Capturing beautiful fall family photos can be a fun annual tradition for many families. The autumn season provides a gorgeous backdrop of vibrant fall foliage that adds natural color and texture to portraits. When selecting clothing colors for fall photos, it’s important to choose hues that will complement the surroundings and overall aesthetics you want for the images. Certain color combinations work especially well for fall family photos and can help you get pictures you’ll cherish for years to come.
Consider the location
One of the first things to think about when choosing colors for fall family pictures is the location where you’ll be taking the photos. If you’ll be posing in front of maple trees with red and orange leaves or on a country road lined with warm golds and yellows, you’ll want your color scheme to enhance rather than compete with the backdrop. Earthy neutrals like browns, tans, and khakis pair nicely with these autumnal shades and won’t distract from the natural beauty.
Cooler hues like blues, greens, and purples can also complement warm fall foliage without clashing too much. Just avoid bright neons or other loud colors that will look jarring against the muted seasonal palette. Instead, focus on rich jewel tones in emerald, sapphire, eggplant, and the like. Grayscale options like black, charcoal, white, and gray provide an elegant contrast as well.
Match colors to personalities
In addition to considering the photo location, think about your family members’ personalities and preferences when selecting attire colors for fall pictures. Play up kids’ vibrant personalities by outfitting them in their favorite bright shades. Just make sure the complete palette still flows cohesively.
For older family members, reflect their refined style choices in darker sophisticated hues like navy, maroon, slate, or chocolate. Black and white patterns also convey elegance. You can tie different looks together through shared neutral base tones.
Don’t be afraid to get creative! Mixing metallic accents, prints, and textures can elevate your fall color scheme to the next level. Just keep the overall vibe natural and earthy.
Some top color combinations
Here are some of the best color combinations for fall family portraits:
Warm neutral tones
Shades like beige, tan, light brown, and cream reflect the warm neutrals found in nature during autumn. Pair these earthy hues with denim blues and olive greens for an organic, rustic look. Accents of pink, peach, and coral also liven up neutral foundation shades.
Cool neutral tones
Cooler neutrals like gray, slate, dove gray, and pale blue complement fall foliage without competing. Mix in plum, wine, navy, charcoal, and chocolate for rich elegance. Crisp white also pops against grayed undertones.
Red and green
Nothing says fall like red and green together. Pair emerald with ruby or burgundy for festive color echoes of the holiday season ahead. Mixing in tertiary colors like teal, eggplant, and mustard yellow can add extra dimension.
Orange and blue
For brighter complementary colors, orange and blue artfully balance each other. Navy offsets the brightness of burnt orange, peach, and copper. Periwinkle, cornflower, and cadet blue also integrate nicely with warm autumnal oranges.
Brown and yellow
Shades like caramel, khaki, cocoa, and chestnut flatter golden fall hues like dandelion, sunflower, mustard, and lemon. Adding cream or off-white pulls the palette together. Accents of sage green connect the earthiness of brown to the vibrancy of yellow.
Purple and green
Few color combinations evoke the richness of autumn as beautifully as purple and green. Pair forest green with eggplant, plum, wine, lilac, or lavender for an elegant royal look. Olive, jade, and lime green also complement these cool purples.
Tips for coordinating fall family photo outfits
Picking the perfect color palette is an important first step, but effectively coordinating your colors into complementary fall family portraits requires a few additional considerations:
- Use lighter neutrals like tan, light gray, and cream to tie together darker accent colors.
- Make the colors cohesive but not overly matchy-matchy. Vary shades and tones for visual interest.
- Add lighter layers like scarves, cardigans, and jackets to create dimension and warmth.
- Incorporate textures like tweed, corduroy, flannel, and knits for rich depth.
- Keep base tones neutral and earthy with pops of color in accessories and layers.
- Allow kids to express their vibrant personalities while staying relatively coordinated.
- Choose a few focal colors to build your palette around.
- Photograph test swatches outside to preview how colors will render.
- Use darker neutrals like charcoal, chocolate, and navy to ground brighter hues.
- Don’t forget classic colorless layers like denim jackets and vests.
The key is finding balance between colors that harmonize with the fall environment while allowing your family’s style to shine through.
How to find these colors easily
Searching for attire in perfect fall family photo colors doesn’t have to be a long, stressful process. Here are some tips to streamline your shopping:
- Check out fall-themed Pinterest boards for curated color palettes and outfit ideas.
- Look for the “autumnal” tag on clothing websites when filtering by color.
- Search for “fall family photoshoot” on Etsy to find color-coordinating items.
- Shop specialty fall family photo outfitters like Pippa & Peach or Clementine Kids.
- Seek out ombre garments gradient-dyed from light to dark.
- Buy solid neutrals and add seasonal accessories in richness colors.
- Swap and borrow clothing items among family members for optimal coordination.
- Stick to natural fibers like wool, cotton, denim, and linen that suit fall.
- Layer warmer pieces over simple short-sleeve tees and tank tops.
- Use accessories like hats, scarves, and flannels to tie looks together.
Focus your shopping online or in stores carrying seasonal autumnal clothing. Searches combining “fall,” “autumn,” or “Thanksgiving” with color terms like “orange,” “burgundy,” “olive,” and “mustard” will yield ideal finds.
Best clothing items for fall family photos
Certain articles of clothing lend themselves particularly well to fall color palettes and smoothly coordinating family looks. Here are some of the best clothing items to look for:
| Clothing Item | Why It Works |
|---|---|
| Plaid flannel shirts | Classic preppy layer that comes in autumnal color combos |
| Oversized sweaters | Warm, cozy top layer for the season in rich solid hues |
| Jeans | Neutral bottom layer available in all washes |
| Scarves | An easy way to tie looks together through color |
| Vests | Versatile neutral layer that fits fall’s outdoorsy vibe |
| Boots | Colors like brown, tan, and black complement fall palette |
| Cardigans | Softer lighter top layer for added warmth and interest |
| Blankets | Cozy prop for photos that can provide more colors |
| Around jeans | Comfortable pants in earth tones like moss and khaki |
These items can be mixed and matched among family members while keeping the color scheme cohesive. Plus, they transition seamlessly from photos to comfortable seasonal attire.
How to pick colors for specific family members
Within any unified fall family color palette, you can tailor shades to flatter each individual’s complexion, hair color, eye color, and personal style:
Warm complexions look great in other warm tones like peach, coral, yellow, mossy green, copper, and terracotta. Avoid colors that will compete with skin undertones.
Cool complexions complement icy tones like steel gray, pale blue, plum, deep red, and emerald green beautifully. Stay away from matching skin in tone or intensity.
Blondes shine paired with sapphire, cobalt, cherry red, slate gray, and other bold jewel tones. Softer pastels can wash blondes out.
Brunettes look lovely in lighter tones like powder blue, blush, camel, and muted lavender. They can also pull off nearly any deep, rich color.
Redheads are radiant in shades like emerald, eggplant, and magenta that play up the warmth of their hair. Neutral earth tones allow red hair to take center stage.
Kids look vibrant and playful in brighter primary colors and pastels. Mix with neutrals to offset intensity. Let them have fun with prints and patterns!
Teens prefer bolder colors in moderation against neutrals or black. Wine, plum, forest, mustard, and rust reflect their sophisticated edge.
No matter your family’s complexions, hair colors, ages, and style preferences, the colors you choose for fall photos should ultimately complement each member’s natural features while still working together to create a harmonious group palette.
Conclusion
The autumn season provides an abundant and inspirational color palette to work with for fall family portraits. Choosing hues strategically can create images with rich seasonal warmth and personality. Neutrals like tan, denim, cream, and khaki form natural foundations on which to build color schemes full of jewel tones, bright accents, and organic earthiness.
Consider location backdrop, personalities, complexions, and individual style when curating the perfect color combos. Look for ombre tones, warm fabrics, and versatile layers that will tie looks together while allowing individuality to shine through. With a thoughtful coordinated approach, your whole family will look and feel your seasonal best in photos you’ll treasure forever.
