My top 5 Favorite Color Combos for Family Photos

Quick Tips

Mar 5

Blues, Greens, and Tans

Family with three kids in green field with color palette of their clothing in circles below the picture

I love this combo! I had a couple of different clients use this combo (see the slightly darker version with orange included for fall outfits below) and loved the combo so much that I incorporated it into my own family photos! It may be hard to see in the photo, but I incorporated the tan in my youngest son’s shirt and in my oldest son’s shorts. I’ve included some more examples on how you can play with this color scheme below! The colors you have the most of can really change the overall look of this color combo. *Hot tip: want to include more color but it’s looking like too much all at once? Including more colors as a bottom article of clothing (shorts/pants/skirts) is a really easy way to get more color in your outfits in a more subtle way.

collage of three families all dressed in blues, greens, and tans

2. Jewel Tones (with or without Neutrals)

Family with teens walking and laughing towards camera with palette beneath picture of the colors they're dressed in

This combo is a classic for a reason! There are so many ways to play around with this. In the example above, she included a lighter color that went with maroon. You could also include a forest green (pictured below), or replace any of the jewel tones with a neutral. *Hot tip: shoot for at least three colors in your family photo color scheme. This makes it so there’s enough visual interest in your outfits (no more all white tees and jeans amiright?), but still cohesive enough to look put together.

Three different families all dressed in jewel tones

3. Cool Neutrals

Family with two young kids sitting and snuggling with circles of colors that they're wearing are to the right of the picture

When you want to keep it simple or want your background to really pop, neutrals are the way to go. You can also use very toned down greens and navy blues for a neutral palette. It’s a very classic and clean look that you don’t have to overthink. You could also do mostly neutrals with a small pop of color like in mom’s dress or mom’s orange sweater in the photos below.

Three different families all dressed in neutral colors

4. Greens/blues With a pop of Pink

Family looking at blossoms on tree with three circles to the right of the picture showing what colors they dressed in

Such a fun one! I had three clients use this color scheme all within a short time and I loved how that pop of pink really stood out against all different colors of background. You could keep it more neutrals/toned down greens and blues with a pop of pink like in the photos below, or you could use a brighter blue and a fun pattern to tie it together like in the photo above. *Hot tip: Don’t know where to start? Choose your outfit first and build everything around that!

three images of families dressed in greens or blues with a pop of pink in mom's dress

5. Blue, Green, Orange, and Yellow

Family with six kids crouching and leaning on each other while laughing. Five circles below the picture show what colors they're wearing.

This combo is my ABSOLUTE FAVORITE. It is so bright and colorful that it looks great with any background-I love it in a green field, but it can also bring color to a background that may be a little less vibrant. This one can be hard to do right-it’s all about the tones of your oranges and greens. To keep within this palette and not look too dark and heavy you’ll want to keep them light-think spring! You can also have two different shades of orange and two different shades of blue (like in the photo above) as long as they’re in the same color range-around the same brightness and tone. *Hot tip: Don’t be afraid to include patterns! The key is to alter the size and tone of your patterns. The outfits above work so well because the bright colorful pattern in mom’s dress is bigger and has more contrast and colors than the small floral pattern (with hardly any contrast) in the yellow jumper. Brother’s blue shirt works because while it has more contrast, it’s only two tones.

two different images of families dressed in lots of bright colors

That’s it for today! I hope that was helpful and gives you some ideas on how you can play around with color and pattern to get awesome family outfits. And don’t forget, if you work with me I provide a wardrobe consultation so we can go over all this stuff together! Sometimes it’s just nice to bounce ideas off of someone else.