Every year, right around after Labor Day, I (and basically any other Austin photographer) start to get really excited. We’ve gone from Summer fun, to school supplies, and now every time I visit Target a little bit more Halloween makes its way to the aisle. I think I get most excited knowing that my favorite time of year is close – Fall! Autumn! The crisp mornings, the crunchy leaves all over the ground, and one of my personal favorites – Fall fashion!

This time of year also gets us thinking about the holidays coming up, and “OH, CRAP! We have a family photo session happening soon! What are we all going to wear?!” If that’s where you’re at as we begin October, don’t sweat; I’ve got you covered! Let’s take a look at some fall fashions for family photos, and a few tips to keep in mind as you plan your outfits!

• You shouldn’t all wear the same thing

  There are very rare occasions where you, your four-year-old, and your grandmother need to all wear the same thing and family photos is not that occasion. The times of everyone wearing black turtlenecks and jeans are gone. At this time, I’d like to apologize to my mother for saying this as she’s probably reading this in her living room where she has a huge framed photo of her three children…wearing black turtlenecks and jeans. But it’s true – leave the matching outfits in the back of your closet. Waaaaay back there.

• Think about Your Colors

  If you’re like me, you’re don’t really have an eye for interior design and didn’t even have a color scheme for your wedding. This tip is not so much for you as it is for the people that are actually amazing with home design, and have a consistent plan for colors in their home that they want to stick to. If your home has a color scheme, stick with those. Check out the examples below:

  

• Start with The Toughest One

  Instead of trying to coordinate all of the outfits all at once, start with the person that is usually the toughest to dress. Once that person is figured out, everyone else can go from there and branch off easily into coordinated outfits! For me, I have a hard time being comfortable in front of the camera, but it’s a little easier if I have a bomb outfit on. So, if I can find something that makes me feel amazing, then it will be easier to find outfits for my wife and daughter that mesh well. Then we all feel like superstars and can have a great session!

• Most importantly, be comfortable & authentically you

  When you look back at these photos, you don’t want to feel like you’re looking at an entirely different family because there’s no way you’d ever actually wear that outfit. You want to feel amazing! I grew up disliking dresses, and basically wanting to wear boy clothes (I even once wore Jnco shorts from the boys’ section to school…and I was tiny, so they just looked like horribly made pants, but I digress). I didn’t feel authentically me in certain outfits that I know my mother really wanted me to wear. If you’re in an outfit that makes you feel uncomfortable or like it’s just not you, then that’s a recipe for a really not fun photo session and that not fun feeling will read all over the photos. So, talk with your family to see what they feel great wearing that coordinates.

I hope these tips were helpful for you! Like I said, I think Fall has some of the cutest clothes, so I can’t wait to see what families are wearing this year!