How to dress for Spring Family Photos

I often get asked for wardrobe advise. The funny thing is that I often advise different things at different times of the year.

I will say Spring can be tough in Michigan to plan for as there is no "typical" spring day. In April morning temps are often bitter cold, while afternoon temps are really nice. One day it can be sunny and warm, the next it can snow.

I now plan 90% of my April sessions in the afternoon. (More in a minute on morning sessions). Even then I recommend bringing a nice warm layers. For women there are tons of cute wool topper coats. For children in rompers, you can put on a warm layer underneath (maybe buy cute top romper layer a size bigger to accommodate an warm under layer). You can bring cute top layer sweaters and cardigans in neutral colors (grey, white, cream, sand or even navy). For little girls in dresses I recommend the heaviest sweater tights you can find – maybe buy two and experiment with layering them.

Due to nap time schedules, I often schedule infants and one year old milestone sessions in the morning. For these sessions, I do recommend planning for cool weather. For infants, I recommend warm under layers, topped off with cute pants (I often use alpaca hand knitted pants) and a cute sweater. Cute hats and hoods help keep little warm too. For milestone sessions, be sure to ask to see my client wardrobe! I have a small assortment of cute things that can be layered easily for warmth.

Now that you have the basics lets discuss planning the details. First come setting a color pallet. I recommend 1-2 neutral colors with 1-3 colors. White is always an option, even if not a chosen color in the pallet. I also recommend only having 1-2 patterns, and mixing some fabric textures if possible – think a knit with some cotton and linen.

Florescent colors should be avoided! Don’t get me wrong I love the popular Lily Pulitzer prints, but those bright colors tend to reflect on your skin and make editing a nightmare, if not impossible. To ensure you have accurate skin tone in your final images, I highly recommend staying away from florescent colors. In time, those hot and popular prints now, will date the images. If you are looking for timeless images, you best off choose something more subtle.

Mom’s should always dress in what they are comfortable in. If you are not comfortable, it will show in your images. I love romantic dress. I find wrap dress flatter most bodies. I prefer midi length, just so you can squat and sit down with your kids. Below I have a link to a dress as Amazon, but some of my favorite shops include Lulu's and Baltic Born.

In my opinion, dad’s are pretty lucky as I find them easy to dress. There are so many nice “dressy” jeans these days that pair well with Henley’s (for a casual look) or a nice button for a more dressed up look and even a nice sport coat.

In April sessions, there are usually lots of daffodils – so lots for green and yellow. I find blue pairs well with both of those colors. So below is an example of how you could plan for your family for one of my spring sessions.