Portrait Color Scheme Help

[wendyroo]

I'm planning to have a group portrait of the kids taken in about a month when Audrey will more reliably laugh at the photographer's antics.  The kids will be: Peter - almost 7, Elliot - almost 5, Spencer - 2.5 and Audrey - 5ish months.

 

I've started to think about the color scheme so I can assess what we have and what I should keep my eye out for, but I'm having a bit of trouble.  I want to dress Audrey so it is relatively obvious she is a girl, but I also want her to look like she belongs in the group rather than being the pink sheep in a flock of brown or grey or navy.

 

I'm a Plain Jane, no-frills mama, so Audrey has never had a headband or bow or anything in her "hair" (she doesn't really have much hair anyway), and I have no interest in going that route for the portrait either...it would never look like the baby I remember.

 

I took their picture at Christmas and went with mainly a grey and red theme, which I liked and could do again, but Audrey did not have that feminine vibe I'm going for and I would like to try something different this time.

 

Any ideas?

 

For reference I attached the Christmas photo so you can see what they looked like two months ago.

 

Thanks,

Wendy

 

 

[T'smom]

We recently had pics taken with a blue/green color scheme. My dd wore a dress with blue flowers. My boys wore jeans with blue/green plaid shirts, one of them had a blue sweater over it.

 

If I were you, I would find an adorable outfit for her and then coordinate the boys to match her.

[linders]

How about a light blue dress for Audrey, but something with lots of frills to make it girly. The boys could wear darker blue/grey to complement.

[FriedClams]

I'd look at Pinterest and see what you like. I think you can better judge what you like when you see it. I'd avoid the whole "white shirts and jeans/khakis" or super duper matchy. Both look really dated quickly. I prefer a family of colors and love jewel tones on most people (I'm a photographer).

[Katy]

Your best bet is to look at pinterest for ideas.

 

The most important item of clothing will be your top.  Choose a color YOU look beautiful in, and then you can dress the others in either a neutral or the opposite color on the wheel.  Blues and greens and khakis always look good together.  If you're going to have your shots taken outdoors (green), and you look good in blue, you & Audrey wear blue, boys wear khaki, white, and blue...  How much you like the photos will have a lot more to do with how good you look than how your kids or DH looks.

 

Babies always look great in white or ivory, but if you choose white either change at the last moment or keep her wrapped with a huge bib or blanket beforehand.  Nothing like white lace to instantly bring on spitting up bright baby food.

 

You can also choose a complementary color to whatever you look good in- ie: orange and blue, purple and yellow, etc.

 

If these are for wall portraits, you can also choose clothes that match your home decor.

 

If you are the type to change your decor seasonally you can either go with neutrals OR take portraits in different outfits - pastels for Spring; navy & red for Summer; burgundy & mustard for fall, etc.

 

I usually do a black & white print for framing and put the color photos in albums.

[KungFuPanda]

Once I put my kids in bib overalls, but dd wore a pink polo and DS wore a blue one. Another time she wore a plain striped dress in shades of blue and he wore a shirt that matched. The rest of the photos coordinated rather than matched. Have you looked at the Hannah Anderson dresses? They're simple, comfortable, and available in gender-neutral colors. My daughter wore blue a lot, so colors weren't usually a problem.

[wendyroo]

This shows how out of touch I am.  People start mentioning a dress, and I am literally startled because the thought never crossed my mind.  The only dress I have ever worn is my wedding dress, and it would never in a million years occur to me to put a baby in a dress...or, really, anything lacy or frilly or ruffly.

 

I don't think I am going to go that route, because I also need clothes that is un-mess-up-able.  Peter will probably be holding Audrey for the picture and he is willing and able to do so for about 2 minutes before he gets distracted.  Really, it is hard to pin any of the kids down and when the stars do align, the last thing I need is a dress riding up around Audrey's armpits.  The last time I took the kids for a portrait (about a year ago) I actually duct taped Spencer's shirt to his diaper because I wanted it to stay tucked in.

 

Mostly, I want the kids to look nice and put together, but still largely as they dress everyday in casual, comfortable, practical clothes.  Especially Audrey - I want her to look like a baby, a girl baby, but still primarily just a baby since she won't even be sitting up on her own yet.

 

I tried to look for ideas on Pinterest, but I am having a hard time.  How can I search for some portrait examples of mixed-age, mixed-gender sibling groups (just kids, no parents)?

 

Thanks,

Wendy

[Storygirl]

Here is what I have done that might work for you. Choose a boys' shirt that has more than one color. For example, a plaid button down shirt or a sweater or sweater vest that has a contrasting stripe or color on it. Then pick clothing for the others that has similar colors.

 

So I might end up with a navy sweater vest with a mint green stripe for one boy. Put a white or green shirt under it. Then put mint green on the baby girl, a navy long-sleeved shirt on one of the other boys, and a plaid shirt on the third boy that has both the blue and green in it. Just as an example.

 

Once I bought a shirt and sweater vest set for the boys. Used the shirt from the set for one of the boys, and put the sweater vest on the other boy, with a plain white shirt under it. So they matched. But didn't. (This worked, because my boys were the same size).

 

These colors could be cute on a girl but are easy to find something matching in boys' clothes -- light blue, yellow, light green, cobalt blue, red, navy, gray, denim.

 

 

Edited February 3, 2016 by Storygirl

[Rockhopper]

If it's important to you that the baby looks like a girl, a dress is a really good way to achieve that -- especially if you might get a black and white print, where a "girly" color would be lost. It's just a really easy visual clue for viewers that she's a girl.

 

Lots of little girl baby dresses are comfortable, washable and even made much like a onesie so there's no riding up - something like this: http://www.carters.com/carters-baby-girl-baby-essentials/V_126G110.html?cgid=carters-baby-girl-baby-essentials&dwvar_V__126G110_size=12M&dwvar_V__126G110_color=Color#start=66&cgid=carters-baby-girl-baby-essentials

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited because I sounded unnecessarily snarky. And edited again because I can't seem to type what I'm trying to today.

Edited February 4, 2016 by Rockhopper

[tammyw]

Do a google search on "what to wear for family pictures" and you will get lots of hits for schemes that go together. Also keep in mind where you will be. Outside in a forest? Definitely don't pick green but go with something that will stand out in a good way (think coordinating colors). So first figure out where the setting will be, then figure out what colors YOU are comfortable with (mom is often the hardest), then start building from there. Do not go matchy-matchy. Just make sure you have a set of coordinating colors.

[Guest]

I'll pipe up as s photographer here. Green tends to dominate in photos so choose a muted green. Not Seahawks uniforms. If you want to go green and blue.

 

Plaid as a way of establishing a color set is a great idea but the plaid should be a tool, not a garment worn in the picture. Orints will look ok but when you post the picture online, the data gets compressed and the plaid starts to look jumpy. I've made quilts before by choosing colors according to a sample I liked, even though that actual sample never made it into the quilt. Same idea.

 

And lastly, watch out for yellow. Unless it is a muted yellow, it will draw the eye consistently and that can make a portrait unsettling.

 

Color wheels are really interesting and can give you ideas for how to choose monochrome, two-, or three-color palettes.

[kitten18]

I would probably start with something patterned and girly for the baby and then pick colors from the pattern for the boys.

 

Like this.

http://m.jcpenney.com/carters-short-sleeve-floral-jumper-with-cardigan-baby-girls-newborn-24m/prod.jump?ppId=pp5006360728&catId=cat1004200029&deptId=dept20000017&Ntt=

 

Then the boys could wear navy or that lighter blue that's in the romper.

[arnold]

Our last family photo was clothing consisting of blue, coral, white and tan.

[Garga]

I do photography as a hobby and have gotten to the point where I don't do it for free anymore. If my friends want their pictures taken by me, I charge. They seem happy to pay! Go figure.

 

So, I'm not professional, but I have a bit of experience.

 

I personally, would go for a pale neutral palate with maybe some very, very pale colors.

 

One boy could wear pale tan khaki pants and a cream colored shirt.

Another boy wears a different shade of tan khaki pants and a pale blue shirt.

The third boy wears pale tan khaki pants and a gently striped pale blue shirt (nothing too crazy--a quiet print.)

The girl wears pale pink pants and a cream colored shirt.

 

Very, very pale.

 

Also, as Tammy posted above, the setting can change all that. Some settings just seem to beg for certain colors/styles.

 

Stay away from prints as much as possible. Portraits are about the faces. You don't want the eye being drawn away by a pattern from the faces as much as possible. Rich colors can also draw away from faces. Pale colors aren't going to pop out of the picture and draw the eye away from the faces.

Edited February 3, 2016 by Garga

[Bambam]

So no hair bow or headband. No dress. Usually those are the things people put babies in if they want them to look girly.

 

Maybe tshirts - pick the colors you like and then have "Girl" put on the baby's shirt and there you go?

 

 

[Kathryn]

Here is what I have done that might work for you. Choose a boys' shirt that has more than one color. For example, a plaid button down shirt or a sweater or sweater vest that has a contrasting stripe or color on it. Then pick clothing for the others that has similar colors.

 

So I might end up with a navy sweater vest with a mint green stripe for one boy. Put a white or green shirt under it. Then put mint green on the baby girl, a navy long-sleeved shirt on one of the other boys, and a plaid shirt on the third boy that has both the blue and green in it. Just as an example.

 

Once I bought a shirt and sweater vest set for the boys. Used the shirt from the set for one of the boys, and put the sweater vest on the other boy, with a plain white shirt under it. So they matched. But didn't. (This worked, because my boys were the same size).

 

These colors could be cute on a girl but are easy to find something matching in boys' clothes -- light blue, yellow, light green, cobalt blue, red, navy, gray, denim.

This is what I did. Oldest boy was in light blue with orange stripes. Younger boy in orange. Baby girl in light blue dress ($1 from Goodwill).

 

I'm not sure how to make a baby "look" like a girl without a dress or a bow or pink. I also don't find dresses to be impractical for a baby. In fact, they are MUCH easier for diaper changes and I expect that's why throughout much of history ALL babies wore "dresses."

 

Anyway here's what we did:

[Rachel]

Gymboree does a good job of selling kids clothing that coordinates without matching. Even if you don't buy the outfits there, look at the coordinates section of the website for ideas.

 

I like shades of blue on my kids when I want them coordinating but not matching. It's a color that looks good on all of them and photographs well. I do think I would put your daughter in something feminine. You could do ruffle pants or a girly blouse if you don't like dresses.

 

You may want to consider dresses for the future though. Dresses on little girls are wonderful! Buy them long and they can get 2-3 years of wear out of them if the bodice isn't too fitted. They just eventually become tops.

[Rachel]

Anyway here's what we did:

Beautiful children!

[KungFuPanda]

This shows how out of touch I am. People start mentioning a dress, and I am literally startled because the thought never crossed my mind. The only dress I have ever worn is my wedding dress, and it would never in a million years occur to me to put a baby in a dress...or, really, anything lacy or frilly or ruffly.

 

I don't think I am going to go that route, because I also need clothes that is un-mess-up-able. Peter will probably be holding Audrey for the picture and he is willing and able to do so for about 2 minutes before he gets distracted. Really, it is hard to pin any of the kids down and when the stars do align, the last thing I need is a dress riding up around Audrey's armpits. The last time I took the kids for a portrait (about a year ago) I actually duct taped Spencer's shirt to his diaper because I wanted it to stay tucked in.

 

Mostly, I want the kids to look nice and put together, but still largely as they dress everyday in casual, comfortable, practical clothes. Especially Audrey - I want her to look like a baby, a girl baby, but still primarily just a baby since she won't even be sitting up on her own yet.

 

I tried to look for ideas on Pinterest, but I am having a hard time. How can I search for some portrait examples of mixed-age, mixed-gender sibling groups (just kids, no parents)?

 

Thanks,

Wendy

Clearly you've been living in Boy Land for too long. Little girls dresses don't gave to be poofy, scratchy, or frilly. They can be simple, comfortable, and cotton. Think of them as a shirt and pants with a different cut. Unless your daughter has lots of hair, her clothes will be the only thing that make her look girly. Maybe seek out a skirted onsie? Maybe something like this? (The design, not necessarily the colors/print) http://www.gymboree.com/shop/outfit/baby-nautical-smile-18014713

 

It's easier to buy the dress then match simple boy outfits to the colors. If your daughter's dress has a print you can get your boys to wear shirts in different colors pulled from that print. Even a simple sleeveless jumper over a long-sleeved onesie will make her look unmistakably girlie.

[dancingmama]

If were you, I'd go walk around jcp or kohls in the baby girl department. Leggings with flaired shirts are popular right now and femininize a basic baby look. Look for a non-print outfit in a color you can coordinate the boys with and go from there.

[AuNaturel]

Avoid patterns for sure.

 

If you don't want the embarrassing "is it a girl or boy?" question, put the girl in a long dress. My husband used to get so offended when people thought my daughter was a boy at that age, so I started putting her in nothing but dresses and Mary Janes. I'm not a girly woman so it wasn't exactly something I liked, but it corrected the confusion 100%. Color doesn't matter as long as the dress is obvious.

 

Have her color match at least an article in yours to associate the "ladies" together in the picture. And make sure the guys don't include that color in their outfit.

 

I think you can go one of two ways, bold and bright (candy apple red, cobalt blue, greens, purples, etc) where everyone has their own color and no one stands out more or less. I love dressing little bitty ones in bright red. It brings out the natural pink in their face and makes their complexion "rosey" in photographs. It also brings attention to them since they're so small!

 

The other way you could go is earth tones (brown, sage green, blue, black). If you went that way, I'd go with white (with a colorful flower and or ribbon on it) for the baby. Again, she will stand out without looking out of place.

 

(I'm an artist not a photographer)

 

Sent from my Nexus 4 using Tapatalk

[wendyroo]

I'd look at Pinterest and see what you like. I think you can better judge what you like when you see it. I'd avoid the whole "white shirts and jeans/khakis" or super duper matchy. Both look really dated quickly. I prefer a family of colors and love jewel tones on most people (I'm a photographer).

 

I'm not sure I hit on jewel tones, but what does everyone think of this?  Peter's on the left with Audrey's since he will be holding her.

 

 

Audrey's pink doesn't make her stick out like a sore thumb since they are all in different colors.  And then the brown to tie them all together.

 

Yes?

 

Thanks,

Wendy

[Bambam]

Maybe you could have Audrey hold a flower too?

[T'smom]

I think it's great!

[J-rap]

We did a family photo with faded blues and coral, in an outdoor setting.  The colors looked really nice together!  The faded blue could be jeans.  It was a mostly casual photo, although a couple girls had dresses on.  There were many people in the picture (it was extended family), and quite a mix of styles, etc., but all with various shades of faded blues and corals.

 

Oh, I just saw your photo of jewel tones!  I like them.