5 Tips to choose outfits for boho family photos in California

Choosing great outfits for your family photo shoot can really make your photos shine. But, there is no need to worry about finding the perfect outfits. Here are five easy tips to make the outfit choices simple.

1. Choose a color palette

Start by choosing a color palette. Some things to think about when choosing a color palette are the location where you’ll be taking the photos, time of year, where you may be displaying the photos, and what colors your family normally wears. Pinterest is your friend on this one. There are lots of sample color palettes for family photos to sift through. Maybe you want to go with neutrals, or maybe one pop of color to use in a couple of clothing pieces that will stand out. The choice is yours. These are some photos from a boho family photoshoot with boho family outfit choices for a photo session.

2. Look to the Color Wheel

If you are choosing a standout color like yellow, orange, or red, a good place to start is the color wheel. The color wheel is a tool artists use when determining which colors look good together. On the color wheel, opposites attract. For example, on the color wheel the color orange is directly across from blue. So, if you are planning on taking your family photos in front of a body of water or if the majority of your family is comfortable wearing jeans or the color blue, orange is a good color choice for a dress or scarf to add a pop of color.

3. No matchy matchy

Go for outfits that coordinate with one another, but aren’t matching. Similar colors are good, but they don’t have to be exactly the same. Just like clothing goes in and out of fashion, family photo styles go in and out of trend. All white shirts on the beach are out, interesting fabrics and similar colors are in.

4. Go for Patterns, but keep them simple

It may sound counterintuitive, but paisley, stripes, and polka dots can definitely coordinate together. As long as the designs use neutral colors, patterns can definitely blend together. Textured fabrics and sweaters also keep things interesting and less monochromatic for family photos.

5. Flat Lay

When you have everyone’s outfit chosen, try laying the clothes out to see how they look together. In our house we call this a Flat Man. Instagram users call this a Flat Lay. However you refer to it, laying the clothes out will give you a pretty good idea of how they will all go together in the photos.

I’ve assembled outfits with a similar color scheme to those used for this article and links to each item from Nordstrom are below.