Sep 21, 2026
Family
What to Wear for Fall Family Photos in Colorado
Fall in Colorado might be the most beautiful time of year to photograph your family, and also the trickiest time of year to plan an outfit for. One morning the aspens are glowing gold under a bluebird sky, and by afternoon there's a cold front rolling down from the mountains. If you're prepping for a session, here's how to dress your crew so everyone looks great and actually feels comfortable, no matter what the Front Range decides to do that day.
Layer like a local
Colorado fall weather can swing 30 or 40 degrees between morning and afternoon, so layering isn't just a styling trick here, it's practical. A lightweight sweater over a simple top, a flannel that can tie around a waist, or a light jacket that adds texture without hiding faces all work well. The goal is something you can add or shed depending on whether we're shooting at 9am with frost still on the grass or at golden hour when it's warmed up nicely.
Build around a palette, not a matching outfit
The days of everyone in matching white button-downs are over, and honestly, fall is the easiest season to prove it. Colorado's autumn backdrop does a lot of the work for you: golden aspens, deep evergreen, warm dirt trails, and that crisp blue sky. Pull colors that play well with that palette rather than fight it. Think rust, mustard, olive, cream, camel, deep burgundy, and denim. Everyone doesn't need to match exactly, they just need to feel like they belong in the same color story. A good rule of thumb: pick two or three base tones and let each family member wear some combination of them.
Avoid stark white and busy patterns
White tends to blow out in bright Colorado sun, especially at our altitude where the light is more intense than people expect. Save it for accents rather than an entire outfit. Similarly, large logos, bold graphic tees, and busy patterns (small florals are fine, but loud plaids or stripes can be visually distracting) tend to pull focus away from faces. Simple textures like cable knit, corduroy, and waffle knit photograph beautifully and add richness without competing with the scenery.
Dress for where we're shooting
If we're heading somewhere with a trail, open field, or anywhere off pavement, footwear matters more than people think. Cute sandals and slick-soled boots aren't going to hold up on uneven Colorado terrain, and it shows in photos when someone's uncomfortable or unsteady. Boots, sneakers, or anything closed-toe and broken-in are your best bet. If we're shooting near water or somewhere with early frost, waterproof shoes are worth considering too.
Don't forget the kids need to move
Fall sessions often mean kids running through leaves, climbing on fences, or chasing a dog through a field, so their outfits should hold up to that. Skip anything too precious or restrictive. A great fall outfit for a kid is one a parent isn't nervously watching to keep clean the entire session. Layers work for little ones too, since they run warm and cold faster than adults do. If your kid wants to wear their favorite apple pattern dress, let them! It captures the very heart of who they are at this very moment in time!
A simple formula that works
If you're overwhelmed by the options, here's an easy way to build a cohesive look: pick a base neutral (cream, camel, or denim) for one or two family members, add a rich accent color (rust, olive, or burgundy) for the others, and tie it together with one shared texture, like everyone in some kind of knit or flannel. It doesn't need to be complicated to look intentional.
At the end of the day, the best outfit is one that makes you feel like yourselves. Fall in Colorado gives us gorgeous natural color and light to work with, so the goal is simply to complement it, stay comfortable, and be ready to actually enjoy the session instead of fussing with your clothes the whole time.
Abigail was wonderful and picked a great family location in Boulder with an amazing background! She was patient with 5 little grandkids & our family. Even when it started to rain & the baby was NOT cooperating! Would highly recommend her to anyone in need of photos... family, engagement, individual... whatever you need! Very affordable too!
Jodi H.
Do. not. overthink. it.
Here's the thing: I've seen families spend weeks agonizing over the "perfect" outfits, and honestly, it rarely matters as much as you think. What matters far more is that everyone feels like themselves and isn't tugging at an uncomfortable waistband or fighting with a scratchy sweater the whole time. If you're stuck between two options, pick the one that's more comfortable, not the one that photographs 2% better on paper. Kids especially can detect stress on a parent, and an outfit meltdown five minutes before we start shooting does more damage to your photos than an imperfect color palette ever could. Get close on the general vibe, make sure nothing clashes wildly, and let the rest go. Some of my favorite family sessions have come together in twenty minutes the morning of or have been picked out by the 4 and 7 year old.
