What colors are best for family photos?

Soft, muted, and neutral tones photograph best: warm whites, oatmeal, sand, sage green, dusty blue, terracotta, mauve, and denim. These colors keep the focus on your family's faces and connection rather than on clothing. On the Central Coast, earthy and coastal tones also blend beautifully with our beaches, oak hills, and vineyards. Choose two or three colors as your palette and pull from that same family of shades for everyone.

Should everyone match for family photos?

No. Matching outfits — the same shirt and jeans on everyone — tends to look dated and flattens the image. Instead, coordinate. Pick a palette of two or three complementary colors and let each person wear a different combination of those shades. Coordinating rather than matching adds depth and lets each family member's personality show while still reading as a cohesive group.

What should you avoid wearing for family pictures?

Avoid large logos and graphics, neon or highly saturated colors, tight all-over patterns that clash from person to person, and brand-new stiff clothing you have never worn. Skip trendy pieces you will not recognize in a few years, and be careful with everyone wearing pure white or pure black, which can wash out or lose detail. The goal is timeless, so lean toward clothing you genuinely feel comfortable and confident in.

What should kids and toddlers wear for family photos?

Dress children in the same color palette as the adults, but prioritize comfort so they can move and play. Soft, breathable fabrics, layers you can add or remove, and shoes they are used to walking in all help. Bring a backup outfit and a change of clothes for messy little ones, plus snacks and a favorite small toy. Comfortable kids give you genuine smiles, which always matters more than a perfectly fussy outfit.

How many outfits should we bring to a family session?

For most family sessions, one well-planned outfit per person is plenty, and it keeps the session relaxed. If you would like a second look — for example, a dressed-up set and a casual set — we can plan for that during your consultation so we allow enough time and choose a location that supports a wardrobe change. I will always help you decide what makes sense for your session length and vision.

Family Photography

What to Wear for Family Photos

The single question I hear most before a family session is, “What should we wear?” It is also the decision that has the biggest impact on how timeless your finished portraits will feel. Here is exactly how I guide my own Central Coast families through planning their wardrobe — no stress, no matching sweaters, just beautiful, cohesive images you will love for decades.

Amy Marlan|Last updated: 2026-07-28

Family dressed in coordinated neutral tones during a Central Coast portrait session

Start With a Color Palette, Not Individual Outfits

The biggest mistake I see families make is picking each person's outfit in isolation and hoping it all comes together on the day. Instead, start with a palette. Choose two or three colors that work beautifully together — for example, warm white, oatmeal, and a soft sage — and dress everyone in different pieces pulled from those same tones. When your palette is planned first, the individual outfits almost choose themselves, and the whole group reads as one cohesive, intentional image.

Soft, muted, and earthy colors are the most forgiving on camera and the most timeless over the years. They keep the focus where it belongs: on your faces, your expressions, and the connection between you. Highly saturated or neon colors, on the other hand, tend to reflect onto skin and pull the eye away from the people in the frame.

Let the Location Shape Your Palette

One advantage of photographing here on the Central Coast is that our landscapes give you a natural color guide. The setting you choose should inform what you wear so that your family complements the backdrop rather than competing with it.

Beach sessions in Pismo Beach, Shell Beach, or Avila Beach: lean into airy, coastal tones — soft whites, sand, taupe, dusty blue, and flowing fabrics that catch the ocean breeze.
Oak-studded hills and open fields around San Luis Obispo: warm, earthy palettes shine — camel, olive, cream, rust, and denim feel right at home in golden light.
Vineyards and rolling country in Arroyo Grande: rich, grounded tones like deep green, burgundy, mauve, and charcoal echo the vines and the season.
The Grover Beach studio: a controlled, classic setting where a clean neutral palette or a single accent color reads beautifully against a simple background.

If you are still deciding where to shoot, our Pismo Beach family photography and San Luis Obispo family photography pages walk through what each setting looks like so you can plan your wardrobe around it.

Coordinate, Don't Match

Matching outfits — identical shirts and jeans on the whole family — can flatten a portrait and make it feel like a uniform. Coordinating is different and far more flattering. Once you have your palette, vary the pieces: pair a patterned top on one person with solids on everyone else, mix textures like linen and knit, and let each family member lean into their own style within the shared colors.

A good rule of thumb is to limit yourselves to one or two subtle patterns for the whole group, and keep those patterns small and muted so they do not clash from person to person. Everyone else wears solids that echo a color found in the pattern. This creates depth and visual interest while still feeling calm and unified.

What to Wear for Family Photos: 8 Simple Rules

If you remember nothing else, follow these eight guidelines and you will be beautifully dressed for your session.

1Choose a palette of two or three complementary, muted colors and dress everyone from it.
2Coordinate outfits instead of matching them exactly.
3Let your location guide your colors — coastal tones for the beach, earthy tones for the hills.
4Limit the group to one or two small, subtle patterns; put everyone else in solids.
5Add layers and texture, such as cardigans, denim jackets, scarves, hats, and knits, for depth.
6Dress for the season and the weather so everyone is comfortable throughout the session.
7Avoid large logos, neon colors, and brand-new clothing you have never worn.
8Wear pieces you genuinely feel confident and comfortable in — it always shows in the photos.

What to Avoid

A few things consistently work against an otherwise great session. Large logos and slogans date a photo instantly and pull attention away from faces. Neon and highly saturated colors can cast colored light onto skin. Tight, busy patterns — especially several different ones across the family — create visual chaos. And brand-new, never-worn clothing often looks stiff and creased, so give new pieces a wear or a wash before your session.

Be thoughtful, too, about everyone wearing pure white or pure black head to toe. Full white can wash out in bright coastal sun, and full black can lose all its detail in shadow. Used as one color within a broader palette, though, both are perfectly welcome.

Dressing Kids, Toddlers, and Babies

With little ones, comfort wins every time. Keep them in your color palette, but choose soft, breathable fabrics and shoes they are used to, so nothing itches, pinches, or distracts them. Layers are your friend — a cardigan or jacket can come on and off as the temperature and their mood change.

Bring a small bag with a backup outfit, snacks that will not stain, and a favorite little toy. A comfortable, happy child gives you the genuine giggles and real expressions that make a family portrait come alive, and that is always worth far more than a fussy, picture-perfect outfit. I plan plenty of time for breaks and play, so we are never rushing your kids.

Texture, Layers, and Accessories

Once your colors are settled, texture is what adds richness to a portrait. Linen, chunky knits, corduroy, denim, lace, and flowing fabrics all photograph beautifully and give the image a tactile, elevated feel. Layering pieces — a jacket over a dress, a scarf, a favorite hat — creates dimension and gives us options to change the look slightly during the session.

Keep accessories simple and personal. A watch you love, delicate jewelry, or a hat that suits your style adds character; anything too large or trendy competes for attention. When in doubt, choose the piece that feels most like you.

You Do Not Have to Plan This Alone

Here is the good news: wardrobe planning is part of the experience when you book with me. With a background as an art director and more than twenty years photographing Central Coast families, I include a personalized styling consultation with every session. After we talk, I send a detailed style guide with color palettes and outfit ideas built specifically around your family, your location, and the artwork you envision for your home. You never have to guess.

You can learn more about how that planning fits into the full process on the experience page, explore what a session looks like on my family photography page, and see how your finished images become custom wall art and heirloom albums worth dressing up for.

Book Your Family Session