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When picking clothes for family photos there are many things to consider. They have to be comfortable to sit in the grass and will need to look nice in the pictures. They also need to avoid getting wrinkled on the drive to the location. Everyone has to work together to find an outfit that works with the rest of the family but isn’t the same.
I appreciate the work that went into these designs. That said, a matching white shirt and jeans is a look that has been done, and done, and done. We’ve moved on.
They’re inspired by the palettes, seasons, colors, and places of real life, and have enough color to not feel like a doctor’s office brochure. One might consider a family outfit like a casserole: one dominant taste, a few other tastes, and no surprise raisins.
With the group’s warm purposeful feeling from rust and navy hues, and with the addition of forest green, we can offer some depth without going too dark.
This palette is perfect for the fall season in combination with tree-lined paths, parks, or locations with golden leaves to provide a rich backdrop that does half the styling. It avoids the issue of everyone merging with the brown backdrop and also complements tan boots, leather belts, and simple gold jewelry.
Different colors express different emotions and meanings, and this is important to keep in mind while taking family pictures. Take the color green. Green represents freshness and harmony, which is great for family portraits aiming to get a sense of togetherness.
Navy blue represents professionalism, stability, and trust, which can help express dependability and reliability among family members. Rust is warm and earthy, and with the addition of rust, the whole color palette is helped to express warmth, comfort, and intimacy, which are essentials in family photos.
The importance of color choice for family photos and its impact emotionally is great. Colors can evoke memories depending on the family’s history. Choosing colors that evoke emotions makes photos more than just pictures. It reflects the family’s story, meaning, and memories.
It can also add meaning to family pictures if shades of color that remind the family of their vacations or favorite homes are used. This is where color theories come into play. However, these are just guides, and personal meanings can create more.
2. Turquoise, Sand, and Chocolate for Western-Inspired Photos
Turquoise matches with a rustic style perfectly. It also matches with wood, leather, dry grass, and suede. It is grounded and not too costume-y when paired with sand and chocolate colors. This suits western family photos, ranches, and barns. It also matches with cowboy boots and suede jackets, as well as silver jewelry and well-fitted denim.
The colors turquoise, sand, and chocolate are used for adventure and exploration themed family trips to natural locations. Turquoise evokes emotions of joy and freedom, as it represents the sky and water. This color will be great for family candid photos.
The sand color balances the outfit by being neutral and letting turquoise be the focus. The chocolate color provides a warm and comfortable backdrop that holds the outfit together, making family members stand out against the environment.
Furthermore, the season, location, and time of day can also impact your color choices. For instance, when the sun sets, and the turquoise of a desert landscape is surrounded by golden sun rays, it can look more brilliant. Your photograph can tell a story and be more visually appealing with color contrasts.
When shooting, consider clothing textures, as they can add to the visual layers in your photos. Textured fabrics also create light contrasts that add dynamism to your family portraits. Flat colors and fabrics do not create the same effect.
3. Plum, Charcoal, and Soft Gray for Urban Photos
Plum livens up the typical all-black look, and adds more interest than charcoal. It will work well for downtown locations, including brick alleys, museum steps, and anywhere else with lots of concrete and steel. It balances the chill of urban city photos, and goes with black shoes, wool coats, and neat hairstyles that won’t blow around.
When families pose for photos, wearing plum and charcoal creates a striking contrast against dull, repetitive backgrounds of city buildings. This ensemble makes the family stand out from the bustling city and provides depth to the photo.
Plum’s playful tones juxtapose against the seriousness of charcoal, which makes it a good choice for capturing the family spirit within the urban jungle. The balance and soft neutral tones that plum offers also counter the darker greys of cityscapes. This is an ideal choice to capture the spirit of the city while also beautifully complementing the family photo.
Additionally, city areas have new problems with lighting. The light from large buildings can create unusual reflections and casts strong shadows.
To avoid these problems, families can schedule their photos for golden hour. This time provides soft, warm light that gets around the lighting issues. Playful or candid poses will capture the spirit of the city while showing the coordinated outfits and the family’s connection to the city.
4. Mustard, Denim, and Olive for a Casual Field Shoot
Mustard is awesome for bringing some warmth to outdoor photos, especially when the grass is looking a bit tired. Denim and olive further calm it down so the outfit doesn’t look too much like a condiment ad. It also works for fields, farms or casual backyard pics and is great with brown boots, canvas sneakers, and simple prints.
5. Cranberry, Camel, and Dark Wash Denim for Holiday Cards
No need to make everyone dress like a Christmas ornament to have fun for the holidays! The camel color also helps to warm up the palette. Pair this with dark denim and you’ll have the perfect outfit to head to the front porch or over to the tree farm! Themed holiday photos? No problem! Leather boots, a simple scarf, and a little plaid also looks great with this!
6. Sage, Cream, and Deep Brown for Soft Outdoor Photos
Sage green is also one of my favorite colors for clothing and on people. It is a light color without being flimsy. Sage is a super flattering color to wear in the garden, during spring photos, or anywhere with greenery and soft, filtered light.
Sage green looks great with all the soft green colors of spring and summer. It also solves the light and washed out problem that most pastels have. Sage pairs beautifully with deep brown and cream, plus woven sandals with pearly and wooden details.
7. Mauve, Chocolate, and Soft Blue for Newborn Family Photos
The soft hue of mauve provides the gentle touch needed for baby photos. Warmth arrives with chocolate, and soft blue creates a light contrast that is great for indoor baby photography. Soft blue solves the problem of nurseries looking washed out, and is a beautiful match with bare feet, knitted items, and soft-textured blankets.
8. Garnet, Olive, and Black for Christmas Tree Farm Photos
Garnet’s grown-up charm has unique features which makes it different from the rest. The depth of the red is attractive, and the olive color matches the tree farm setting. The black colorway also helps tone down the palette from being too wrapping paper-ish. When you’re at tree farms or having outdoor holiday sessions, add some shearling boots and wool coats to your outfit, and keep plaid to one person.
In terms of style, burgundy and navy are classy together! You can park the suit and tie combo. The oatmeal item will soften the palette and add some much needed relaxation to the whole aesthetic. It will also look great with the family portrait or holiday photos with the grandparents. Add some brown shoes and watches and perhaps a herringbone or cable knit piece.
A combination of burgundy, navy, and oatmeal is approachable and inviting, making it a great choice for family portraits. Burgundy is a warm and rich color that stimulates feelings of warmth, love, and connection, while navy draws in a more calming presence that helps pull the entire look together.
The soft neutral oatmeal helps to balance the color scheme as well as contribute to the warmth of the group. This earthy color palette is easy to work with in warm living rooms and rich natural settings outdoors. Coordinating with the family is fun, especially with the new look this combination of colors brings with each seasonal backdrop.
When planning your family portraits, consider how the location and time impacts your colors. For instance, if you are working with the colors burgundy and navy, bear in mind that natural light captures these colors better. In contrast, artificial light will lessen the impact of your chosen colors. They will also look muddy during the middle of the day.
Consider the time in the morning or afternoon when the sun will create a golden light which will work well with your oatmeal and burgundy. This will help you create a picture that captures the moment perfectly, in addition to the colors.
Using coral and sky blue is perfect for the ocean and adding some vibrancy to the lineup, while navy keeps the group from blending in with the horizon like a screensaver. When it comes to the shoreline, boardwalk activities, or vacation snap photos, this set looks great with woven sandals, linen tops, and simple jewelry that can get a little sandy.
11. Mint, Charcoal, and Denim for Early Spring
The charcoal and denim combo is perfect for neutralizing an outfit, and the vibe is relaxed! I wear this to go strolling in the neighborhood, take some relaxed pictures on the porch, or even for spring mini sessions. I also enjoy it with white sneakers, silver studs, and light layers.
12. Lavender, Slate, and White for Spring Blossoms
Lavender seems a little bit childish but slate seems more responsible and grown up. A little touch of white works because spring blossoms will add a soft and bright look. These are for photographs in and around orchards and gardens, especially those with an Easter theme and can be styled with ballet flats, delicate cardigans, and tiny floral prints.
13. Emerald, Tan, and Black for Dressy Indoor Photos
Emerald works particularly well with fabrics like velvet, satin or a polished knit. The tan color makes the palette more inviting while the black adds just enough structure for a more formally dressy indoor ambience. This is ideal for hotel lobbies, formal studios, or winter portraits, and looks great with pointy flats, loafers and gold hoop earrings.
14. Blush, Wine, and Espresso for Romantic Family Photos
Blush looks great, especially with the darker shade next to it, and wine does that perfectly. Espresso balances the palette from looking too sweet (which is probably not the goal, unless you want to look like a cupcake wrapper).
This is great for garden shoots, anniversary shoots with the little ones, or softer winter portraits. Wear it with suede ankle boots and ribbed tights, and add some rose gold jewelry for the final touch!
15. Marigold, Forest, and Dark Brown for Fall Leaves
Marigold plays well with leaves precisely because it doesn’t need to copy them. The color range of the leaves is also nice. The forest green is calming, while the dark brown gives it some weight so it doesn’t just float away. This is particularly nice for photos in October and November when paired with ankle boots and corduroy as well as wool hats and dainty gold jewelry.
When taking family photos, the colors marigold, dark brown, and forest green give an authentic feel to the fall season. Marigold is the perfect color for an outdoor setting as it gives off feelings of cheerfulness and optimism. As the season changes and the colors of nature become more muted, more challenges can be presented with an outdoor setting.
However, with forest green, you can clear those challenges. This color represents peace and closeness to nature, and can help calm an overall picture. Dark brown is an excellent color to help balance the overall colors in the picture so that it looks connected and grounded. These colors really work well for family gatherings in autumn’s nature.
Additionally, when choosing these colors for family photos, consideration should be given to the texture of the fabrics. Photographs are very successful when they feature cozy knits, soft cottons, and rich wool, layered to evoke warmth, comfort, and family gatherings from the past.
Accessories such as scarves, hats, and socks in coordinating colors complete the look, allowing each family member to be as stylish and comfortable as they desire.
16. Aubergine, Moss, and Taupe for Moody Fall Photos
Aubergine’s rich color is a nice change as it isn’t completely theatrical. This may seem a little niche, but it is quite practical. For orchards, vineyards, or gardens in late autumn, moss and taupe are earthy enough. It solves the problem of dark outfits looking dull, and is ideal with a pair of suede boots, some woolly textures, and vintage brass jewelry.
Raspberry and winter photos are a must! When the sky looks cloudy and gray, this palette lifts the photos. The navy and gray parts of the outfit mean it won’t be too sweet or too seasonal. The outfit will be good for snowy sidewalks, city parks, and winter holiday card moments. Black boots will work, and just add a knitted scarf and some gloves!
18. Cobalt, Camel, and White for a Polished Brunch Portrait
During the day, cobalt reflects light beautifully, making it especially appealing as an outfit option. The color combination has a relaxed vibe, and the camel color and white will add just the right amount of brightness to the outfit without being too much.
It’s ideal for chic daytime photoshoots, family courthouse photos, or brunch on a patio. Dress it up with a business bag, dressy belt, and some loafers to elevate the look.
19. Peach, Teal, and Warm Brown for Sunset Photos
The peach color in the outfit looks beautiful in the sunset lighting and the teal helps add some contrast to keep the outfit from being too soft. Brown adds an earthy tone to the outfit that goes well with meadows and open fields and helps with sunset photos so that everyone doesn’t look like a peach blob. Brown also matches nicely with leather sandals, woven belts, and simple pendant necklaces.
I prefer the neutral color of midnight navy because it has a classy look while not being as harsh as black. Gold offers some brightness around the face and burgundy adds a holiday depth to the palette without shouting “theme party.” Use this for formal Christmas cards, winter occasions, or pictures by the fireplace. Finish with some velvet and satin, dress shoes, and a touch of sparkle.
Family photos can be elegant with the simple color combination of gold, burgundy, and midnight navy. These colors provide a beautiful backdrop for great photos. Gold adds shine and reflects light to highlight everyone’s faces and warm expressions.
There will be just the right touch of festive burgundy; it will be a little cheery without distracting from the other colors. This color combination is perfect for family gatherings, especially for the holidays, to create lasting memories with loved ones.
Lastly, do not forget to consider the general styling when choosing this color palette. Textures such as velvet or satin can further enhance the look by adding a touch of luxury to your family portraits. Don’t forget about accessories!
Consider adding festive themed hats or brooches. These details really help with the storytelling aspect of the photos and help each family member feel valued and connected to the greater spirit of the occasion.
About the Author
Rachel Meyers
Contributing Fashion Creator · Amazon Influencer
Rachel Meyers is a contributing fashion creator for The Better Fit, filming try-ons from Orem, Utah. She has spent three years in the Amazon Influencer Program and is an All-Star contributor in the Viral Vue creator community, and her storefront, Rachel's Reviews and Fun Finds, leans into women's fashion and shoes. Rachel is also a certified life and health coach, and that double life shapes how she reviews: she cares less about how a piece photographs and more about how it feels on a school run, at work, or on the third wear. Her latest try-ons land on YouTube at @rachelsfunfinds.