You may have noticed that the majority of the clothes in my client wardrobe follow a common color palette. I have a lot of neutrals and it’s because they are my absolute favorite to photograph. There are countless reasons why, but today I’m going to share with you just a few of my top reasons why I love to photograph families in neutral clothing.
Why you should choose neutrals for your next family session:
Neutrals are easy to coordinate. Think about it. If you have a family of six and you are trying to color coordinate clothes for your session, it is so much trickier to match color hues than it is to match neutrals and one pop of color. I always love having neutral bases for large families and throwing in one accent color (whether it’s with bows, a little girl's dress, mom’s jewelry, etc.) to tie things together.
Neutrals are flattering on everyone. I totally understand that some people believe they don’t look good in white because of their skin tone, however, I am a firm believer that everyone can look good in a neutral color. If white isn’t your favorite, try a grey or a tan. Still not a fan? Choose a muted color like a blue or a pink and stick to that color as the staple for your photos coordinating neutrals for the other members of your family.
Neutrals are timeless. Remember a few years ago when the bright bubble necklaces were a big fad? Everyone wore them. Neutral tones will always be timeless even when styles change.
Displaying your images just got easier. Wearing neutral tones in your photos means that no matter what your home decor is, you can print your photos to display in any room. If your bedroom is painted yellow and you decide to wear a purple dress to your session, you may be a little more hesitant to blow up a print to put above your bed. But if your family is all in neutral tones, you don’t have to worry about your portraits clashing with your decor (even if you change your decor for the seasons).
You can still add personality with accessories and pops of color. I love a good blue in photos, it's no secret. If you choose to accent with a color, choose one that is comforting and not distracting. I usually steer away from bright, abrasive colors like reds and purples.
Neutrals mean you won’t have a color cast on your photos. As a photographer this is a game changer for me. The best way I can explain color casting is when the color you are wearing or are around creates a reflection of that hue onto your skin tone. From an editing perspective it can be a challenge to edit your skin tone to be absolutely perfect if you are wearing a color that is casting tones onto you. If you have ever taken a photo with your phone outside in a park you may notice that your skin looks a little green from all the grass around you, the same principle goes for what you’re wearing in your family photos.
Neutrals aren’t distracting. I love how my photos are able to show personality and connections first and the clothing is a compliment to the overall look and feel of the photograph. Have you ever looked at a photo and the first thing you noticed was what everyone was wearing? I think we’ve all been there!
My Favorite Place to Find Neutral Pieces
For Mom
Baltic Born- By far the place where most of my client wardrobe pieces are sourced. I love how their price point is moderate and I can find pieces that are timeless, great quality, and will fit a variety of body types.
Bohme- Sometimes they have great neutral palette options and some fun neutral patterns.
Lucy Avenue- Another Great place to find some fun dresses and sweaters
For Dad
Old Navy, H&M, and Target are my go-to places for staple dad pieces that are affordable!
For Kids
Amazon is by far my favorite place to source kids clothes though. You can check out my favorite baby products on Amazon HERE and my favorite Amazon children's clothes to photograph HERE.
I have another blog all about my favorite pieces you can check out HERE.
I love Old Navy and H&M for affordable kids clothes. Some more of my favorite places include Jamie Kay and Quincy Mae for higher quality and higher price point options.
Hello Jude Photography is a North Georgia Newborn Photographer specializing in luxury family, maternity, newborn, and baby photography. I believe in the beauty of simplicity and the value of tangible heirlooms that you can pass down from generation to generation.
Bailey serves clients in the North Georgia region including Habersham County, Hall County, WhiteCountyand beyond. Our natural light studio is located in Clarkesville, Georgia.