When it comes to family Christmas pictures, a lot of people struggle on what to wear. This family did their Fall portraits with me and then changed outfits for their holiday portraits. I used their fall portraits as an example of what to wear for Fall portraits and now I’ll share ideas for what to wear for family Christmas pictures using images from that same session. I thought it would be helpful to see how a family accomplished both goals in one session. See the first part of their family photoshoot through this link.
pick a theme/color palette for family Christmas pictures
One thing to think about when picking what your family will wear for their Christmas pictures is what type of look you are drawn to for the Holidays. This family went with the traditional Christmas color palette of red, cream and green. The green they chose mimic the green of Christmas trees and the trees in the woods on their property. This Christmas theme works great with how they decorate their home for the Holidays and what they wanted for their Christmas cards. One note on color: if you are planning on wearing red, try to not have that item of clothing directly on your skin by your face. Bright red against skin will give a red color cast, which is not what you want on your face and under your chin. This boy’s sweater works here since he has a button down shirt underneath. Easy fix in order to wear red without the color cast problem!
popular Christmas color palettes
coordinate your location and your wardrobe
It is important that your wardrobe coordinates with the location of your family Christmas pictures. This family’s wardrobe works well for the wooded backdrop, but if they had chosen a pink or blue Christmas color palette, they would clash. The finished portraits would not be pleasing to the eye. But, if you choose a pink or blue palette and you did your session in a location with a more neutral setting, you would be much happier with how cohesive it all looks. Some examples of some neutral settings are fields with subdued colors, white pillared buildings, landscaped gardens with flowers that mimic or coordinate with your color palette, the beach or a lake. Of course your home decorated for Christmas and the Yvonne Niemann Photography studio are also great options!
outfit change
Since we had done this family’s fall portraits at their home, they were easily able to change outfits into their family Christmas pictures attire. Mom wore the exact same outfit, dad put on a different sweater and added a vest, their son changed into a tartan button down shirt topped with a red sweater and the girls did complete outfit changes (minus their boots). The tartan pattern and the traditional Christmas color palette they chose worked well together. Even the grandparents’ wardrobe coordinated nicely. Doing an outfit change was ideal for this family as they didn’t want their updated family portraits to be only Christmas themed. This allowed them the best of both worlds! This is an advantage of doing a Signature Session, as you have more time and get more variety.
See how having a color palette and theme can be so helpful for family Christmas pictures? Give it a try and let me know if you need assistance. When you book a session with me, I can help you select your wardrobe and even help you find a fitting location for your vision. Looking forward to seeing everything this Holiday Season!!!! info@yvonneniemannphotography.com | 706.713.0676
