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What to wear for a photo shoot

Posted on September 22, 2016 by Admin under Portraits
Light, coordinated colours work really well.

Light, coordinated colours work really well

A family photo shoot captures a moment in time, creating beautiful images for you to look back on. So it’s important to make sure everyone looks their best and is happy with what they’re wearing. You want to look back on those images with fondness – the last thing you want is for them to cause your future selves to cringe!

Our clothes and accessories say a lot about who we are and I’m not suggesting you should choose an item or colour for the shoot that you wouldn’t normally wear. There are a few tips though that will help make sure you’ll be delighted with the images and that they’ll stand the test of time.

  • Make sure you’re all comfortable in what you’re wearing. If something is too tight, or you feel self-conscious, you won’t relax and it will show in the photographs. For that reason it’s best to choose a favourite outfit; something you always feel good in.
  • Dress as if you are all going for a relaxed family day out in smart, casual clothes.
  • If you’re going to include family members other than you, your partner and children, talk to each other about what you’re going to wear. While you don’t have to wear completely coordinated or
    uniform outfits, you do want to make sure nothing clashes or grabs too much attention.
  • It’s a good idea to avoid clothes with very busy, loud patterns, or large logos. They don’t work well in photos and they date badly too.
    The overpowering colours and patterns in this image are very distracting.

    The overpowering colours and patterns in this image can be distracting

     

    Large graphics on clothing become the focus.

    Large graphics on clothing become the focus

     

    Colours that are too strong, like the reds in this image, stand out too much.

    Strong colours, like the red top, and large logos can dominate the image

     

  • Encourage everyone to choose colours from a similar palette so nothing stands out too much. Your lovely faces should be the focus: not your clothes!
  • Blue jeans and plain shirts or T-shirts work very well and you might want to bring along extra tops to give a bit of variety to the shots.
  • Unless jewellery is your trademark, stick to something subtle or a single statement piece – again, nothing should detract from your faces or become the focal point.

 

The matching colours in this image work really well.

The matching colours in this image work really well.

 

The dark, coordinated outfits make sure the subjects's happy faces are the focus.

The dark, coordinated outfits make sure the subjects’s happy faces are the focus

 

  • The best photos are always the ones in which people look happy and relaxed so wear your hair as you usually would. If you do want to try a new style, have it cut a few weeks before the shoot so you can get used to it. And ladies, the same goes for makeup!

Making those photos even more personal

A great way to make a photograph special is to bring along something that’s very personal to you. For example it could be related to a hobby, your favourite sport, a book that means something to you, or if you play a musical instrument – bring it along… within reason of course!

Bringing along baby

If your family group includes a young baby, try not to over-dress them so we can see more of them than their clothes. But if there’s an outfit you particularly like to see them in, do include it. It’s a good idea to bring a couple of changes of clothes too in case of little accidents.

Finally I ask all my clients to remove shoes and socks for the photos. Why? Well, it will make you all look so much more relaxed. It does mean you might want to have a pedicure before you visit my studio though! But don’t worry about being cold, the under floor heating will make sure you’re nice and warm.

These are just guidelines of course. The most important thing is that everyone in the group is relaxed and happy. That’s how I’ll get natural images that you’ll all treasure forever.

And don’t forget the four-legged furry family members! Click here to find out how to make sure they look their best too.

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