Best Colors for Family Pictures Outside

As you’re trying to figure out what to wear for your next family photos, a good place to start is to figure out your best colors for family pictures outside. Once you have a color palette in mind, it’s usually much easier to shop for clothing for pictures. I’ve rounded up my eight favorite outdoor family photo color schemes to help you!

Fall Picture Color Scheme: Burnt Orange Family Pictures

If you’re looking for a fall picture color scheme, burnt orange is an easy way to make a neutral palette become instantly autumn! Some oranges can actually be too bright, reflecting orange back onto subject’s faces. To avoid this, look for a camel or burnt orange that is soft rather than bright, muted rather than vibrant. For burnt orange family pictures, use burnt orange sparingly, in just one family member’s outfit. Balance it with plenty of soft neutrals to keep a light and airy look. Here, this family mixed it with creams, light khaki, and olives for the perfect fall picture color scheme.

Denim and White Family Photos

Denim and white family photos get a bad rap! While matching stark white t-shirts and jeans can definitely look outdated, a denim and white color palette for family photos can look so organic and timeless when done right. I encourage clients to think outside the basic white t-shirt: soften the look with cream and ivory instead. Dress up the basic t-shirt by choosing textured henleys, ruffle dresses, and soft gauze for an organic look. Light denim, rather than dark denim, helps to soften the look even further, making the focus all on your family’s connection and emotion rather than heavily contrasted clothing.

Neutral Colors for Family Photos

If you’ve been around my website for a while, you can probably tell that neutral colors for family photos are my absolute favorite! They look clean and timeless and they aren’t distracting. All of the focus is on your family, not the outfit colors. While most of the examples on this page show neutral examples of the best colors for family pictures outside, this one is the most neutral. It’s so important when you’re doing all neutrals to layer several different neutrals together so that your photo will have some depth. Here, my clients did mostly white, with dove grey, khaki, and slate blue layered in. It was the perfect choice to let the colorful purple background do the heavy lifting.

Blue and Green Family Photo Outfits

When you’re wondering what the best colors for family pictures outside are, blue and green family photo outfits are a pretty safe bet. For clients who prefer more color than an all or mostly neutral palette, a blue and green color palette is a great solution. They’re universally flattering, they can still look soft and neutral, and they’re easy to find year-round. If you do go with a darker navy blue, I encourage you to keep it to a minimum: one clothing item in a smaller family or on a few family members in a larger family group. It can make a photo look dark quickly, so just be sure to balance it with plenty of lighter whites, creams, and sage greens like this family did here.

Navy Blue Family Pictures

This is another great example of navy blue used sparingly but effectively in family pictures outside. Blue and green complement each other so well. If you’re headed to a location that is very green, pairing light blues and navy can be so beautiful! I love the way this family kept it simple by sticking to different shades of blue paired with white and ivory. These monochromatic color schemes are my favorite for family photos. The key really is to use several shades of your color: from the darker navy (used just sparingly to keep the photo light and airy), to a mid-tone chambray, to the lightest blue in mom’s dress.

Blue and Pink Family Photos

Blue and pink family photos will always have my heart! Outside of warm , light, neutrals, pastel blue and pinks photograph best with a light and airy style. I adore the different ways these families chose to complement pink with their family’s outfits. In the first blue and pink family photo, the family chose warmer tones: khakis and a warm seaglass blue. In the second photo, the tones are cooler, with slate blues and greys. I love how that was reflected in the landscape with the blue mountain in the background. This is a perfect example of how blue and pink family photos are doable for any family, just choose if you’d like to go with warmer tones or cooler tones.

Best Colors for Family Pictures Outside: Beach Photo Color Schemes

If you’re headed to the beach and looking for the best colors for family pictures outside, one of my favorite beach photo color schemes is light blue and cream! It fits right in the with blue of the ocean and hills in the distance. Layering several neutrals and plenty of textures gives the photo depth. Check out the ruffle tulle of the girl’s dress, the gauze scarf along with ivories, tans, and light greys.

Figured out your best colors for family pictures outside?

If you’ve found your color palette and you’d like help figuring out what exactly to wear, check out some of my other what to wear posts here!

What to Wear for Maternity Photos

What to Wear for Fall Family Photos

Spring Family Picture Outfits

And if you’re ready to book family photos in the Portland area, head over to my website and get in touch!

PS, this week, my favorite blog post from a photographer around the world comes from Ellen Wagner, a family photographer in Alabama. Her post on a maternity session at the Auburn Arboretum was just stunning!