Outfit Color Schemes for Fall Photoshoots
When it comes to planning your fall family photo outfits, start by choosing your clothing color palette. Most photographers will recommend planning your outfits around two focal colors and a few grounding neutrals. This mix allows for enough variety to keep things from feeling too matchy-matchy, without being visually distracting.
To get the most cohesive images, keep the colors that will be in the background of your shoot location in mind when building your wardrobe color palette. (And be sure to have your color palette on hand when you're turning your favorite snap from the shoot into a holiday card!) Here’s a few ideas to get your creative juices flowing.
Yellow Leaves of Early Fall
There are few things more beautiful than the golden yellow leaves of trees in the early fall. If you’re planning to take your family photos surrounded by all that color, there are a few different color palette options you can go with.
- Warm Neutrals
The warm neutrals color palette can work for any fall photoshoot location, but we especially love how these colors play with the vibrant yellows and golds of early fall foliage. To keep things looking interesting, work in a rich rusty-red as an accent color in the form of a scarf, tie, or child’s sweater.
- Bold Jewel Tones
There’s no denying that neutral colors are the defining trend of family photography at the moment. But that doesn’t mean you should shy away from color! Work in all the rich tones of the season with a jewel-toned palette that is anchored by rich greens, browns, and blues. Then, add in a true pop of color with a warm red or even a deep plum.
- Dusty Sunset
Play up the warm golden light of fall sunsets by opting for a color palette saturated with warm, dusty tones. Dress the boys of the family in combinations of deep camel and a cooler chocolate brown, while accenting the girls of the family with rosy pinks for a super sweet vibe.
Orange and Red Leaves of Deep Fall
If you’re lucky enough to schedule your photoshoot during peak leaf-peeping season, these color palettes will complement the fiery reds and oranges of your backdrop perfectly.
- Dark Drama
Lean into the dramatic vibes of the season with a color palette that doesn’t shy away from rich and vibrant tones. The key with this palette is to look for ways to break up bigger blocks of black and dark blue by playing with pattern and texture. Think a black dress with orange and beige florals, or a plaid button down featuring blue and burnt orange checks.
- Crisp & Casual
Capture your family’s low-key spirit with this cool and casual color palette. Focus on pairing classic light-wash denim colors with slightly warmer-toned shades of gray and stone. Then, add in a pop or two of color with a deep saddle brown in the form of leather accessories or a flowy patterned dress.
- Urban Denim
If you’re looking to blend the classic colors of fall with outfits that would look at home in your local city, then this palette is ideal. The deep indigo of raw denim is a perfect offset to rusty foliage, while cool bone, camel, and black provide nice opportunities for contrast.
Evergreen
An evergreen fall family photoshoot is perfect if your family loves the mountains, or if you know you’re going to feature these photos in your Christmas cards. This backdrop offers the most color palette options for your photoshoot wardrobe, but here are a few of our favorites.
- Boho Sage
If you’re anything like us, you can’t get enough of sage! Work it into your fall family photo outfits by playing with different shades of sage (include some that lean more green like the one in the palette above, along with some that lean more brown). Then, use rusty reds and rich warm blacks to provide an anchoring contrast to your photos.
- Sweet Antiques
For a timeless take on fall family photos, go for a color palette inspired by antiques. We love how the dusty blues and toned-down eggplants look against rich forest greens. Rusty browns and soft whites should be used as accent colors to help keep the color palette feeling firmly autumnal.
- Golden Hour
Your wardrobe is a great way to work in the iconic golds and bordeaux reds of fall foliage in an evergreen photoshoot location. We love the idea of using gold as the focal color, and then accenting more neutral outfits with rich wine tones to add even more visual interest.
Family Photo Outfit Ideas for Outdoor Shoot
After you have your color palette locked in, it’s time to think about the overall vibe you want your photos to have. What are you trying to capture about your family? Do you want to showcase your love for the outdoors? Make it look like your photographer just happened to tag along on a fun family adventure? Or maybe you want everyone to put their best foot forward? Here’s a few tips for how to achieve each look.
Formal Fall Family Photo Outfits
Lending a polished air to your fall family photos is all about choosing outfits that center around tailoring. Choosing pieces that are carefully fitted and feature a more traditional cut is a great way to give your outfits a more formal feeling, even if you’re skipping a traditional suit and tie (which could look out of place against a more natural background).
Pieces to look for:
- Wool or tweed blazers for men
- Dark chinos
- Close-fitting cashmere sweaters for men and women
- Midi- or maxi-length wrap dresses for women
- Sweet full skirts for little girls
- Velvet accents and accessories
Casual
The foundation of any good casual fall photoshoot outfit is denim! But, to keep things from feeling overly monotonous, have some family members wear blue jeans, while others wear chambray shirts or denim jackets. This will allow you to dress little girls in dresses and to put boys in khakis for a bit of variation.
Pieces to look for:
- Blue jeans (be sure to keep the washes as consistent as possible!)
- Denim jackets
- Textured sweaters
- Slouchy cardigans
- Neutral long-sleeve t-shirts
- Sweater dresses
- Cowboy boots
Outdoorsy
To infuse your photoshoot with an adventurous spirit, opt for outdoor fall family photo outfits that feature elevated takes on performance wear. The key here is to not wear anything that would look totally out of place at a tucked away cabin, without wearing your actual hiking gear. Think nubby fleece zip-ups and cozy hoodies paired with rugged boots for men and women
Pieces to look for:
- Hats, including baseball caps, beanies, and flat-brimmed fedoras
- Hiking boots
- Wellies
- Cozy sweatshirts
- Rugged chinos
- Distressed denim
- Flannel button-down shirts (bonus points if they are plaid!)
Bohemian
Flowing silhouettes and relaxed textures have become almost as common in fall family photo shoots as traditional plaid — and for good reason, too. Bohemian outfits let your family’s personality shine through, and offer plenty of variation for people to find something they feel good in. Just be sure to keep the color palette neutral here to help everything feel modern and streamlined.
Pieces to look for:
- Maxi dresses with movement (think wrap dresses, ones featuring ruffles, etc.)
- Off-the-shoulder tops and dresses
- Loose linen textures
- Wide-brimmed hats
- Relaxed T-shirts
- Dark denim
Accessories
The right accessories can transform your family’s photoshoot outfits from basic to memorable by adding in an extra dose of personal style or fall flair to more muted color palettes. The only rule? Embrace variation! Having the entire family wrap themselves up in the same scarves or rock matching beanies can make your photos look a bit forced.
- Beanies. Having a few of your family members slip on beanies is a great way to add a bit of cold-weather charm to fall photos. The key here is to look for beanies in your color palette that add a bit of texture — think fuzzy pom pom toppers or chunky knits.
- Baseball cap. Have a family member that never leaves the house without a hat? Let them wear one in your fall photos! Baseball caps are a classic way to add a bit of personal style to plainer outfits, and are an easy accessory to incorporate if you want your photos to have a more casual or outdoorsy feel to them.
- Fedoras. A wide-brimmed felt hat is a fall staple that can add a beautiful bit of interest to your fall photo styling. The trick is to have just one family member wear a fedora — and in a neutral color — to keep it looking natural.
- Boots. You can’t go wrong with incorporating boots into your fall photoshoot wardrobe! Like we explored in the last section, chunky hiking-style boots are a great option if you’re going for an outdoorsy vibe, where wellies and riding boots can lend a preppy energy to your photos.
- Scarves. Scarves and bandanas are great ways to work an accent color into your family’s outfits. Like with fedoras, be conscious of how many people you dress in scarves. If multiple people want to wear them, be sure to have some variation in the color, patterns, and texture of the scarves to keep it from being too matchy-matchy.
Related Articles
Creative Photo Props
The styling of your fall family photoshoot doesn’t have to stop with the outfits! You can layer on additional props to continue to add a more personal feel to your photos. Props are also a great way to allow your photographer to capture natural moments as your family interacts with the environment around them — which can create candid photos that you’ll love for generations.
- Colorful blankets. Packing a blanket that features a few of your accent colors is a great way to spice up your family photos. You can use it to create a vignette for your family to sit or lie down on, or you can wrap up a few of the kiddos for sweet and cozy shots.
- Rustic lanterns. For a vintage or outdoorsy family photoshoot, have your photographer meet you at dusk to take a photo. Bring along a lantern with a handle, and take turns holding it as your family poses!
- Wooden Toys. The best photos are ones that capture your family’s true joy! So bring out that playful spirit by letting your children play with wooden toys for some of the shots. Get them set up on the blanket, and then let your photographer capture what naturally unfolds.
- Rattan picnic basket. Pack a cute rattan or vintage picnic basket on the day of your shoot to add a sweet touch to your family photos. You can keep the basket empty to simply use as a prop, or pack it with some photogenic fall treats to give your photos a more authentic picnic feel.
- Campfire. Gather your family around a campfire to capture the fun and coziness that is at the heart of autumn. To get your family to loosen up and act natural, give them marshmallows to roast, cards to play with each other, and be sure to crack jokes to get everyone laughing for the camera!
