If you’ve ever tried to plan your family’s photoshoot outfits and have felt overwhelmed and not sure where to start, this guide is for you. Spring and summer in Michigan are vibrant and colorful and full of warmth. These four colors will always give you a classy, timeless and elegant family photo wardrobe. Cream, blue, pink and green can be used in monochrome or combined to effortlessly create numerous looks.

I typically call the mom’s outfit the “base outfit: and I build the rest of the family’s wardrobe around her look. Let’s start with a classic neutral look. I love mixing cream, white and tan for the most elevated palette. This really pops against the full greenery of spring and summer and feels light and elegant. In this family of four, the mom was wearing a flowy, cream maxi dress and the boys were all in slight variations of white on cream or tan. They added a subtle pop of color through their choice of shoes (blue and green).

For this family, the mom went with loose, cream, linen pants with a dark blue top that became our anchor color. Three of the family members family wore prints to add visual interest and we pulled the complimentary colors from those printed fabrics.

Pink is one of my favorite base colors for spring and summer mamas. This super dusty pink was brought to life with the vibrant pop of color on her nails and the puppy’s collars. This allowed us to use more pink without it being overwhelming to the skin tones. We pulled in all of my other “secret colors” (blue, green and neutral) to balance out the look.

For this family session, the mom chose a beautiful patterned, mid-length dress that had a beautiful mix of green, blue, cream and coral. The rest of the family’s outfits came together by pulling out solid colors from the dress. This always provides a cohesive and thoughtful look.

Here are some more tips and real world examples: