’m problem-solving instead of storytelling. When it’s working, I can disappear into the background and let the real stuff happen.

Here’s what I actually think about all of it — not the recycled advice you’ve already Googled.

The Real Philosophy for Family Photoshoot Outfits: Dress for the Environment First, Each Other Second

Everyone hears “coordinate but don’t match” and thinks that’s the whole answer. It’s not.

The more useful question is: what does this location want?

When you’re shooting in the summer, you’re dealing with real conditions — heat, humidity, bright open light that can blow out pale colors, and backdrops that often skew warm (golden grass, sandy tones, lush greens depending on where we are). What photographs beautifully in a Pacific Northwest forest in October looks completely wrong at a beach or park in July.

My actual philosophy is this: start with one anchor piece, then build outward.

Pick one outfit — usually whoever is hardest to dress, often a toddler or a teen — and make that the anchor. Pull two or three colors from that piece and distribute them loosely across the rest of the family. Nobody has to be in the same color. They just need to feel like they belong in the same frame.

For summer sessions specifically, I always steer clients toward:

• Warm neutrals, earthy tones, and muted colors. Think terracotta, sage, warm white, sand, dusty rose, soft navy. These hold up beautifully in bright summer light and photograph like they belong outdoors.
• Varied textures over varied colors. A linen shirt, a flowy dress, and a soft knit all in the same color family look infinitely more interesting than three different bright colors in smooth fabrics.
• Layers, even in the heat. A light denim jacket tied around a waist, a flowy kimono, a hat — these give the images visual dimension and give you something to do with your hands, which honestly solves more than you’d think.

What to move away from: neon or very saturated colors (they pull focus and can cast color onto skin in certain light), stark white (blows out fast in summer sun — if you love white, go for ivory or cream), and overly busy patterns on more than one person at a time.

What Almost Every Family Gets Wrong for Family Photoshoot Outfits

Here it is — the thing I find myself explaining over and over, in parking lots before sessions, in my pre-session emails, in gentle redirects when someone texts me a photo of what they’re planning to wear:

People dress for the photo. They should be dressing for the movement.

A session isn’t a portrait sitting. We’re walking, chasing, spinning, crouching in the grass, lifting kids overhead, sitting on the ground. If your dress is so structured you can’t bend over without holding it down, you’re going to spend the session thinking about your dress instead of your family. If your husband is in a dress shirt that shows sweat immediately in 85-degree heat, he’s going to feel self-conscious by the third location change.

Comfort isn’t the enemy of beautiful. It’s actually the ingredient that makes images feel alive instead of stiff.

The second thing clients consistently underestimate is how much summer heat affects everything. In summers, we’re often dealing with real heat even at golden hour. Hair frizzes. Makeup melts. Kids get cranky fast when they’re hot. I always recommend scheduling sessions for the last 90 minutes before sunset — but even then, breathable fabrics matter. Natural fibers (linen, cotton, lightweight chambray) photograph better and keep everyone more comfortable, which keeps the session energy lighter.

And the third — the one that costs families the most gallery real estate — is forgetting about the kids’ shoes. I cannot tell you how many times I’ve watched a beautiful family outfit come together beautifully from the waist up, and then we go to sit in the grass and the kids are wearing light-up sneakers with cartoon characters. Shoes show up in images far more than people realize. Simple canvas sneakers, sandals, or bare feet almost always photograph better than whatever your kids’ current favorite footwear is.

A Few Things I Wish Were on Every Photographer’s Website

Before you book anyone, including me, you should know these things exist as questions worth asking:

What does your location actually look like in summer? A good photographer should be able to tell you what colors are going to sing and what’s going to fight the scene at their go-to spots. If they can’t give you a real answer, that’s worth noting.

Does the photographer send a style guide? Many do. If I am your photographer, yes — there’s a prep guide that covers all of this so you’re not piecing it together from blog posts at 11pm the week before your session. (Hi. You’re reading this. Reach out. 😊)

What happens if someone’s outfit really isn’t working? A photographer who’s been around long enough has a bag of tricks, posing adjustments, strategic cropping, location shifts that minimize certain clothing choices. You’re not doomed. But it’s worth having an honest conversation before you show up.

Can you bring a change of outfit? Often yes, and for summer sessions with young kids, I almost always recommend it. Kids are unpredictable. A backup outfit can save a session that went sideways in the grass.

Real Life Family Photoshoot Outfits That Worked

I captured the Lafferty family on the beach last year, and was absolutely obsessed with their outfits and the way they worked together, but weren’t the same. Every tip, put to good use! Take a look for yourself 🙂

The Short Version

Dress for the heat. Dress for the movement. Choose colors that feel like summer without screaming it. And if you’re ever unsure, send me a photo — I’d genuinely rather weigh in ahead of time than spend your session problem-solving.

There is no perfect outfit, just like there’s no perfect pose. But a little intention goes a long way toward images you’ll actually want to hang on your wall.

Ready to book your summer family session? Let’s make something real.

P.S. want to see galleries? Head to my Instagram where I share it ALL >> @brookebakken

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