Family Pictures - Kansas City,MO

Just wear solids and it will be fine!

Avoid tans/etc.....will make you look washed out.

Not a fan of the matchy matchy--that's been done to death!

Coordinate rather than match. They type of photograph you are having taken makes a different too. If you are in studio you want to wear something more formal, if you are outside you can do more casual.

Check out pinterest (ditto Tracy) they have ideas and even show examples of how to coordinate (sometimes not even the same color!), but not be all in jeans and a black shirt (I agree - lame) Also, for fun, check out Awkward Family Photos to see what NOT to do - sometimes we think something will be sooo cool, but in retrospect - it isn't.
good luck!

Those pictures where eveyone is wearing jeans or barefoot are so lame!! Just pick out clothes that fit nicely and don't have distracting patterns. Take a look at the website "Awkward Family Photos" to bet an idea of what NOT to do. Above all, just be yourselves.

This is another post where I wish we could attach pictures as examples!
We are doing family portraits on Sunday. We decided we liked green this year, so we are all wearing whatever we want with green in it. My son is wearing a green striped polo and khakis and my daughter is wearing a white dress with green polka dots. I have a solid green shirt.
Last time we chose blue and gray. Everyone's clothes were a little different (some stripes, some solids, some blue, some gray, some sweaters, some polos, etc). It looked great!
I really think the trick is to coordinate, but not match (ie all jeans and black shirts, as mentioned below). You can pick a common theme or color and then leave it to personal expression.

Coordinate, but don't "match". I usually go to the Children's Place for inspiration. I will get "coordinating" outfits for the kids (patterned dress for my daughter and coordinating shirt for my son) then my husband and I will find something that compliments their outfits.

This summer we did a picture with my daughter in a floral print dress, my son in a coordinating pinstriped shirt, me in a solid colored dress and the hubs in a solid colored golf shirt. We visually "went together" without "matching".

I am a pro photographer and I would not recommend that you all wear the same thing. Same color family is nice, but I hate it when my clients all wear the jeans and white shirt type matchy matchy. The easiest thing to do is get YOUR outfit first, then match your family from that. Like if you wear a dress with a pattern or flowers or something, have your kids wear a solid color that is IN your dress. Same with your husband. Good luck and have fun!

My elderly mom's birthday is 4th of July - so last year we asked everyone to come to the birthday party wearing a shirt that was red, white or blue. There were many different shades of these colors, some were sold, other striped or printed, etc. The photo came out nice beucase it's wasn't all matchy-matchy but nothing clashed - and there were more than 20 of us! WE also did a family photo in the winter one year - we all wore shades of blue, gray & burgundy. The little girls had velvet & satin, some wore dark grey or pale gray, others wore deep burgundy - there was lace, alpine-looking sweaters, plaid, navy jackets with jeans, etc. I think it's more about picking colors that compliment your complexions and each other.

Do you have Pinterest? There are some of the most adorable family picture ideas there.
You can also go to Google, put in Family Portrait and hit Images. 10000s of pics come up and you can see what looks good and what doesn't work.

I think matching is tacky! Maybe that's why we never did tradional photos. Our one and only family photo shoot i wore a purple tank top my son wore a brown super hero shirt my husband wore a black tapout out tank top and my baby wore a zerbra and pink tutu set. The only matching we did was for a few shots we all had on different tapout shirts and we posed like we were fighting:)

We just had pictures taken last week. I wore a brown shirt. My husband wore a baby blue polo. My almost 4 year old wore a brown, white, yellow and baby blue striped polo. My 9 month old wore a yellow polo. It looked really nice together. We had individual pictures taken of the boys and the yellow really popped with the green leaves and grass. We wore shorts and sandals as well.

Solid colors are better for photos than prints. Sometimes I've even coordinated outfits with my decor if I want to do matting for photos.

Our last family photo session, everyone wore blue jeans. We did photos outside at multiple areas. Everyone had a black shirt (I wore white for some and couple of kids had a plaid) and they came out awesome! We have a great family one by the shore with blue jeans rolled up, black t-shirts printed in black & white with the blue jeans colored. I get more compliments on it than any of the others. Good luck!

I like to have a similar color scheme-but not to "matching" however, I do not pay, but rather take our own family photos.

I like similar colors but not exact matches personally. And I'm tired of the white shirt, blue jeans thing. When we've done family pictures, we're all in the same color "family" but not identical. So last round was burgandy for my husband and I and our daughters in different shades of pink. Another time was brown shirts and khakis for my husband and I but our daughters were in dresses that had quiet prints. So my rec is complimenting outfits but not too matchy matchy.

I Would have no idea where to shop to get cordrinating but not matching clothing for an adult male, female and then a preschooler boy and toddler girls. I'mean i suppose i could but i'd have to spend $200 just on clothes.

I am cordinated challenges, I do agree if you can do it right it looks awesome.

You might want to condiser your back ground too, Fall leaves might lend towards earth tones, a brigh summer garden might look good with a pop of pink. that sort of thing

Let your family wear their favorites for a few shots and then dress them in outfits that you choose (one casual and one formal). Personally, I like the white shirt and blue jeans family shot out doors.

I don't really like to do matchy, matchy but I try to coordinate everyone. Like one time I had our colors be pink and brown, Hubby had on a brown and while striped polo shirt with jeans, I had on a pink shirt with jeans and brown heels, and my 2 girls had on these pink and brown zebra striped dresses. We just did family pics again and this time my hubby was in a white and blue button down shirt with jeans, I wore a blue dress that was about the same dark blue as his blue jeans with a cream shrug and brown heels, while my 3 girls wore cream and white dresses with dark blue flowers in their hair. I think it looks good to have a color theme going but I don't think every has to be in the exact same thing.

Our last family photo we all wore stripes. No certain Color or design. Just stripes. It turned out great!

solid colors, no black or white, those can blend in to the back ground and you end up with floating heads.

Hi, sorry I'm late on responding and I'm sure you rec'd lots of ideas. I guess I would decide if it's more of a formal or casual picture. Then, where will you hang it in your home. If formal, I would definately do the matching colors and since it's two boys, two girls you can dress the same or similar.
Casual, they're are endless options; blue jeans and two different but complimentary colors for shirts, kahki pants, shorts, skirt with white tops, or black tops. And call the photographer for ideas and/or look thru all your Christmas cards you've rec'd. I'm sure you got a lot of great responses.
Good luck.....

I usually do coordinating colors, but it can be really hard! I actually love match match stuff, I know I'm totally weird, but I can't help it! ;) My daughter and son are two years apart and honestly, I try and put them in coordinating outfits as much as possible...it's a sickness! ;)

I agree with Children's Place being a good place to find coordinating stuff. It's really hard and honestly I don't know why clothing companies don't give parents more options, I know I'm not the only freak! Carters is okay, Gap Kids is okay, Gymboree is okay. I usually get the kids' clothes first and then do our outfits around them. Usually we only take family pictures near Christmas so I guess it's a little easier since red is usually involved!