“What should I wear to my in-home photo session?”

The short answer is “whatever you want.” But I know that answer comes off as dismissive and uncaring. It also has the same vibe as you asking, “what do you want for dinner,” and me responding with, “I dunno, whatever you want,” and then me arguing with you about why you shouldn't have worn that, or why you shouldn't have ordered dinner from the place that I didn't want dinner from when I didn’t tell you where I wanted dinner from.

Or something. Same vibe.

A family of three plays in the living room. They are wearing clothing that fits, is comfortable, and makes them confident.

So here's the longer version:

Whatever you’re wearing is not the most important part of your photo session. But it does have an impact on your session. What you’re wearing impacts how comfortable you feel, and how confident you are. I want you to choose something that makes you feel comfortable and confident, and that doesn’t make you feel like you need to adjust it every 5 minutes. I want you to wear something that you feel great in, so you see your photos and recognize yourself and are happy with what you see.

A family of four sits on their couch together in non-matching, casual clothing that fits and makes them comfortable.

Here are my big tips, taken directly out of my session prep guide:

Avoid neon.

Neon causes color casts on skin and can make you look sickly or like a glow stick, particularly when the sun shines on you.

Go easy on tiny stripes, big patterns and logos.

Pinstripes do funky things to camera sensors and can make the photo look distorted. Big patterns can make you look bigger than you are. And logos and graphics can age quickly and not give you the longevity you want out of your photos.

A little boy runs through a streak of sunlight at home. He is wearing a neon green shirt. The sun and neon light up the wall and create a yellow cast on it and on his face. — *Big thanks to my boy for running through sunlight to illustrate my point about neon. Avoid neon.*

Choose a color scheme to make it easy to find outfits, but avoid having people match.

You’re all individuals and you deserve to be seen as individuals in your photos. Choosing a color scheme or theme can help you look cohesive, and can help narrow down your choices for outfits if you’re having trouble deciding. But also feel free to dress like you would for a day at home, which most likely would not include a color scheme.

A family of four in mid-snuggle on the parents' bed. They're wearing coordinated clothing in a black/burnt orange/white collection of outfits.

A tip regarding accessories

Remove bulky items like tech watches, and leave phones, car keys, and chapstick/lip gloss on the kitchen counter or in a drawer (instead of in a pocket).

A new mom snuggles her newborn son in her arms. She's wearing a green and white striped dress with balloon sleeves and he is wearing only a diaper.

General outfit tips

Choose clothes that feel like you. If you never wear a dress, it might feel weird to choose a dress for your photos. If you hate jeans, don’t elect in this moment to start wearing them.

Generally speaking, sleeveless tops and dresses don’t look the best. A bit of sleeve is better than no sleeve. There are a variety of sleeves to choose from and you can decide for yourself which is the sleeve for you. I’d just generally say that a sleeve is better than none. (Also the word “sleeve” sounds weird now. Sleeve. sleeeeeve.)

When in doubt for newborn photos, swaddles and diapers work for babies. Particularly if nothing fits them yet, that’s an easy way for them to look adorable. (We up the temperature in the house if the baby is naked, so they don’t get cold and cranky.)

If we’re going to play with your kids, make sure necklines are only as low as you’re wanting to see later. Remember that little kids are really good at pulling at clothing and dislodging perfectly-placed necklines and underclothes, and you don’t want to spend the whole session adjusting straps and V’s and such.

A mom laughing with her two daughters as they play on the floor in one of their bedrooms. There are puzzle pieces scattered between them and child drawings on the wall behind them. It's colorful and natural.

I don’t “care” what you wear. I care that you’re happy with what you’re wearing, and I am here to help you get to that point. But I won’t police your outfits, judge your wardrobe decisions, or tell you to go change. There’s way more to your family’s photos than the clothing. Way more.