Here are some suggestions on what to wear and what not to wear to your outdoor photo shoot

You’ve booked your outdoor family photo shoot, and can’t wait to finally have some photographs that you’re proud to display at home.

One of the next things you might start to think about is what everyone should wear. 

Choosing what to wear is the one decision that all of my clients want to discuss with me, and I completely understand how significant it can feel. You’re making an investment in professional photographs and want to make sure that everyone looks their best.

You might be wondering how formal you should be, what colours you should wear, and whether your children will agree to wear the outfits you’ve chosen!

CHOOSE COMFORT, ALWAYS

This sounds obvious, but nothing makes you appear more uncomfortable in photos than clothing that you are actually uncomfortable wearing. This is especially true for kids. Our goal is to capture fun moments of you with your family, and if someone is miserable because of clothing, it’s really hard for them to have much fun.

Fabrics:

• Opt for clothing that you and your kids won’t be tugging on, scratching at or readjusting. Cotton is always a comfy choice, and it tends to photograph nicely.

• Avoid dresses with tulle underskirts for little girls. Instead, opt for a cotton dress that twirls.

• Nothing shiny! Avoid rayon, silk and shiny polyester. Shiny fabrics cling to problem areas and add folds in places where you just don’t want them. They also draw the eye to those places because they catch light. Matte fabrics are much more flattering.

Shoes:

• Be practical. If your photo shoot is on grass, don’t wear stilettos (yes, it has happened). You’ll spend the whole time sinking into the ground. Sandals are totally fine for the park, if you wear wedges, don’t go too high with the heel. Comfy flats are my go-tos for photos.

• Be comfortable. Don’t put kids in new, stiff shoes for a photo shoot. Opt for tried-and-trues with soft soles. For tiny babies not yet walking, have them go barefoot (if it’s warm enough), or opt for socks, or the little moccasin-type shoes. I guarantee if you put them in new shoes for a photo shoot, you will spend at least 30% of your shoot losing shoes, finding them and putting them back on baby’s feet.

• For teens and adults, colorful shoes are always a welcome addition.

Jackets:

• Cold kids (and adults) are miserable and do not have any fun being photographed! They just want to get warm. So it is important that they are dressed in layers to stay warm, as even in spring and autumn it can be chilly.

• Before you grab everyone’s jackets, and cover up the gorgeous outfits you’ve chosen I recommend considering layers instead.

  An extra vest or t-shirt underneath your outfits, and cardigans, gilets, jackets or scarves on top can add interest and depth to your photographs that a coat probably won’t. Most families also find that their coats don’t coordinate well and that they’re better able to coordinate colours using layers instead.

WEAR CLASSIC CLOTHES THAT FIT WELL

• Don’t wear baggy clothing. It will make you appear larger. Do wear clothing that is fitted or tailored. If you are wearing a top, choose a longer length one as you will likely be lifting your arms and kids up and don’t want to show your skin. And don’t wear clothes that are too tight, if you are wearing a button up shirt, ensure that the gaps don’t gape when you move.

• Women photograph beautifully in dresses or a top/skirt combo, but remember that we will likely sit on the ground for some photos, so don’t go too short!

• For children in dresses/skirts, think about bloomers or an alternative to cover pants when they twirl, sit, and climb. Pants don’t look good in photos.

• Same for babies, choose clothes that cover the nappy completely or have a nappy cover available.

• For your photo shoot I recommend choosing children’s clothes that fit well now, rather than having room to grow. Clothes that are too big can sometimes appear to drown children in photographs. Clothes that fit will give a much sharper image.

• Absolutely no logos, characters, or slogans. Tiny pocket logos are fine and won’t show up. 

• If you don’t love your arms, wear a three-quarter length shirt, cardigan, or jumper. 

• Kids often get grumpy when they have to have an outfit change mid-shoot, so try to choose something they will be happy in during the entire shoot.

• If you have a drooling baby, put a bib on them and we will take it off just before photos and have a muslin handy to wipe up that extra drool!

CREATING A COHESIVE LOOK IN YOUR OUTDOOR PHOTOGRAPHS

When you’re choosing outfits for your outdoor family photographs I recommend considering how your clothes complement the natural environment around you, and how the whole family’s outfits complement each other.

Some recommendations for choosing your outfits:

• Dress for your environment When you’re choosing outfits for your family the best place to start is with the environment you’re going to be in for the photo shoot. What kind of clothes would you usually wear there? 

  From there, make your outfits a little smarter than usual.

  For example if you’re having an Autumn photo shoot in the park it will look much more natural if you all dress in smart/casual clothes and wellies than if you’re in your Sunday best

• Make sure you’re all dressed for the same weather and occasion.

  For example if everyone is wearing short sleeved tops with shorts or skirts, but one person is wearing a thick cardigan or coat the person in the cardigan or coat will look out of place.

  Similarly if one person is in shorts and a t-shirt whilst everyone else has formal dresses and trousers on the person in shorts will look out of place. Making sure that you’re all dressed for the same weather and occasion will make sure you look cohesive as a group.

• Embrace layers and textures as they can add a lot of dimension and interest to your photos.

  This can be particularly useful during early spring or the autumn, when the weather’s cooler.

  Layers add dimension and interest to your photos. They are also super flattering. Add texture with chunky knits, or neutralize colors with a cream or navy sweater. Practically speaking, you also may need a jacket layer, so plan for one that you are ok with having photographed.

  Accessories can also work well too, if they are what you would normally wear in that location – hats, scarves, jewellery and hair bands for example can add depth and texture to your photographs.

• Leave your smart watch at home, they don’t photograph well. Keep your pockets empty, no phones, wallets, keys, etc. Don’t leave a hair band on your wrist.

• Avoid pictures and slogans This one might not be popular with your superhero-mad children, but clothes with pictures and slogans on will date your photos much more quickly. It’s usually best to avoid them completely.

• Choose a colour scheme for your family photos, choosing complementary colours can really bring photographs together, and importantly make sure that we see the people first and their clothes second. 

  1. When putting together your family’s colour scheme choose a maximum of three colours that run through it. 

     If you’re not sure where to start it might help to think of one outfit that you definitely want to include and build your colour scheme with three or four colours and tones that compliment it. Or choose one patterned item – for example a little girl’s skirt or mum’s favourite scarf – and use the colours from that as the basis of your scheme.

     Goal is to coordinate, not match! We don’t want everyone wearing the same thing, just compliment each other.

  2. For couples and groups, the idea is to coordinate around a colour palette, but to avoid matching. Pick a maximum of 3 colours, add neutrals that complement, and then vary patterns, textures and clothing types within that palette.

  3. Pick up to 3 Colours Based on the Season

• For spring, I like to complement greens that are just coming out. Soft light colours such as pink, peach, lilac, coral, light blue, light yellow are lovely spring colours. Bold colours don’t work as well in the spring time.

• If you’re not a pastel person, navy photographs well year-round.

• If you don’t want any color at all, go for neutral. Tans, grays, and cream still work in the spring. Just make sure you use layers and a variety of textures among family members. One or two people in the photo still should wear something in camel, dark tan or charcoal. Otherwise, everything is just too white/ivory.

• During the autumn a much wider range of colours work well in photographs than in the spring or summer, when I recommend a softer palette. During the autumn you can choose a palette of soft colours – creams, dusty pinks and soft browns for example. But this is also a time of the year when deep colours such as mustard and berry red work very well too.

• Then, add in neutrals

  • Neutrals are a necessary component to planning your outfits. We can’t have everyone in our base colors, or it will look too matchy-matchy. Neutrals break up the palette and make different shades and patterns within the palette come together.

  • Examples of neutrals are tan, gray, ivory, brown, and lighter blue -jean blue.

  • Trousers and light jumpers tend to be the bread and butter neutrals, but certain people can get away with wearing skirts and dresses in neutrals (especially browns and grays).

• Colours to avoid in Outdoor Photo shoots

  • Black, neon, and very bright colours, especially bright red and orange generally don’t work well in outdoor photos, and can make them look quite imbalanced as they are so different to the softer colour palette that Mother Nature provides. I recommend avoiding them completely.

  • Don’t do anything neon. No neon pink, green or really bright red either. These tones reflect the sun and give skin weird color casts. 

  • Don’t wear tight patterns. They have a moire affect, meaning that on a screen, they will jump around and have a life of their own. Avoid tight pinstripes, tiny dot patterns or tight patterns of any kind. 

  • Adults shouldn’t wear all white (unless you’re getting married :-). If you really want all white or cream, add a jumper. Small kids are the exception here; little girls can totally get away with white or cream sundresses for a timeless, classic look. 

• Pick a Color That Will Work in Your House

  • We tend to decorate our houses in colors we like, so look around your house for a good jumping-off point for color.

  • My hope is that you will want to display your photos, so think about how the photos will look in your house. What colors will work well displayed on your walls?

Well done for getting through all that! I know it is a lot, and you are probably thinking, wow that is a lot of information about clothes! Ultimately, choose clothes that make you smile, that you feel good in, and that are comfortable! I am here to answer any questions you have about clothing and accessories, so please do not hesitate to ask!