Color Palettes
Family + Farm Animals
Desert Warm
Terracotta, rust, mustard, cream, with a touch of olive. These pull directly from the adobe pots and echoes the vintage orange truck without matching it exactly. A great option for a family who wants more color in-frame. You can add these colors in with a pattern, a button up over a white shirt, a bold pant or dress or even a jacket you can take on and off.
Denim and Farmhouse Neutral
You can base everyone in denim and white or cream, then let one family member — or a single accessory like a headband, shoes, or a ribbon on a basket — wear a simple pattern just to add a detail.
White or cream top, soft tan or oatmeal bottoms, light-wash denim. Keep everyone tonal so the browns of the hens and the adobe pots become the color in the frame. The safest, most timeless option — works for every family member and won't compete with the coop's silver tones.
Pop of color
Keep your outfit's base in neutrals (white, cream, tan, denim), then let one or two pieces bring in color: a red beanie, a mustard sweater, an orange overall, a striped sock. The goal is one or two intentional color moments per person, not head-to-toe color — it keeps the eye moving through the photo without anyone competing with the set or with each other.
Styling Note: A subtle print — small gingham, thin stripe, light plaid — mixed with solids tends to read better than an all-solid look in this setting. It keeps outfits from looking too flat against a background that already has a lot of texture: metal, wood, grass, and plants.
Pinterest Board
Family + Farm Animals
Check out my Pinterest board for this session. I’ll be posting inspo and outfit ideas. Click below.
Style Advice
Family + Farm Animals
For these, I wanted to capture people in the setting of my my parent’s ranch that overlooks Mount Hamilton in San Jose. I will have a setting by our chicken coop with chickens and other animals (still deciding and will share soon!) along with a vintage truck and a backdrop of Mount Hamilton. I wanted this to be authentic, in San Jose, and reflective of the of my family’s “artifacts” that we have on our property and to use them for some cool photos!
Colors
For this setting, we recommend a warm neutral or desert-inspired palette: white, cream, tan, camel, and light denim as your base, with rust, terracotta, or mustard as accent colors. Soft sage is okay in small doses (a bow, small print) but avoid larger blocks of bright green, since there will be some cactus in terracotta pots in the background and a grassy area in the setting. Avoid bright pastels like bubblegum pink or baby blue. Soft, small patterns (thin stripe, subtle gingham) are welcome.
Style
The styles I would recommend the most to consider are: minimalist, classic + boho rustic ( think I made that word up lol). These styles of clothing are simple, clean, and don’t distract from the person and the set.
BUT OF COURSE if a loud, funky and amazing outfit comes along that works perfectly, let’s do it!
Adults/Teens
A dress (midi or short) with boots, clogs, or cute rain boots. Light jeans w a top (flowy or with nice texture like lace trim or linen top), matching sets, Denim (light or medium wash) paired with a cream or tan top is a great anchor look for this session. Denim is totally family and farm friendly and I love me a denim on denim when it’s done well!
Accessories
It’s always a great idea to wear cute earrings, simple necklaces and even include a cute hat for the ladies or kids. Cute straw hats, cowboy hats or even classy baseball caps that look king of vintage or really simple that still vibe with the outfit.
Kids
Think cute overalls! Denim sets for the kids, with denim jeans and boots. Babies can be in cute rompers, onesies, or dresses. Older kids can do jeans with a top or button up, dresses or a matching set, shorts and button up. Try to stick to the same tan/cream/denim family so kids don't pull focus from the setting. Adding in some plaid or gingham print in a dress or shorts.
Make-up
I believe it’s best to look look like a polished version of yourself. Nothing out of your ordinary or overdone. You want to look like yourself and feel comfortable. Doing natural make-up with nudes and pinks would be best! Unless you regularly wear lipstick then don’t experiment too much with this.
Shoes
I recommend comfortable shoes like sandals or flats. It would go so nice with the organic vibe of this session. If someone wants to wear socks with their shoes, make sure they don’t show or have them match and look nice if we see them in the photos. Boots (booties or western-style) work beautifully with this setting too and if you want to bring heels just in case, let’s do it!
Hair
If you’re wearing your hair down, you can add soft curls or waves to your look. If you’d like to add a hair accessory, make it simple. For kids, adding a simple bow or a cute hair clip.
And lastly…
I know family photos can feel stressful — once you arrive, I'll direct you through the whole session, so just focus on getting everyone there!
Choose mom's outfit first — you'll feel your best, and you can wear it again later, unlike kids' clothes that they'll outgrow.
Try on all outfits the day before to check fit (Target, Old Navy, and Cotton On are great for last-minute finds).
For little ones in dresses, add shorts or bloomers underneath in case of sitting or being carried.
Map the route beforehand and add 10 extra minutes - 4770 Quimby Road San Jose, CA - more details to come about location!
Don't stress if your kids don't cooperate right away — I've got it handled :)