Coordinating Kids Clothes for Pictures with Gymboree

Disclosure: I received a gift card from Gymboree for the sole purpose of this review. No other compensation was given. All opinions are 100% my own.

With 5 kids to dress for family photos, it can get all kinds of crazy. Luckily though, the easiest to coordinate are the three youngest girls. They love to dress up. Are all one gender (I had to pay my son to wear a pink STRIPE before). And are still under my control when it comes to clothing. Ha!

Coordinating Kids Clothes

Coordinating Kids Clothes for Pictures

Well, at least I still pay for their clothes and am still there when they shop. Let’s put it that way. And Gymboree is one of our favorite places to shop for the girls. Their designs and styles make it easy when coordinating kids clothes for pictures. They already have outfits and collections lined out… or you can mix and match. Plus, with so many different choices from each matching collection, I can clothe all three girls in coordinating outfits without a problem.

Coordinating Kids Clothes

But, there are still certain tips I try to keep in mind when coordinating kids clothes for pictures:

  • Choose a color palette – With the girls, they almost always want pink. Some shade of it anyways. Even my oldest is still that way. My son, of course, insists on being to wear black, grey, or white. Even yet, we can still typically work those into our color palette. Perhaps choose based on the season or reason for the shoot. If you are hoping to grab a shot to display over your mantle, try matching your existing decor. So many fabulous ways to think in color schemes. We typically work around 3 main colors to keep in flowing. Try a great design site like Design Seeds for palette ideas. color palette
  • Coordinate a look– Casual, formal, fun? Which one are you going for? I have 2 girls that could wear a formal dress in every picture and be happy with it. My son? T-shirts. Not going to happen. Everyone needs to at least be on the same page when it comes to the look we are trying to achieve. Think about your location as well on this one. Don’t want to wear snow boots and big coats at a beach setting.choose a style
  • Pick a focal piece – We typically find one great pattern piece and work around that. In this instance, the Zebra Ruffle Top was perfect. Once you have that piece you can easily work around it and pick the other pieces. For us, we typically choose a piece from one of the girls’ closets that is perfect for the picture and easy to match. At least it always plays out that way. focal piece
  • Avoid large graphics – Where a nice argyle print may look great in a photo, a huge logo across a shirt does not. Try to avoid anything too flashy that would draw attention away from the family as a whole. Again, you want the picture to flow with the designs and patterns you choose. Gymboree accessories
  • Don’t forget the accessories – I love to capture the kids’ feet. No idea why. But I also love to get up close and personal with the details. A clip in the hair or fun buckle on a belt makes an incredible focal point. Sometimes those little details… shoes, barrettes, necklace, bracelet, ring… they can make an amazing shot you may have otherwise missed. show your accessories

The photos should really be about capturing the moment. If the kids just happen to coordinate while doing so… awesome! Oh. Here are a few tips we use to help the shoot go a little easier on us all:

  1. Plan the photography session around the kids’ schedules. Nap and mealtimes should definitely be considered.
  2. Let the children bring their toys, books, etc. Those can be great for keeping them entertained and make perfect props.
  3. A few snacks and bottled water can also be a good idea. Snacking between pictures is perfectly acceptable. As is bribery rewards for after the shoot.
  4. As we move from one location to the next, we always capture the candid shots in between as well. They normally turn out to be the best! (Love this one my 9 year old captured of my toddler giving me a hug as we finished up) candid captures
  5. One trick we learned with our toddler? Once we finish one area, the older kids walk quickly with me to the next location. We get everyone posed and save a spot for Monkey. Colby will let her play as she walks and then we naturally position her into the shot. I grab as many pictures as possible as she does her thing and then we do it again. Last time, with all 5 kids, we were done with the shoot in under 30 minutes by doing it this way. Individual shots and all since I do them while waiting for Monkey to come along. toddler photography tip

What are your best tips for photographing kids?

Princess growth

Together with the Noise Girls, I am a Gymboree Grow With Me Blogger. You can learn more by liking Gymboree on Facebook or following along on Twitter.

growth chart

See how much the girls have grown with Gymboree since our last post.