Gone are the days of everyone wearing matching outfits to their family portrait session... Thank goodness! There is nothing quite like a "photography trend" to date your photographs in years to come. But this does open up the question - what on earth do I wear? These photographs are going to hang on your walls for years to come, so you want them to last the test of time when it comes to your clothing choices. Here are our Top 5 tips to help you choose your outfits:
 

TIP #1: CHOOSE 1-3 SOLID, CO-ORDINATING COLOURS
 

Whether you prefer pastels, monochrome, bolds or neutrals - sticking to a small selection of colour will mean your photographs will look nicely coordinated and neat.
 

TIP #2: THINK ABOUT YOUR HOME DECORATING
 

Do you have bold colours on the walls? Creams? Busy wallpaper? Since you will be framing these photographs in your home, you'll want them to blend in and match your decor.
 

  Family photographer Clitheoe
 

TIP #3: SMART, BUT NOT TOO SMART - KEEP IT COMFORTABLE
 

Tuxedos and ballgowns have a place in photography, but perhaps not for your family portrait. You still want to look like "you". Rather, think what you would wear to a nice resturant in the evening. Make sure you're comfortable and feel like yourself in these clothes.
 

 TIP #4: CHOOSE TOPS WITH SLEEVES AT LEAST TO THE ELBOW
 

There are certain parts of your body you may like to play down in a photo shoot. You want your lovely family's faces to stand out the most, so choose darker bottoms, tops with sleeves that cover the elbow and black socks/shoes. This rule is more for the grown-ups than the kids ;-)
 

Family Photographer Clitheroe
 

TIP #5: AVOID LOGOS AND USE PATTERNS SPARINGLY
 

Patterns look great every day out and about, but can add a lot of distraction to a still photograph. If you wish to use patterns, go easy and we recommend just one of you wear a pattern with the rest in co-ordinating block colours to compliment. A chequered shirt or floral dress can look lovely... in moderation! The same goes for the kid's tops: Yes, Frozen might be their favourite film but an Elsa top can be very distracting in your portrait. 
 

So in a nut shell, think "timeless and classic" when it comes to your precious photographs. Keep it simple and go with your heart! These are your special images and you'll want to look at them with pride for years to come. 
 

Family Photographer Clitheroe Family photographer Lancashire   
 

Above information courtesy of Lemon Sky Photography
 

Winning photographer of the National Baby of the Month Winning photographer of the National Baby of the Month How pleased am I to find I have won the National Baby of the month competition for the second month in a row.  Good luck to mum and baby Larna in the final :)